Brightside and BetterHelp are online mental health platforms that offer support and treatment for mental health conditions. They have some essential differences regarding what services they offer, their pricing, and how they work. If you’re seeking therapy, knowing which one would better suit your needs can be difficult without diving deep into their features.
That’s where our review comes in! Healthy Minded has been reviewing, researching, and writing about mental health content and online therapy services since 2018, so we are qualified to help you choose between Brightside and Betterhelp as an online mental health platform.
Read on to learn more about these major online therapy platforms and what services they offer.
Brightside vs BetterHelp: Quick verdict
| Brightside Pros | Brightside Cons |
|---|---|
| It provides a blend of both therapy and medication management. | No treatment is provided for ADHD. |
| It includes a self-care program for all its members. This helps people sharpen their skills and resilience. | It’s only available in the U.S. |
| It offers insurance. | Only video and unlimited messaging are available. |
| You can book an appointment with your provider within 48 hours or less. | |
| BetterHelp Pros | BetterHelp Cons |
| Offers therapy for a wider range of mental health conditions. | Doesn’t accept insurance (although financial aid is provided). |
| Enables you to choose your own therapist and provider. | Providers don’t prescribe medication. |
| Offers a greater variety of different online therapy platforms and platform channels, such as live chat, video, and messaging sessions. | |
| Affordable plans. |
Our Pick, Top Online Therapy
BetterHelp.com
- Cost ranges from $65-$100 per week
- Get matched with a therapist in 48 hours or less
- 30,000 licensed therapists with 317 million+ counseling sessions
- Members can reach out to 24/7 support via email, phone, or contact form
- Therapists from wide-array range of backgrounds, beliefs, & cultures
- Specialist providers can assist with extremely particular or complex issues.
- 15% off for Healthy Minded visitors
Brightside vs BetterHelp: A detailed comparison
Brightside and BetterHelp are popular mental health platforms, but how do they compare? Let’s break down their features.
Services Offered
Brightside
Brightside offers support and treatment for depression and anxiety in all 50 U.S. states. Its therapists and providers can treat mental health conditions such as Panic disorder, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Social anxiety disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder, Major depressive disorder, Phobias
It also provides online mental health treatment for the following conditions: Bipolar disorder, Insomnia, Postpartum depression, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Seasonal affective disorder
Brightside also offers Crisis Care, a first-of-its-kind program tailored to individuals at an increased risk of suicide.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp offers online therapy for a variety of conditions, which include: Stress; Anxiety disorders, Depression, Sleep disorders, Parenting, Trauma, Anger, Marital issues, Relationships, Addictions, Eating, Family conflicts, LGBT matters, Grief, Self-esteem, Religion
Winner: BetterHelp. Although Brightside offers tailored treatment plans for various mental health conditions, it focuses on treating anxiety and depression. BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that treats a wider variety of conditions. You can also sign up for Betterhelp from anywhere worldwide, while Brightside is only available in the U.S.
Providers
Brightside
This provider network comprises mental health care professionals such as physicians, psychiatrists, therapists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. They are licensed to practice in your state and have many years of experience. Brightside also has a clinical advisory board, which includes industry experts from leading educational institutions, such as Yale and Stanford.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp providers are accredited clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and board-licensed counselors. All providers possess a master’s degree or doctorate in their field of expertise and must complete at least three years and 1,000 hours of experience.
Winner: Tie. Both mental health platforms offer online therapy providers licensed to treat various mental health issues, making them more convenient than in-person therapy.
Sign-up process
Brightside
When signing up for the Brightside platform, you must fill out a short questionnaire that shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes. Once you get your results, you’ll have a personalized treatment plan designed for you. This will help you see if you benefit from therapy, medication, or a treatment plan containing both.
You’ll be matched with a provider, and within 48 hours, you’ll be able to book a video appointment with them to have a consultation.
If you’ve chosen the medication management plan, you’ll be connected with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication. To sign up for the medication plan, you must also start by taking an assessment. Then you’ll be matched with a psychiatrist, who will schedule an online consultation. You can get medication from your local pharmacy if you’re prescribed medication.
BetterHelp
Signing up for the BetterHelp platform is easy. You have to click the ‘Get Started’ button on the homepage. You’ll have to answer a short questionnaire to connect to the right provider, which should occur within 24 hours.
You can message them when you’ve been matched to a therapist.
Winner: BetterHelp. Although both mental health platforms have a simple, straightforward sign-up process, BetterHelp has an advantage because you can choose a licensed therapist from a list displayed on your screen when you enter your area code.
Therapy Channels
Brightside
Brightside enables video sessions with your therapist or another provider, which occur via Zoom, so you’ll have to download the Zoom app. However, the platform also provides unlimited messaging with your provider, so you can contact them in-between sessions, such as if you have any queries about your treatment plan.
BetterHelp
Therapy can be conducted via the following channels:
- Live chat.
- Phone.
- Live video.
- Messaging.
Winner: BetterHelp offers more ways for you to get online therapy sessions. If you don’t want to have video chats, you have other options, making it more convenient.
Switch to the top-rated therapy platform.
Pricing
Brightside
Brightside offers three plans that you pay for monthly. These are:
Therapy plan: This therapy-only plan costs $299 per month (but it’s $249 for the first month). If you purchase additional sessions in the form of video appointments, the cost is $59 per session. This plan contains four 30-minute video sessions in the month and unlimited messaging with your provider.
Medication plan: At $95 per month, this plan gives you the medication you need to treat your mental health condition. You might also have to pay your prescription copayment based on your insurance company.
