Online therapy services are becoming more mainstream, enabling you to get help for mental health care conditions at the push of a button. But, if you’re looking for mental health support from a licensed provider online, you might wonder if BetterHelp or Amwell is better suited to your needs, which is where this review comes in.
Why trust us? We’ve been writing about online mental health since 2018, providing well-researched articles and in-depth reviews about mental health providers.
In this blog post, we’ll compare the two major platforms, looking at their services, pricing plans, and other important things you need to know so you can put your money to good use.
Read on to determine if you should sign up for BetterHelp or Amwell.
BetterHelp vs Amwell: Quick verdict
Both online mental health platforms offer affordable and convenient counseling, but they have pros and cons.
BetterHelp Pros
- It’s more affordable.
- It offers financial aid.
- It provides a range of communication channels.
- You can get matched with a therapist or choose one from a list.
BetterHelp Cons
- It’s a subscription service.
- It doesn’t accept insurance.
Amwell Pros
- It doesn’t require a subscription.
- Its providers can prescribe medication.
- It accepts insurance coverage.
Amwell Cons
- It only provides video or phone sessions.
- It’s only available in the U.S.
BetterHelp vs Amwell: Detailed comparison
Let’s explore the features of both online platforms in greater detail.
Services offered
Amwell
Amwell offers online therapy services for mental health conditions and issues such as:
- Anxiety
- Social anxiety
- LGBTQ counseling
- Panic attacks
- Couples counseling
- Life transitions
- Insomnia
- PTSD/trauma
- OCD
- Grief/bereavement
- Depression
- Stress management
These services are available nationwide in the U.S. for adults as well as children between the ages of 10 and 17. Couples counseling is also offered, as well as menopause counseling, pregnancy and postpartum therapy, and online psychiatry.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp is available in approximately 200 countries. BetterHelp offers online mental health support for conditions and issues such as the following:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief/bereavement
- Marital conflicts
- Family issues
- Trauma
- Sleep disorders
- Addictions
- LGBTQ matters
- Bipolar disorder
You can use individual, couples, and teen counseling on the platform. There’s also marriage, couples, and family counseling. However, psychiatric services aren’t provided.
Winner: Amwell. Although both online therapy platforms provide many useful therapy services, Amwell has a wider range, including postpartum and pregnancy counseling.
Providers
Amwell
Amwell offers licensed psychologists who have doctorates and therapists with master’s degrees. These providers are licensed to practice in their state and have been trained to deliver mental health services online.
Amwell also provides online U.S. board-certified physicians and clinicians you can consult. They are licensed to prescribe medication and offer urgent care.
Although Amwell therapists can’t prescribe medication, psychiatrists and physicians on the platform can do so if you require it.
You’re encouraged to interview more than one therapist so that you can find the best one to meet your therapy requirements. You can browse therapists on the platform based on their availability or check out their profiles, including their interests and qualifications.
You can choose a new therapist at any time by booking an appointment with a different one.
BetterHelp
On BetterHelp, mental health providers are accredited clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and professional counselors. All the counselors on the platform must have a master’s or doctorate in their field and a minimum of three years and 1,000 hours of experience.
Before accepting providers, BetterHelp verifies their licenses and lets counselors take a case study exam, which a licensed clinician reviews.
When signing up for BetterHelp, you’ll be matched with a therapist by answering a short questionnaire. You can also punch in your area code on the platform to choose a therapist.
You can change your therapist at any time by contacting BetterHelp support.
Winner: Tie. Both Amwell and BetterHelp have licensed, experienced, and trained mental health professionals.
Sign-up process
Amwell
The sign-up process is easy. On the Amwell homepage, select ‘For patients,’ which opens a new tab. Scroll down to see what services are offered and choose the one you want, such as online therapy or online psychiatry. Press ‘Continue.’
You’ll punch in your insurance details if you have insurance and then get directed to the sign-up page. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be taken to the private user area to select a therapist and book your appointment.
BetterHelp
To sign up for BetterHelp, click on the ‘Get started’ button in the top-right corner of the screen. You’ll fill out a short questionnaire about why you need therapy and what you hope to gain, and then you’ll be matched with a therapist.
Winner: Amwell. Both platforms make signing up to the platform quick and easy. However, Amwell is even easier because you don’t have to sign up for a membership plan.
How sessions work
Amwell
When you’ve scheduled an appointment, Amwell will send you a confirmation email and a link to the video session with your provider. You will also have to answer a few questions about the condition or mental health issue you’re dealing with.
This process takes a few minutes to do before your therapist arrives, which is why you’re encouraged to open the ‘Get Started’ link about 10 minutes before your appointment is set to start.
BetterHelp
Once you’ve connected with your therapist, you might have to answer a questionnaire so your therapist can fine-tune your mental health treatment plan. You won’t be treated in this first session, as it’s a consultation.
Since BetterHelp is a subscription service, you can have a live session every week, depending on your plan.
Winner: Tie. Both online mental health services provide a user-friendly way to help you get started in your mental health journey.
