10 best affordable online therapy providers for 2024

Cost per session: $30-$80 per session, plus a one-time membership fee of $65 | Insurance accepted: No | Time until first appointment: Varies by therapist and location | States available: All 50 states and Canada | Types of therapy offered: Individual, couples, family, group, children and teens

Open Path Collective is a nonprofit therapy directive geared exclusively to the underinsured. The collective provides low-cost therapy to people who are uninsured, who can’t afford market rates for therapy sessions and those who have an annual household income below $100,000. Although they specify this requirement on the website, Open Path doesn’t request any financial records and operates on the honor system.

The selection of available services is truly comprehensive. Therapists at Open Path have a wide range of specialties, including common areas of focus like anxiety, stress and relationship issues along with more obscure areas of expertise such as compulsive spending, social media dependence and religious trauma. The list of treatment modalities is equally diverse with options that include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dance movement therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and the Gottman Method. On top of that, there are therapists available for all ages — from preschoolers to seniors. 

As for how pricing on the platform works, there is a one-time membership fee of $65 and therapy rates are based on a sliding scale. While the exact cost can vary by income level and provider, Open Path outlines a price range so you know what to expect.

Student intern provider: $30 per session with a student intern (a therapist-in-training)

Individual therapy: $40-$70 per session for therapy with a licensed mental health provider

Couples and family therapy: $40-$80 per session for couples or family therapy with a licensed mental health provider

Once you sign up to become a member, you’ll search for a therapist in your area. The Open Path directory is extremely detailed and easy to use. Search filters include location, type (online or in-person), cost, modalities, ages treated, languages spoken, therapist race/ethnicity, specialty areas and treatment orientation.

Open Path also offers online wellness courses for personal use and for individuals who need to take court-ordered classes for topics like anger management, domestic violence and self-esteem. To access the library, there’s a one-time fee of $5. Courses are free — you’ll only pay if you need a certificate, and prices are easy to find on the website.

Cost per session: $108 for talk therapy or $284 for initial psychiatry evaluation | Insurance accepted: Yes | Time until first appointment: 1 week or less | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Individual, couples, family, children and teens aged 10 and older, psychiatry

Of all the online therapy platforms I’ve tried, MDLive is the one I’d recommend most. The telehealth company is a one-stop shop that offers comprehensive medical and mental health services. Available services include urgent care, primary doctor visits, and psychiatry and therapy sessions for adults, couples, families, teens and children 10 years and older.

While the website states therapy sessions last between 45 and 60 minutes, in my experience, every session was at least an hour. Unlike some other virtual therapy platforms, the system doesn’t automatically kick you out after a certain amount of time, and my therapist would regularly go a few minutes over to wrap up our sessions more effectively.

Providers are highly qualified board-certified psychiatrists and licensed therapists with 10 years of experience or more. They cover a variety of mental health conditions, including addiction, anxiety, stress, trauma, depression and PTSD. 

Best of all, there’s no price difference between types of therapy; family and couple sessions are priced the same as individual sessions. Plus, it’s affordable. For the initial psychiatry visit, it costs $284. Talk therapy sessions and follow-up psychiatry visits cost $108. MDLive also accepts insurance, so your actual out-of-pocket cost may be much less, or free, depending on your copay.

Cost per session: $95-$349 per month | Insurance accepted: Yes | Time until first appointment: 1-5 days | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Individual, psychiatry, crisis care

Brightside Health is an online mental health platform that specializes in treating anxiety and depression. It offers talk therapy and medication management services for adults 18 and older at an extremely affordable rate. Plus, insurance is accepted.

Insurance coverage varies by location, but Brightside is in-network with many of the most popular insurance providers, including Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and Allegiance. Some Medicare and Medicaid plans are also accepted. The website makes it easy to verify whether your insurance is accepted. If your insurance plan isn’t accepted, you can pay out-of-pocket or with FHA/HSA funds.

