BetterHelp

betterhelp.com
Healthcare IT
Weekend Project

Professional Therapy With A Licensed Therapist

How to Replace BetterHelp

Overview

BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy service, connecting users with licensed, accredited, and experienced therapists for professional mental health support. Users can communicate via messaging, chat, audio, or video sessions on their own schedule. The platform serves over 6.2 million people with a network of over 31,000 licensed therapists.

Features

16 features across 10 categories

Accessibility(1)

Anytime Access

Access therapy from anywhere using a phone or computer, reach out to therapist anytime

Also in: Justinmind, Justworks, Notion

Account Management(2)

Gift Membership

Ability to gift BetterHelp membership to friends and loved ones

Provider Switching

If unhappy with your therapist, click a button and get matched to another provider

Also in: Keeper, 1Password, Bitwarden

Communication(4)

Chat Sessions

Real-time conversation over instant messaging with your therapist

Message Therapy

Send and receive messages to your therapist anytime, no scheduling required

Phone Sessions

Talk with your therapist over the phone at a scheduled time

Video Sessions

Face-to-face session with your therapist over video at a scheduled time

Also in: Jobber, Jira, Insightly

Community(1)

Group Sessions

Free access to 20+ weekly live interactive group seminars delivered by expert therapists

Also in: Squarespace, Hugging Face, Obsidian

Core Service(3)

Specialized Therapist Focus Areas

Therapists specializing in specific issues including depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, grief, stress, parenting, addictions, eating, sleeping, anger, family conflicts, LGBT matters, religion, and self-esteem

Therapist Matching

Smart provider matching system that connects users to a therapist from a pool of over 31,000 providers based on needs, preferences, and demographics

Therapy Type Selection

Choose from Individual therapy, Couples therapy (via Regain.us), or Teen therapy (via TeenCounseling.com)

Credibility(1)

Licensed Therapist Verification

All therapists are licensed professionals (PhD/PsyD, LMFT, LCSW, LPC, LMHC) with at least 3 years experience and 1,000 hours of hands-on experience

Also in: NiceJob

Documentation(1)

Session Notes

Therapists can take notes during sessions with client notification

Payment(1)

HSA/FSA Acceptance

Platform accepts HSA/FSA cards and is recognized as an eligible expense by most HSA/FSA providers

Also in: Square Payroll, IdoSell, Calendly

Scheduling(1)

Flexible Scheduling

View full therapist schedule and pick a time that works for you

Tools(1)

Digital Worksheets

Access to 150+ digital worksheets and modules that support the therapy process

Pricing

Standard

$70-$100/week
  • All communication methods
  • Therapist matching
  • Digital worksheets
  • Group sessions
  • HSA/FSA acceptance

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying BetterHelp

Monthly$70/mo
Yearly$840/yr
5-Year Total$4.2k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~1 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $600
SaaS
$840
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $1.8k
SaaS
$2.5k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $3k
SaaS
$4.2k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 16 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a BetterHelp alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 16 features.

Buy BetterHelp

Monthly cost$700/mo
3-year total$25,200
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Better Value
Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Building could save ~$6,720 over 3 years.

Estimates based on 16 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.