Finding a psychiatrist when you need one can feel like an impossible task. Approximately half of all U.S. counties don’t have any psychiatrists, and a study of more than 500 Affordable Care Act Marketplace networks found that only about 43% of psychiatrists were in-network with insurance plans. What’s more, a May 2023 study found that only 19% of psychiatrists were accepting new patients and among those, the median wait time for an appointment was 67 days. Online psychiatry companies are stepping up to fill this huge gap in care. These services offer access to a large network of pre-vetted, highly qualified psychiatrists, many of whom accept insurance.
To help identify the best online psychiatry services out there, we tasked testers, experts, and our research team to put these companies to the test. We surveyed over 8,000 users at 82 online mental health companies and directories, had testers sign up for the services for at least a month, had three licensed therapists help us evaluate each company, and sent out questionnaires to each company. Given the variety of features and options on our list of top picks, we hope to take the sting out of finding high-quality, timely psychiatry.
When choosing an online therapy provider, we recommend that you read the company’s privacy guidelines before you sign up to better understand whether it is HIPAA-compliant and whether it shares any private information with third parties. There have been some online therapy concerns raised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several government officials about what user health information online therapy providers collect and what they do with any information they collect.
Our Online Therapy Methodology
Curious about the extensive work we did to research and evaluate online therapy companies? Take a look at our online therapy methodology.
Compare Our Top Picks
Best for Availability
Teladoc Health
Best for Availability Teladoc Health
teladoc
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Best for Availability
Up to $119 per therapy session, $299 for initial psychiatry appointment and $129 per follow-up
Yes
Yes
Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry
Audio, Video Chat
Best for Alcohol Use Disorder
Monument
Best for Alcohol Use Disorder Monument
joinmonument
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Best for Alcohol Use Disorder
Starts at $15+ per month
Yes
Yes
Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Peer Support
Messaging, Video Chat
Best for Anxiety and Depression
Brightside
Best for Anxiety and Depression Brightside
brightside
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Best for Anxiety and Depression
$95-$349 per month, billed as a monthly subscription
Yes
Yes
Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling
Messaging, Video Chat
Best for Medication Management
Talkiatry
Best for Medication Management Talkiatry
talkiatry
See Retailer
Best for Medication Management
Depends on your insurance
Yes. BCBS, Optum, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, and others
Yes
Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry
Video Chat
Best for Patient Support
Talkspace
Best for Patient Support Talkspace
talkspace
See Retailer
Best for Patient Support
$69 per week for asynchronous text-only therapy, billed as a monthly subscription ($99 to $109 per week for subscriptions with live sessions)
Yes
Yes
Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling
Messaging
Best for Ease of Use
Thriveworks
Best for Ease of Use Thriveworks
thriveworks
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Best for Ease of Use
Varies by insurance; self pay starts at $200 per session
Yes
Yes
Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling
Audio, Phone, Video Chat
Best for Flexible Scheduling
Doctor on Demand
Best for Flexible Scheduling Doctor on Demand
doctorondemand
See Retailer
Best for Flexible Scheduling
$129 – $299 per session
Yes
Yes
Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling
Audio, Video Chat
Best for Budget
LiveHealth Online
Best for Budget LiveHealth Online
livehealthonline
See Retailer
Best for Budget
$85-100 per therapy session; $185 or less for an initial psychiatry session; $80 per follow-up
Yes
Yes
Children’s Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling
Video Chat
Best for Provider Options
MDLIVE
Best for Provider Options MDLIVE
mdlive
See Retailer
Best for Provider Options
Up to $179 for therapy; up to $299 for psychiatry
Yes
Yes
Individual Therapy, Medication Management
Video Chat
Full Review
Guide to Choosing the Best Online Psychiatry Service
- Price: Cost and insurance coverage are clearly important factors, so you should review fees and insurance plans accepted before signing up for any service. Know your monthly budget and whether or not you want to pay per session or a monthly fee for a set of recurring services. Also, decide whether you’re OK with paying a membership fee in addition to service fees. Consider the length of appointments, provider qualifications, and additional perks (like the ability to message your provider) when calculating the value for money. Some online psychiatry services may also offer financial assistance. For example, service fees may be able to be waived or reduced, and some psychiatrists may offer sliding-scale pricing. It’s always worth emailing customer service to inquire about making services within your financial reach.
