We Tested 65 Online Therapy Companies — Here Are Our Top 10 Picks for Best Online Anxiety Therapy Platforms

When I personally tested Brightside Health, I appreciated the platform’s emphasis on coping tools outside of sessions. While I enjoyed my sessions with my therapist and found her to be both empathetic and action-oriented, what I liked the most was having access to the guided CBT program between sessions. It held me accountable for amplifying my roster of coping tools and offered guidance on how to reframe troublesome thoughts.

Something especially impressive about Brightside Health is its crisis-care program. When someone discloses suicidal thoughts when seeking online therapy, they are often directed to emergency services. However, Brightside Health has a program that is specifically designed to provide targeted support to those either recovering from a recent suicide attempt or who are suffering from suicidal thoughts. This program takes a collaborative approach to recovery by having the clinician and client collaborate on treatment and safety planning. We also like that Brightside Health offers affordable psychiatry services that start at $95 monthly. Plus, regardless of your chosen subscription plan, you can expect access to a guided CBT program to help you build up your coping tools between sessions. These subscription plans range from $95 per month for psychiatry or crisis care to $299 for talk therapy to $349 for a combo of talk therapy and psychiatry.

Our tester was pleased with the provider they matched with. Within two days of signing up, our tester met with the provider for a first appointment. Our clinician had an impressive résumé, and it was evident that she was highly adept at prescribing medications. She was also attuned to client autonomy: When our tester wasn’t on board with one of her medication recommendations, she was very receptive and worked collaboratively. She let them know she couldn’t continue treatment if we weren’t seeking medication management, which is a nod to her ethical commitment to not providing care outside her scope of being a psychiatrist. However, she did help our tester find a different solution by recommending a particular therapist to support her healing journey. Note, however, that Talkiatry is only for people who have insurance. If you don’t have insurance, check out Brightside Health’s psychiatry services for support.

Finding an affordable provider is difficult business. Add in suffering from symptoms of anxiety while in the depths of your search, and it may feel impossible. Alma is here to make things easier. Alma is an online directory dedicated specifically to therapists who accept insurance. Should you stumble across a provider that feels aligned but doesn’t accept your insurance, you may find they also offer a sliding scale. A sliding scale is an out-of-pocket fee compared to a therapist’s full rate and is offered at the therapist’s discretion. If you’re having trouble finding a therapist in your price range, Alma also offers a client-matching service. The company encourages you to send an email describing what you’re looking for, and it can match you with a provider.

Alma is very easy to use. Our tester was asked what type of therapy they were looking for and was pleased to find various options, including individual therapy for adults and children, couples therapy, and family therapy. There is also the option to find some psychiatry services. While not all therapists accept new clients and have yet to update that on the platform, that isn’t an issue exclusive to Alma. We’re confident you can find excellent care here, even if there is a bit of trial and error.

While Calm is a mindfulness app and doesn’t offer therapy, we believe it has resources powerful enough to be included in this roundup. For example, you can throw on a sleep story when anxiety-induced sleeplessness creeps in. You can also put on some soothing sounds to help you focus on a challenging task. There’s even a library of content specifically for children and teens. We appreciate its affordable price tag and the fact that the company is constantly updating the content, ensuring that you never get bored. While we know mindfulness isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s enough variety that we’re confident you’ll find something that resonates with you.

We also like that a seven-day free trial is available to test out Calm to see if it works for you. After the trial you can pay $14.99 monthly, $69.99 annually, or $399.99 once for lifetime access.

In our experience with Teen Counseling, the text messaging therapy stood out the most. We found that our teen tester felt most comfortable using this form of communication, which makes sense considering how much time young people spend on their phones. Getting matched with a therapist has benefits, but our tester was pleased they could switch therapists easily because their first match wasn’t a great fit. We also liked the separate portals for caregivers and teens, ensuring caregivers have a space to communicate with the therapist as needed without infringing on the teens’ privacy. We wish the platform accepted insurance, but we think the services are worth the price.

Teen Counseling varies based on location and therapist availability, but you can expect to spend anywhere between $260 to $360 monthly on a subscription. The subscription includes weekly therapy sessions that are 30 to 45 minutes long, unlimited messaging with a therapist, and a digital journal that can be shared with your therapist.

What is most important is finding a provider who is skilled in treating anxiety and specializes in working with children and can form a connection with your kid. We found LifeStance Health to be promising for all of these reasons and more. You can opt for a mix of online and in-person sessions, which can be fantastic for younger kids who struggle with staying engaged online. The company also accepts more than 160 insurance plans, including major plans like Aetna, Cigna, and Kaiser. Keeping these factors in mind, we feel this platform is an excellent fit for anyone wanting to set up their child with online anxiety therapy.

LifeStance Health can find psychologists who specialize in psych testing. This is helpful if you’re curious about neurodivergence being a factor in your child displaying anxiety symptoms. Another cool feature of LifeStance Health is that you can opt to get matched with a therapist. This is great for those who struggle with decision fatigue or are simply so busy that having to scroll through pages of therapist options just isn’t the best option. We also loved seeing the therapist’s schedule in the search results before clicking on anything. Our biggest challenge with the platform is the high out-of-pocket fees. These fees vary significantly, ranging from as low as $75 to more than $300. If you’re using insurance, your final fees will vary based on your coverage. While the wide-ranging acceptance of insurance plans makes up for this, these fees may be a deal-breaker for the uninsured.

When I tested Innerwell, I was impressed with the care I received. My therapist was sensitive, empathetic, and attuned to my experience. She truly met me where I was, orienting me to how my anxiety was related to natural shifts in my relationships as a result of my current pregnancy. I also liked how easy the platform made it to add on additional modalities; you can work with an individual therapist, see a psychiatrist, and even utilize ketamine therapy rather seamlessly. My biggest gripe was that customer service was slow to respond when I requested a superbill. I would have liked to see more insurance coverage since only four states accept a handful of plans.

Keep in mind that out-of-pocket prices at Innerwell vary based on what service you use. EMDR therapy and talk therapy is $165 per 50-minute session, though for talk therapy you can also opt for 30-minute sessions for $100 after your initial intake session. Psychiatry sessions are $350 for an hour-long intake, and 30-minute follow-ups are $200.

I personally tested WellQor and found the experience to be unique. My first provider was unavailable for several sessions due to a natural disaster. Life happens, and sessions need to get canceled. However, unlike other platforms I’ve tested that canceled appointments with short notice and no explanation, WellQor’s clinical director personally called me to explain the situation and match me with a new provider. I was impressed with the new provider, too. She was a certified EMDR therapist and provided concrete feedback in the session. WellQor’s patient portal could use an update: I found it clunky and difficult to navigate. However, that’s a small issue considering the benefits I experienced on this platform.

If using insurance, your final costs for therapy at WellQor will vary based on your specific plan’s coverage. Otherwise, you can expect to pay $125 per 50-minute session.

You can expect to pay $240 per month for unlimited messaging and access to the CBT program; $360 monthly for one weekly live session, unlimited messaging, and access to the CBT program; or $480 monthly for two weekly live sessions, unlimited messaging, and access to the CBT program. Couples therapy also costs $480 weekly, but it only includes one weekly live couples therapy session and unlimited messaging.

Our testers tried out both individual and couples therapy on this platform. They liked the ability to use messaging, audio, and video for sessions, finding the flexibility a nice detail. It is worth noting that they didn’t click with their first individual therapist but were able to switch to someone new quickly. They didn’t love using the messaging function for couples therapy sessions, either, but found live sessions much more helpful. While this platform doesn’t accept insurance, it does offer financial aid if you’re struggling, so don’t hesitate to reach out for support if needed.