Best Mental Health Apps

BetterHelp has over 25,000 licensed mental health therapists who are well-qualified and use a variety of techniques to help you face and overcome your anxieties, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy.

Subscriptions include one live therapy session each week, unlimited messaging, and access to group sessions. Therapy sessions are between 30 and 45 minutes depending on your therapist and can be done via live chat, phone, or video. In between therapy sessions, you can use the BetterHelp app to send unlimited messages to your therapist, complete journal entries, and attend group webinars. The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play and is easy to use.

The online journal provides a variety of writing prompts and can be shared with your therapist if you choose to do so. As a subscriber, you will also be able to attend Groupinars, and therapist-led group webinar sessions on different mental health topics such as setting boundaries, identifying unhealthy behaviors, and self-care.  

In our research, we surveyed 105 current BetterHelp users and found that 86% rated it as being good, very good, or excellent and 76% reported that all or most of their therapy needs were met. 

It’s worth noting that the company has come under scrutiny over privacy concerns recently. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused BetterHelp of sharing sensitive user information with third-party companies and proposed a fine of $7.8 million.

BetterHelp only offers one subscription plan for therapy which ranges from $60 to $90 per week based on your location and therapist availability, because the company engages in surge pricing. Therapy is billed monthly and insurance is not accepted. While there is no free trial, BetterHelp does offer financial aid for those who qualify.

Talkspace offers a wide range of mental health services for adults, teens 13 and up, and couples, including therapy and psychiatry. Its therapists are licensed and well-qualified with expertise in a variety of issues, including trauma, anxiety, and relationship issues. Psychiatry and medication management is provided by board-certified psychiatrists and specialized psychiatric nurse practitioners.  

Therapy options include unlimited messaging with therapists who are available five days a week. You can choose from multiple plan options including messaging-only or a subscription that includes weekly live sessions that are 30-minutes long and can be done via chat, phone, or video. In addition, the platform offers an 8-week sleep therapy program for those struggling with insomnia.

You can schedule appointments, send messages, and complete live sessions using the Talkspace app, available at the Apple App Store and Google Play. In addition, the app features an online symptom tracker that allows you to input your moods daily and track your progress overtime and a section with daily exercises designed to target issues like stress or conflict. In addition, the platform offers an 8-week sleep therapy program for those struggling with insomnia. 

We surveyed 105 Talkspace users and found that 90% rated the company as being good, very good, or excellent. Further, 90% of users rated the psychiatry or medication management services as being positive. 

Talkspace offers four different therapy plan options:

• Messaging only: Unlimited messaging with a therapist who’s available five days a week for $69 per week
• Live therapy and messaging: Includes unlimited messaging along with four live video sessions each month for $99 per week
• Live therapy, messaging, and workshops: Includes unlimited messaging, four live video therapy sessions each month, and access to weekly workshops for $109 per week
• Couples therapy: Unlimited messaging and a live video therapy session each week for $396 per month

For psychiatric services, the initial evaluation costs $249 and follow up sessions cost $125. There are also three bundle packages available:

• One follow-up: Includes an initial evaluation and one follow up session for $365
• Three follow-ups: Includes an initial evaluation and three follow up sessions for $565
• Six follow-ups: Includes an initial evaluation and six follow up sessions for $849

There are also three bundles available for existing clients who have already had an initial evaluation:

• Three follow up sessions: $338
• Six follow up sessions: $638
• Nine follow up sessions: $900

Although Talkspace is not covered by Medicare or Medicaid, insurance is accepted. If your insurance doesn’t cover the service, you can use a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA).

According to the American Psycological Association, group therapy can be incredibly theraputic for individual due to being able to talk and listen to others who are expereinceing similar issues, including adding a level of diversity that allows you to see how others with different personalities and background approach situations similar to yours. Circles provides these online support groups for a range of issues. With Circles+, groups are led by licensed therapists, social workers, or psychologists and consist of no more than 10 participants. Prior to joining, you will answer a few questions before being matched to a group (or “circle”) that’s right for you. Private circles meet once a week for 60-minutes and follow a 12-week program, although you can cancel at any time.

Members can also schedule a free one-on-one call with the group facilitator before the first meeting. Individual therapy services are not offered, but in between group sessions you can use the app to message the facilitator or other group members for support. You can also find self-help exercises, blog articles, and webinars.