There are three different subscription plans available:

Psychiatry: $95 per month for initial medication consultation with a psychiatrist and ongoing medication management

Therapy: $299 per month for four video sessions and unlimited messaging; additional therapy sessions can be purchased for $59

Psychiatry + Therapy: $349 per month for both services

Along with these three options, Brightside offers a unique, specialized care plan. Crisis Care is a short-term program specifically designed for individuals at a higher risk of suicide. Treatment is provided within 48 hours by a clinician trained in Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The program, which is structured to last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks, includes a thorough evaluation, weekly one-on-one therapy sessions, messaging between sessions, ongoing risk monitoring and a psychiatry consultation with medication prescription, if necessary.

One downside is that unlike the rest of Brightside’s services, Crisis Care is only available in select states and to those who have insurance.

Cost per session: $57-$90 per week | Insurance accepted: No | Time until first appointment: 1 day | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Individual

For those looking for truly flexible mental health care, Calmerry is a great option. It’s a text-based therapy platform that operates on a subscription model. Although Calmerry emphasizes messaging, video therapy sessions are also available.

Calmerry has an extensive network of more than 600 licensed providers, including psychologists, social workers, therapists and counselors. Providers have a wide range of specialties with expertise in helping patients with depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, anger management and relationship issues, to name a few. While some platforms allow you to browse provider bios and choose your own therapist, Calmerry opts to match you based on your initial intake survey. But rest assured, real people do the matching, not a computer algorithm.

As a telehealth company centered on messaging, Calmerry is comparable to Talkspace, but it’s even more affordable. There’s a discounted rate for the first month of therapy, and users can choose from three different plans:

Messaging: $57 per week for unlimited text messaging with your therapist. First month is $50 per week.

Messaging + 1 Live Video: $75 per week for unlimited text messaging and one 30-minute video session per month. First month is $62 per week.

Messaging + 4 Live Videos: $90 per week for unlimited text messaging and weekly 30-minute video sessions. First month is $74 per week.

Cost per session: $50-$110 per week | Insurance accepted: No | Time until first appointment: Varies by state | States available: 39 states, Canada, Ireland, Australia and the U.K. (Not available in AK, AR, HI, MT, NE, NH, ND, OR, RI, UT and WY) | Types of therapy offered: Individual, couples

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective and widely used approaches in psychotherapy and has even been called the "gold standard." For anyone seeking CBT, Online-Therapy.com is an excellent option.

The online therapy program is an eight part, self-guided CBT course with educational videos, hands-on tools, therapist-supported worksheets, journaling, an activity planner and yoga. Therapy plans also include unlimited messaging with your therapist and the option of live therapy sessions.

Online-Therapy.com offers individual and couples therapy for adults over the age of 18. Choose from one of four subscription plans:

Basic Plan: $50 per week for unlimited messaging and therapy program (first month is $40 per week)

Standard Plan: $80 per week for one live therapy session, unlimited messaging and online therapy program (first month is $64 per week)

Premium Plan: $110 per week for two live therapy sessions, unlimited messaging and therapy program (first month is $88 per week)

Couples Therapy: $110 per week for one live couples therapy session, unlimited messaging and therapy program (first month is $88 per week)

Live therapy sessions are 45 minutes long and can be attended via video, phone or live messaging. You'll be matched with a therapist based on your intake survey, but if you feel the therapist is not a fit, you can request to switch to a new therapist at any time.

Cost per session: $55-$65 per session | Insurance accepted: No | Time until first appointment: About a week | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Life coaching for individual and couples

E-Therapy Cafe is a boutique online counseling platform that offers flexible and affordable therapy sessions for those 18 years old and over. The platform is available in all 50 states and is run by a team of providers known as "life baristas." Each barista is a certified life coach, and most are also licensed therapists and counselors. However, it's important to note that while many baristas are licensed mental health practitioners, they're not licensed in every state and can only legally provide therapy services in states where they hold a license.

The session duration is 30 minutes, and you can choose from three different formats: video, phone/audio only or live messaging. There's also another, more unique option available: e-journal. With e-journal sessions, you write a journal entry of up to 700 words, and your barista responds within 48 hours with a written entry of their own. While this option is certainly not for everyone, it gives users more flexibility since journal entries don't need to be scheduled like live sessions.

There's evening and weekend availability and you can expect to schedule your first appointment within a few days of signing up.