Combination plan: This plan provides a blend of therapy and medication, costing $349 monthly.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp offers three weekly subscription plans:
Basic: This costs $65 per week and gives you unlimited messages with your therapist and one live (30-minute) session per month.
Premium: For $80 per week, you’ll get unlimited messaging with your provider and one live (50-mins) session monthly.
Unlimited: This costs $100 per week and provides unlimited messaging and four live (50-mins) sessions per month.
All BetterHelp plans include access to extra resources, such as worksheets.
Winner: Tie. With Brightside, the online therapy provider you’re matched to can prescribe medication and design a treatment plan for you. However, BetterHelp’s Basic plan, although charged weekly, is more affordable than Brightside’s therapy and combination plans.
Insurance
Brightside
Brightside accepts insurance from providers like Cigna, Anthem, United Healthcare, and Aetna, but you’ll have to ensure you’ll get coverage in your region. Even if your insurance covers your mental health care from Brightside, you’ll have to pay copays, deductibles, prescription costs, and coinsurance included in your plan.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp doesn’t submit claims to your insurance provider, so it’s not covered by insurance. If your provider covers some of your online mental health costs when you submit a claim, you can get some reimbursements for your medical costs.
Although BetterHelp doesn’t offer insurance coverage, it offers some members financial aid. To find out if you qualify, email the customer service team at contact@betterhelp.com.
Winner: Brightside. Being able to pay for your mental health costs with the help of your insurance provider can really help you. But, since BetterHelp offers some members financial aid, both online therapy platforms help you find convenient and affordable online therapy.
Privacy
Brightside
Brightside Health uses encryption on its website to secure your data. It is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), so your provider is the only one allowed to access your sensitive health data and other information.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp offers privacy in the form of encryption technology, and it’s HIPAA-certified. However, it also offers extra features for members to increase their privacy, such as the ability to shred their messages so they can’t be accessed in one’s account and the opportunity to use a nickname when signing up for the platform.
Winner: BetterHelp. Although both platforms have security measures in place, BetterHelp gives its users extra features they can use to safeguard their privacy.
Refund Policy
Brightside
If you want to request a refund for medication, you must log into your Brightside Health account and go to the ‘Help’ section to contact the customer support team.
The platform won’t refund you after your initial consultation with your psychiatrist has passed. This is because your information has to be reviewed and your treatment plan set up.
But you can cancel your medication plan anytime from your Brightside account’s ‘Settings’ section.
These aren’t refundable if you want a refund on your therapy sessions. But you can cancel your plan at any time. However, you can request a refund for the extra video therapy sessions you’ve purchased and canceled. To do so, log into your account and go to ‘Help’ to contact Brightside’s customer support team.
You can contact Brightside customer support in the following ways:
Email them at support@brightside.com if you have general queries. Or, email them at help@brightside.com if you have technical issues.
Call them at 415-360-3348. They’re available Mon-Fri, from 9 am to 5 pm PST (Pacific Standard Time).
BetterHelp
If you’re unsatisfied with your membership plan, you can cancel it anytime. You can also request a refund, as BetterHelp offers it on a case-by-case basis. To request a refund, email contact@betterhelp.com. Ensure your email’s body includes why you’re requesting a refund.
You can contact BetterHelp in different ways:
- Fill out their online form.
- Email the support team at contact@betterhelp.com
- Call them on 888-688-9296.
Winner: BetterHelp. Although refunds aren’t guaranteed on any online mental health platform, BetterHelp wins in this category because Brightside doesn’t consider refunds for their medication plan.
Customer reviews
Brightside
On Trustpilot, Brightside has a 1.6-star rating out of 5 stars, with most reviews being negative. Some of the most common reasons cited for the low reviews include the following:
- Problems with getting refunds. As one user stated, “When I tried to cancel, they kept charging me and never responded to my request for a refund.”
- Problems with contacting customer support.
- Issues with the sign-up questionnaire, which some people have said is too short to provide a proper diagnosis.
That said, there are some positive reviews. One stated: “My family member had been seeing a therapist for about 9 months. When we decided to try medication, we could not get in to see any providers in our area for months. My husband found the Brightside app, and we were able to schedule a Zoom appointment within 36 hours.”
Switch to the top-rated therapy platform.
On Twitter, some reviews include:
BetterHelp
On TrustPilot, BetterHelp has a star rating of 4.6 out of 5. Most customer reviews are positive, with many citing the platform’s high-quality therapists and the ease of unlimited messages with providers.
However, there are some negative reviews. Most common complaints include issues with being charged too much money and struggling to contact customer support.
On Twitter, BetterHelp has reviews such as the following:
Has BetterHelp teamed up with Brightside?
Although BetterHelp providers can’t prescribe medication to members, BetterHelp has partnered with Brightside to ensure that prescription medication can be sent to people who require them in their treatment plan. This fantastic collaboration can help you easily add medication management to your online therapy plan and have your medication delivered to you.
Brightside vs. BetterHelp: The Verdict
BetterHelp is the best online therapy service of the two, as it offers excellent mental health services and it’s more affordable than signing up for Brightside.
However, there are times when Brightside might be a better choice for people who want to access online mental health services. People who might prefer Brightside’s services include those who:
- Want to use their insurance to pay for online therapy.
- Want to use a medication plan or combine it with therapy on one platform.
Although these points are worthy of consideration, BetterHelp is one of the best online therapy companies. It is globally accessible, affordable, and has mental health professionals on board who can assist you on a wide range of mental health conditions. It also makes therapy easier because you can choose the communication method that suits you the best, whether you want therapy sessions via video, phone or text messages.
Sign up for BetterHelp now and start your online therapy journey.
Image credits:
Image courtesy of Studio Roman