Privacy
Amwell
Amwell is a HIPAA-certified platform that is private and secure. Therapy sessions with your mental health professional aren’t recorded.
Individuals younger than 18 are not allowed to open an account on the platform. They need a parent or guardian to create their account and manage it.
However, note that information collected from users can be shared with authorized third parties, such as for legal or marketing purposes. If this bothers you, you can email Amwell to request that your data be deleted.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp has a range of privacy-enhancing features. The platform encrypts messages between you and your therapist while its servers are distributed across several Tier 4-AWS Data Centers to boost security. You can also choose to remove your messages after sending them to your therapist if you’re worried about your privacy being compromised.
You can use a nickname to sign up for BetterHelp, which will help you stay anonymous.
Winner: BetterHelp. It provides more user-friendly options for members to safeguard their privacy when using the platform.
Pricing
Amwell
Amwell offers therapy sessions at a per-session rate of $109 for therapists with a master’s degree and $129 for those with a doctoral degree. The initial psychiatric evaluation, which lasts 45 minutes, is $279, while 15-minute follow-up appointments are $109. For the most accurate and current information about cancellation policies and fees, it’s recommended that you consult directly with Amwell.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp offers a range of subscription plans, with costs typically ranging from $65 to $100 per week, which are billed every four weeks. The total monthly expense can vary between $260 and $400. The services provided include ongoing messaging with your therapist, participation in group-based discussions, access to an online digital journal, and the option to have one weekly live session.
Winner: BetterHelp. If someone prefers a subscription model with various services, BetterHelp might be more cost-effective.
Insurance
Amwell
Amwell accepts insurance coverage from a variety of providers, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna Average, and Anthem. When you log into your profile for your online therapy session, you’ll be asked to input your health insurance information.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp doesn’t generally accept insurance. However, it offers some of its members financial aid, which can help lower your subscription payment if you qualify. If you do have insurance coverage, your provider might pay you back for some of the costs of your mental health therapy, so it’s worth checking if your insurance company will cover it.
Winner: Tie. Although BetterHelp doesn’t offer insurance, it does offer financial aid. These features make booking appointments with either platform more convenient and cost-effective than in-person therapy.
Communication Channels
Amwell
On Amwell, you’ll have therapy sessions with your provider via video. However, phone sessions are an alternative if you’re struggling to connect via video, such as if your internet connection isn’t stable.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp gives you more communication channels through which you can have therapy sessions. They can take the form of live video sessions, phone sessions, or unlimited messaging with your licensed providers. You also get additional features, such as journaling, which means that you can share your journal entry with your therapist, and they’ll respond to your concern or issue within 24 hours.
Winner: BetterHelp, since it offers more ways to access online therapy sessions. And, with unlimited messaging with your therapist, you have a mental health doctor on demand.
Emailing customer service often leads to lengthy correspondences with no meaningful progress. Talkspace’s customer service seems focused on discouraging subscription cancellations and account deactivations. They’re also reportedly skilled at avoiding refunds.
Customer Reviews
Amwell
On TrustPilot, Amwell has a two-star rating. Common complaints from users include:
- Difficulty with getting refunds. However, note that you can’t get refunds on completed appointments, so if you want to stop using the platform, you have to stop scheduling them.
- Problems with getting insurance coverage.
- Unsatisfactory customer service. Some people have struggled to get a reply from the customer service team.
- Therapists who aren’t on time for appointments.
On Reddit, some Amwell therapy reviews include the following:
BetterHelp
On TrustPilot, BetterHelp has a 4.6-star rating out of 5. There are many positive reviews of this online therapy platform, such as the following:
- Being matched with a helpful therapist.
- The useful chat function so you can contact your provider anytime.
However, there are also some negative reviews, such as those relating to the following:
- Being incorrectly billed for sessions.
- The BetterHelp app sometimes experiences technical difficulties.
- Not getting matched with a therapist in a timely fashion. Note that this depends on therapist availability in your area.
On Twitter, some recent BetterHelp reviews include the following:
https://twitter.com/brock_aholic/status/1647982919141724162
Winner: BetterHelp. It has better ratings and a greater number of positive reviews online.
BetterHelp vs Amwell: The winner
BetterHelp is the better online therapy service because it offers many more features to make online counseling convenient. It allows you to choose your therapist and offers a subscription plan. Although this might seem like a drawback, it works out to being more affordable than if you have to pay for individual therapy sessions.
But there are times when Amwell might be a better choice for you. People who might prefer Amwell services include those who want to:
- Pay for appointments without a subscription or membership.
- Make use of insurance cover to pay for online mental health services.
- Interview multiple providers before choosing one.
- Consult with a psychiatrist, as BetterHelp doesn’t provide psychiatric services.
Although the above points are worthy of consideration, BetterHelp is one of the best online mental health therapy platforms. It’s available globally and has lots of features in place to help people get the mental health support they need, such as by offering many different ways in which therapists can consult with patients.
If you’re seeking online therapy, sign up for BetterHelp and connect with a licensed therapist today so you book an initial consultation.
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