Therapist-led groups are limited to the following issues: grief or loss, divorce or separation, and menopause. However, free, peer-led groups cover more topics, including LGBTQIA issues, narcissistic relationships, cancer, parenting, body image, veterans, disability, chronic illness, and sobriety.  

There is a free version, though it is limited to peer-led groups only. For expert-led groups, you will need to upgrade to Circles+ which costs $79 per month (or $20 per week). You can also try Circles+ free for one week, which will cover your first group meeting. Insurance plans are not accepted.

Headspace is one of the most popular mindfulness apps on the market and for good reason. It features an extensive library of regularly updated guided meditations and science-backed tools to help you feel less stressed throughout the day. And it seems to work: In a clinical study, participants who used the app for eight weeks saw reduced stress and anxiety. The same study also found that using the app helped improve wellbeing and job-related stress, reduce anxiety and irritability, and promote a positive affect.

As a mindfulness-based tool, meditations are the primary focus of Headspace. There are a variety of guided meditations available ranging from three to 20 minutes. Other popular features of the app include:

• Wake-Up: Daily content designed to help you start your day mindfully with short videos, uplifting stories, and expert insight.
• Focus: Music and meditations designed to help you stay focused throughout the day.
• SOS: Mini, 1–3-minute meditations created for life’s stressful moments.
• Sleep: Sleepcasts are 45-to-55-minute and use soothing sounds to help you fall asleep easier.
• Move: Low-to-medium impact workout sessions that focus on the mind-body connection.

In order to use the app, you have to sign up for a free trial, but if you don’t want to enter your credit card information, you can sample the meditations on the website. The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It’s also visually appealing and easy to use.

“Mindfulness has been proven to help reduce mild to moderate anxiety,” explains Hannah Owens, LMSW and subject matter expert. “And having a meditation guide available to you anywhere and at any time is useful for beginners foraying into mindfulness for the first time on their own as well as for people who want to practice the techniques they are learning in therapy between sessions.”

The Headspace app is free to download. There is also a free trial available for the subscription, although to sign up, you have to enter your credit card information. You can choose from several different subscription options:  

• Monthly: $12.99 per month after 7-day free trial
• Annual: $69.99 after 14-day free trial
• Family: $99 per year for up to six accounts
• Student: $9.99 per year for verified students in certain countries

Headspace also offers free subscriptions for teens in the US between the ages of 13 and 18 and K-12 teachers in the US, Canada, and Australia. Some employers also offer Headspace free for their employees.

Aura offers an abundance of tools for mindfulness including meditations, stories, sleepscapes, CBT, and more. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play and features a daily mood tracker and gratitude journal. You can also easily customize your navigation tabs, create playlists, and save your favorites.

Meditations range from three minutes to over an hour and are recommended based on your current mood that you choose when opening the app. Its meditation tracks focus on a variety of topics including anger, anxiety, burnout, happiness, productivity, parenting, beginner meditations, and more. The free version provides a new three-minute meditation session every two hours, a gratitude journal and mood tracker.

“Mindfulness is not one-size-fits-all,” explains Owens. “Having access to different meditation exercises depending on your mood and what you’re dealing with at the moment is going to be much more effective than, say, a generic breathing exercise.” 

Premium features include unlimited access to meditations along with sleepscapes, hypnosis, CBT-based exercises, stories, and live coaching sessions. You can also choose to book one-on-one coaching with an upgraded plan.

Aura offers a free basic app, but for more features, you can upgrade to a premium subscription. There are several pricing options available too:

• Annual Plan: $59.99 per year
• Monthly Plan: $11.99 per month
• Lifetime Plan: $399.99
• Family Plan: $119.99 (allows you to add more members in one subscription package)
• Coaching Plan: $149 per month (offers unlimited messaging with a personal coach along with the option of booking additional video sessions. Cost of sessions will vary depending on the coach.)

There is a free seven-day trial for the premium subscription. You will have to enter your credit card information first, but the app will send you a reminder on day five. In addition, there is a 30-day money back guarantee if you forget to cancel.

