6 High-Quality, Affordable Therapy Options For Any Budget

BetterHelp is the largest online therapy subscription service on the market today. The site provides multiple approaches for you to receive help; unlimited chat-based communication with your therapist, live therapy sessions, and access to educational group webinars with journaling prompts covering a wide variety of topics.

The interface is easy to use and the app encourages you to find the therapist that is best for you using highly personalized filters. During the sign-up process, BetterHelp’s computer program matches you to a therapist that best fits your personal needs and can help you achieve your goals. Not a fit? No problem. BetterHelp allows you to keep re-matching with a therapist until you find the right match.

Trial period: 7-day trial period 

Price: $60-$90 per week, billed every four weeks (could be higher depending on therapist and location availability) 

What customers say: 4.8 out of 5 for Apple, 4.6 out of 5 for Android 

“This app has been incredibly helpful. I am pro in-office, but I find the ability to send your counselor a journal and send messages to them at any time is far more helpful. Sometimes in counseling we do not recall how we feel, whereas having a place where I can write exactly how I feel and get answers as to what is happening to me is so more beneficial than in-office. The groupinars are extremely interesting and helpful as well.”

For free and paid options, 7 Cups is an on-demand, emotional health service and online therapy provider. If you need to talk to someone and a friend or family member is unavailable to give you the support you need, you can lean on this mobile- and web-based messaging service for help. The service is anonymous, confidential, and 24/7.

To round out the experience further, 7 Cups offers various self-help tools in the form of meditation practices and relaxation techniques. Users can also seek help through interactive chat rooms, free volunteer listeners, or certified therapists depending on the option they choose.

Trial period: 3-day free trial

Price: Premium membership with trained therapists costs $150 per month 

What customers say: 4.7 out of 5 for Apple, 5 out of 5 for Android 

"I found this app when I was at a low point in life, but I didn't actually want to speak out loud. I am pretty introverted, but in this particular space of life I was in, I didn't really know how to articulate how I was feeling. Typing it out really helped. I was fortunate to find listeners that really cared, and were able to vent in a safe space."

In the past, couples' therapy was traditionally sought out as an intervention when a couple was in crisis. These days, it's about taking preventive measures to strengthen the existing connection and shore up relationship skills. OURS is a modern premarital counseling service that offers a psycho-educational experience for couples who don't necessarily have anything wrong with the relationship—and want to keep it that way. 

After signing up and completing a short survey, couples are paired with a relationship expert to guide them through a monthlong virtual process to proactively cover important topics like finances, communication, sex, parenting, and more. "OURS is a fun, research-based way to have a healthy relationship. Couples get direction and privacy when it comes to learning more about each other," licensed marriage therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, and head of relationship health of OURS, tells mbg.

Trial period: Users can trial 1 live session and 1 content session for just $50 

Price: $500 for four-week session 

What customers say: 100% of couples report feeling closer after OURS 

"This gave us the language to talk about the things we needed to talk about. I think all couples would benefit from OURS. Even my grandparents and parents, who've been together for decades, would get a better understanding of each other and space for the relationship."

Founded in 2012, Open Path Collective is a nationwide directory that connects psychotherapists to clients looking for affordable mental health services. While most therapy fees can range upward of $150 to $300 and more per session, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit believes in providing in-office and online therapy sessions at a fraction of that cost. The one-time, lifetime $59 membership fee is used to maintain the site, pay staff, and recruit new therapists to join their network.

The service is location-agnostic and services all 50 states. The extensive directory allows you to critically filter out therapists and choose one based on your needs including age, race, specialties, modalities, and treatment orientations so you can find the right fit. "I recommend Open Path Collective because it is a site meant to connect people with affordable therapy without the use of insurance," says licensed psychotherapist Gayle Weill, LCSW.

Trial period: No trial period

Price: $30–$60 per therapy session, going up to $80 for family and couples sessions 

What customers say: 5 out of 5 in Facebook reviews 

"I would not be able to afford therapy on my own, being that normal therapy sessions run $150–$200, especially since I was previously out of work for months. Dealing with mental health issues is already stressful enough, and can feel insurmountable if you cannot afford access to services intended to help. Thank you to you and your team for providing this great service for those who are uninsured or underinsured."

Manatee is a 100% virtual mental health app designed to support families with evidence-based, research-backed skills for happier, healthier relationships. The platform offers a rich library for your family to use: a Chatbot with interactive exercises rooted in CBT, daily journaling prompts for children to jot down their feelings, check-ins to evaluate progress, six weeks of self-guided lessons, and a goal/reward system to track successes. 

To begin, families book a free consultation and then schedule an intake session to create a six-week care plan accompanied by weekly coaching sessions from the Manatee app. The platform has a clean interface and comes advertisement-free, so your family can focus on the resources alone. Manatee's services are comprehensive and tailored for ages 0 to 18 to work with everything relating to relationships, grief and moodiness, fears and self-esteem, and tough behaviors.

Trial period: Free 20- to 30-minute consult to ensure it's a good fit 

Price: Family and parent intake session for 6-week plan $175, group sessions $99 per month, therapy session $135 with discounted packages available 

What customers say: 90% of Manatee families see clinical improvements after 6 weeks 

4.9 out of 5 for Apple, 4.5 out of 5 for Android 

"Therapy made a big difference for us. I realized I need to be the one in charge, so my daughter feels safe again. Over the past year, my daughter has been pulling away, spending lots of time alone in her room, but since we started with Manatee, she's way more social and enjoys her time with our family a lot more. Manatee in 3 words? Simple, effective, easy."

If you're looking to manage your mental or physical health in a cinch, Doctor on Demand is here for urgent needs anytime and anywhere. After downloading the app and filling out your health history, you can connect on a video call to see your chosen board-certified professional and quickly receive the help you need. You'll be able to access physical health services that can help you stave off illnesses such as allergies, colds, and the flu. 

Founded by Dr. Phil in 2013, the site was created for immediate care visits. They provide qualified psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists in-network, but it may take a while to schedule an appointment from the online portal.

Trial period: No free trials available 

Price: Board-certified clinician $75, psychologists $129 for a 25-minute consultation and $179 for a 50-minute consultation, psychiatrist $229 for a initial 45-minute consultation and $129 for 15 minute follow-ups

What customers say: 4.9 out of 5 for Apple, 4.8 out of 5 for Android

"This app is so helpful! I was able to get connected with a wonderful medical provider in less than 5 minutes from the comfort of my own home without having to go to a physical location where I could possibly be exposed to more things. I am so impressed with my experience. The intake paperwork was easy and quick to fill out too. My provider was very knowledgeable, friendly, and my appointment was efficient. I will definitely recommend this app."