Cost: $17-$33 per month with a 14-day money-back guarantee | Insurance accepted: N/A | Time until first appointment: Less than 24 hours | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Emotional support groups for a wide range of topics including divorce, grief, codependency and depression

Circles is a group therapy organization that offers low-cost 24/7 support groups for a wide range of topics. You have the option to join any group that fits your needs while maintaining the option to remain anonymous. You also have the option to participate in the group or just listen in to hear stories from those enduring the same struggles you are.

The groups are led by licensed mental health providers that focus on anxiety, addiction, grief, divorce, depression, trauma and codependency, among others. While it isn’t individualized therapy and is instead a series of support groups, you can also access educational seminars to learn actionable tools to help support your mental health goals. We especially love that you can tap in for support, regardless of where you live, what your time zone is or the hour of the day, thanks to groups that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cost per session: $100-$260 per month | Insurance accepted: No | Time until first appointment: Not listed | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Individual and couples

Ritual is a unique online platform designed specifically for those in relationships. It features live virtual sessions along with educational tools and can be used by people in any stage of a relationship, either individually or with their partners.

Providers, called relationship experts, are psychologists, marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers who use evidence-based therapy approaches, such as emotionally focused therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method. While there are clear elements of traditional couples therapy involved, sessions are typically much shorter (around 20-40 minutes).

With Ritual, there’s also an emphasis on individual work and relationship education. Once you sign up, you’ll select a pathway, which is a structured plan dedicated to a specific area of your relationship, such as communication, love after kids or intimacy. Pathways are typically three to four weeks long and feature short video lessons, journal prompts and daily exercises to help strengthen your relationship.

There are three different plan options you can choose from:

Bi-Weekly Sessions: $100 per month for individual sessions every two weeks ($80 per month for a six-month membership)

Weekly Sessions: $160 per month for weekly individual sessions ($128 per month for a six-month membership)

Couples Sessions: $260 per month for weekly therapy sessions for both partners; you’ll get four video sessions per person, which can be divided between individual and couples sessions ($208 per month for a six-month membership)

Cost: $69-$109 a week for therapy, billed monthly; $65 for additional sessions | Insurance Accepted: Yes | Time until first appointment: One week | States available: All 50 | Types of therapy available: Individual talk therapy, couples therapy, individual teen therapy, medication management for adults

Getting counseling for your teen may feel like an uphill battle, but it's one that may be life-changing or even life-saving, according to a recent CDC report on youth risk behavior. Talkspace understands the immense need for teen therapy and meets your teen where they are, in both treatment modality and location, which is why it's our top pick for online teen counseling. Talkspace's reputation centers on its talk and message-based therapy, which is right up most teens' alley — live video sessions are available as well. 

Teens can attend therapy sessions in a live chat room with the therapist, through text messaging, or in live video sessions, all from their smartphone or tablet. This gives them the freedom to participate in the sessions in the manner they often prefer and from wherever they feel comfortable.

If your teen needs medication in addition to talk therapy, Talkspace offers medication management as well. Appointments are flexible and you can cancel anytime.

Cost per session: $109-$279 | Insurance accepted: Yes | Time until first appointment: Varies by location and can range from same-day to two weeks | States available: All 50 states | Types of therapy offered: Individual, couples, family, psychiatry, children 10+ and teens

If you’re looking for truly comprehensive care suitable for the entire family, Amwell is one of the best options around. The telehealth platform offers a variety of physical and mental health services including urgent care, pediatrics, women’s health, nutrition counseling, therapy and psychiatry.

Therapy sessions are available for adults, couples, families and children between the ages of 10 and 17, and psychiatry visits are available for adults over 18. Providers are board-certified in psychiatry and neurology, licensed psychologists, therapists and counselors.

Amwell doesn’t use a subscription model — you pay for services as you go. The cost of therapy varies by the type of provider: You’ll pay $109 per session with a master’s level therapist and $129 per session with a doctoral level therapist. Psychiatry sessions cost $279 for the initial visit and $109 for follow-ups. However, what you actually pay may be much lower if you have insurance, as Amwell accepts more than 40 insurance plans.

It’s worth noting that Amwell doesn’t have the easiest website to navigate. Information about out-of-pocket costs and family therapy services is especially difficult to find. Finding the right therapist can be equally time-consuming as there are no search filters. However, customer service representatives are available by phone 24/7.