Calm is an intuitive, beautifully designed app that uses mindfulness tools to help you get a better night’s sleep. Even the interface is created to be soothing—you can choose from 40 different home screen backgrounds, each with accompanying sounds that promote relaxation. In addition, you can adjust the volume and opt to have the sound play outside of the app for up to 12 hours.

Every morning, there is a new Daily Calm, a short, 10-minute guided meditation focused on mindfulness. In the content library, you can find breathing exercises, gentle stretches and movement sessions, music, meditations, and sleep stories, many of which are narrated by celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey. In addition, there is an entire section of stories, meditations, and lullabies that are designed for kids.

With sleep stories, users can choose from a variety of categories including stories designed to activate your autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). Playlists are also available, each three to four hours long, so you can use them to fall asleep.   

“Difficulty sleeping is a symptom of many different mental health concerns, as well as an issue that can be exacerbated by stress,” says Owens. “Having an app dedicated to healthy sleep is incredibly useful for those dealing with insomnia, and especially for those who do not want to take medication.” 

Calm is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

While you can use some of the meditations on Calm for free, most of the content is reserved for premium users. There is a free, 7-day trial available and several premium plans to choose from:

• Monthly Plan: $14.99 per month
• Annual Plan: $69.99 per year
• Lifetime Plan: $399.99
• Family Plan: $99.99 per year (can add up to six additional members)
• Student Plan: $8.99 per year (includes a three-month free trial for Amazon Prime members who are students)
  

CBT, a therapeutic approach focused on changing unhealthy thought patterns, is often considered the gold standard when it comes to psychotherapy. MoodKit was developed by two clinical psychologists using CBT tools and techniques to help boost mood, self-awareness, and quality of life. The app is easy-to-use, although it’s less visually appealing than many other mental health apps. It is only available on the Apple App Store.

Four core features are available: activities, thoughts, mood, and journal. The activities tool provides tips, suggestions and specific examples of ways you can improve your mood. The thought checker tool is designed to help you manage negative emotions by learning to identify and change distorted thinking patterns. Using the mood tracker, you can chart your daily mood and with the MoodKit journal, you can write notes about your experiences. You can also use pre-formatted templates to journal in specific ways or create your own custom templates.  

MoodKit was designed to be used either on its own or alongside professional therapy as a way to enhance treatment. However, it also has proven efficacy. Research studies have found that MoodKit can help reduce symptoms of depression and improve mental wellbeing. “CBT is most effective when you practice the techniques you’re learning in therapy between sessions, and MoodKit facilitates that practice,” explains Owens. “By providing multiple different ways of implementing CBT into your daily life, MoodKit is useful for strengthening healthy thinking habits and becoming more aware of your mood, your triggers, and your coping mechanisms, both good and bad.”

There is no free trial available for MoodKit. To use the app, you must purchase it from the Apple App Store for $4.99. After this one-time purchase, there are no other subscription charges or in-app fees, making it one of the market's most cost-effective mental health apps.

Happify was developed by research scientists and mental health experts using positive psychology, CBT, and mindfulness principles and techniques. It offers engaging games, activities, and exercises aimed at helping you feel happier and less stressed. The app is easy-to-use and available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

There are over 100 different tracks available, which are short, educational courses that teach skills to help improve your wellbeing. Each track features a number of different activities, including journaling prompts, games, and mindfulness exercises. All tracks are evidence-based and under each activity you can find a “Why it works” link to learn more about how it benefits you.

“The most impressive thing about Happify is that it is built completely on evidence-based practices like CBT and mindfulness,” explains Owens. “These techniques have been proven to be effective, even with self-guided programs like this one.”

You can explore tracks based on a range of topics, including relationships, meditation, personal growth, family and kids, health, and work. There are 18 tracks available on the free version as well as games, journals, and a few guided meditations. With a premium subscription, you can access the entire library of over 100 tracks and 30 different meditations.

Happify is free to download and offers a free version with access to games, articles, and a limited number of the tracks and meditations. To unlock all of the features, you will need to upgrade to Happify Plus. There are several subscription options available:

• Monthly: $14.99 per month
• Annual: $139 ($11.66 per month)
• Two Year: $229.92 ($9.58 per month)
• Lifetime: $449.95

There is also a 30-day money back guarantee for all plans except for the monthly subscription.