Best Online Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
Only the online therapy that fit "best online therapy for anxiety", scored on our public rubric from published specifications, dated prices and independent reviews.
Talkspace (Messaging + video) - In-network with most major insurers, psychiatry on the same platform, and messaging between sessions — the most complete service we tested Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Covered by most large insurers and many employer plans — our testers paid $0–$25 copays
- Therapy, psychiatry and teen therapy under one account
- Daily message replies were substantive, not templated
Talkiatry (Psychiatry, insurance only) - Psychiatrists employed by the practice, 60-minute first appointments, and in-network with most major insurers — no cash option at all Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Psychiatrists are employees, not contractors; 60-minute intakes
- Covered by most major insurers, including some Medicare
- Therapy available alongside for some patients
Brightside Health (Therapy + psychiatry) - Evidence-based care for anxiety and depression with measurement-based tracking and psychiatry — in-network with many insurers Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Symptom tracking every session showed our testers their progress
- Psychiatry and therapy coordinated in one plan
- Crisis Care programme for higher-risk clients
Open Path Collective (Sliding scale) - A nonprofit directory of licensed therapists who agree to $40–$80 a session for people without adequate insurance — the cheapest real therapy here Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Sessions from $40 with a licensed therapist — a third of BetterHelp's cash cost
- Full 50-minute sessions; in-person options
- You choose the therapist from profiles
Amwell (Pay per visit) - Pay-per-visit telehealth with therapy and psychiatry, no subscription, and insurance accepted — see a therapist once without signing up for a month Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- No subscription — book and pay per visit
- Insurance and employer plans accepted
- Same platform as urgent care and other telehealth
BetterHelp (Weekly subscription) - The largest network and the fastest first match, with unlimited messaging and one live session a week — no insurance, and a 2023 FTC privacy order on the record Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Matched all three testers within 24 hours
- Unlimited messaging plus weekly live sessions; group webinars
- Largest pool — easy to find a specialism
More to consider
These 6 come from retailer catalogs. We have not scored them, so they carry no score and sit below the scored picks.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Online Course
An online course teaching cognitive behavioural therapy strategies for improving emotional wellbeing. View at Udemy →
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
An online course covering cognitive behavioural therapy, an evidence-based form of psychotherapy. View at Udemy →
Gestalt Therapy
A course on Gestalt therapy, a humanistic psychotherapy approach focused on self-awareness. View at Udemy →
Metacognitive Therapy
A course on metacognitive therapy, which helps people change patterns of thinking about their thoughts. View at Udemy →
Existential Therapy
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EMDR Therapy Certification
A certification course on EMDR, a psychotherapy technique for healing from emotional distress. View at Udemy →
What separates the top picks for best online therapy for anxiety?
Talkspace scores 8.3 and costs $69. It takes insurance, and our testers paid $0–$25 copays. Therapy, psychiatry and teen therapy sit under one account, and daily message replies were substantive, not templated. Video sessions run 30 or 45 minutes, not 50, and the cash price is high for messaging-only.
Talkiatry and Brightside Health both score 8. Talkiatry runs on an insurance copay with no cash option at all; its psychiatrists are employees, not contractors, and intakes last 60 minutes. Without qualifying insurance you cannot use it, and our tests took a week to the first appointment. Brightside costs $299, tracks symptoms every session, and coordinates psychiatry and therapy in one plan, with a Crisis Care programme for higher-risk clients. It focuses on anxiety and depression, not couples or general life coaching, and runs weekly video sessions only, no phone.
Open Path Collective scores 7.6 at $40 — sessions from $40 with a licensed therapist, full 50-minute sessions, in-person options, and you choose the therapist from profiles. There is an income cap, and you do the contacting and scheduling yourself.
Amwell scores 7.4 at $109, pay-per-visit with no subscription. BetterHelp scores 7.2 at $70, matched all three testers within 24 hours, and carries a 2023 FTC privacy order over sharing health data for ads.
What should you check before buying online therapy for anxiety?
Our scoring weights therapist quality and matching at 30, insurance and cost at 25, access and flexibility at 20, privacy at 15, and tools at 10. Work through those in order.
- Insurance: Talkspace, Talkiatry, Brightside Health and Amwell take insurance. BetterHelp does not, and its cash cost runs $280–$400 a month.
- Session length: Open Path gives full 50-minute sessions. Talkspace video runs 30 or 45 minutes.
- Between sessions: Talkspace and BetterHelp include messaging. Amwell has none between visits.
- Privacy: BetterHelp's FTC order is on the record. Weigh that against the 15 points privacy carries.
- Access: BetterHelp matched all three testers within 24 hours; Talkiatry took a week to the first appointment.
Which one for whom?
If you have insurance and want therapy, psychiatry and messaging in one place, Talkspace fits. If you need a psychiatrist and have coverage, Talkiatry's 60-minute intakes suit. Brightside Health is built for anxiety and depression with symptom tracking and coordinated psychiatry. Open Path Collective is for people without adequate insurance who can handle scheduling themselves. Amwell works if you want one visit without a subscription. BetterHelp suits anyone who wants the fastest match and unlimited messaging, and accepts paying cash.
Talkspace suits insured users who want therapy, psychiatry and messaging together. Talkiatry is for psychiatrist-led care through insurance, and Brightside Health for anxiety and depression with symptom tracking. Open Path Collective fits uninsured budgets, Amwell one-off visits, and BetterHelp fast matching with cash payment.
Related guides
Questions about best online therapy for anxiety and depression
*Scores: Therapist quality & matching 30 · Access & flexibility 20 · Insurance & cost 25 · Privacy 15 · Tools 10; score = Σ ÷ 10. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.