- Treatment area: The focus of an online psychiatry service is also important: does it specialize in care that includes your particular diagnosis or age group? (For example, certain sites specialize in care for ADHD or depression and anxiety but not much else.) Can it treat multiple issues that you may have (such as additional co-occurring conditions like substance use)? Do you have access to a therapist in addition to a psychiatrist/prescriber? How broad is the service’s network of providers where you live, and what are their qualifications? If you’re looking to find out whether or not you’re experiencing a diagnosable condition and what that is, you’ll want to start with a more general online psychiatry service.
- Medication options: The particular medications/prescribing services available are important to check. Most companies are not allowed to prescribe controlled substances. Some may have less experience or comfort with certain types of medications or diagnoses. Access for refills or discussing urgent side effect issues should also be considered. Also, check if medication is a separate charge or included in the service fees.
- Scheduling: Scheduling is one of the best potential advantages of online psychiatry companies, but only if the service actually has good availability for a wide range of times, and with the same provider each time instead of a more worrisome random provider approach. Ease and accuracy of scheduling is also important. If you have a specific need for appointments that fall outside of normal business hours, look for services with the widest range of scheduling options. And be sure to consider if you’re willing to wait a bit longer for service in order to secure appointments at a specific time.
- Choosing a provider: You’ll want to consider credentials and experience: Did the provider attend well-established or well-known academic training programs? Are they actively board-certified, and in what specialties? Is their identity or cultural background similar to your own? Additionally, you’ll want to be sure the service has a relatively easy way to switch to a different provider in the event you don’t feel that the first one is a good match. Look for services that ensure easy access to customer support for technical issues (such as video signal problems) or billing concerns.
Are Psychiatry Services Right for Me?
Online psychiatry can be helpful if you live in a remote area with limited in-person providers, have a schedule that makes it difficult to fit in appointments, have difficulties leaving the house, or want a therapist with a specific identity that’s not common where you live. Choosing an online provider might also be helpful if you’re concerned you’ll need to switch psychiatrists or medications and are looking for support quickly.
Online psychiatry services are typically not intended for people in severe distress or crisis.
What If I’m Having Thoughts of Harming Myself?
Anyone with thoughts, urges, or plans of suicide or self-injury, or mental health symptoms that endanger their own or others’ well-being, should seek in-person emergency care ASAP by calling the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or going to their nearest or preferred hospital emergency room. Other free mental health resources include:
Frequently Asked Questions
What Conditions Can Online Psychiatrists Help Me With?
Psychiatrists are physicians with medical training, (i.e., MD or DO degrees, which take four years to complete) as well as psychiatric residency training, which takes another four years. They can treat a wide array of mental health conditions and are trained to diagnose patients and treat them using both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. Some specialize or have additional board certification in particular diagnoses (like mood and anxiety, alcohol use, or eating disorders) or age groups (like child/adolescent or geriatric). Online psychiatrists often cannot treat more severe mental health conditions or prescribe controlled substances. For these services, in-person psychiatry would be necessary.
Are All Prescribers of Mental Health Medication Psychiatrists?
People with different qualifications and training are also permitted to prescribe medications, such as primary care physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and, in a few states, psychologists. These other prescribers usually do not have the same amount of rigorous time and training regarding human physiology and pharmacology in combination with psychiatric expertise as psychiatrists, but some have sufficient experience to prescribe medications for routine or mild mental health conditions.
What Is the Difference Between Teletherapy and Telepsychiatry?
Teletherapy is a more general term referring to psychotherapy conducted remotely online. There are numerous licensed and trained specialists who can provide teletherapy, such as licensed mental health therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Telepsychiatry refers to the practice of psychiatry conducted remotely online and usually refers to services provided specifically by a psychiatrist who does an initial history-taking and diagnostic biopsychosocial assessment, followed by recommendations for treatment involving psychotherapy and/or medication. Psychiatrists are trained in and can also conduct psychotherapy, but a more common treatment model is to split care with a designated psychotherapist and have the psychiatrist focus on medication management.
How Do You Know Online Psychiatrists Are Qualified?
Even if the telehealth platform asserts it screens provider credentials, before making an appointment, you should conduct a quick online search to see whether they have an active medical license in your state, active board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and no signs of unusual medical board complaints or legal issues.
Do I Need to Currently Be Seeing a Psychiatrist to Receive Medication?
As with any medication, it’s important to receive periodic follow-ups from your qualified prescriber to make sure continuing your medication at its current dosage is the appropriate plan. For psychiatric conditions, psychiatrists are best able to determine with you what the right medication and the most appropriate follow-up period is. Sometimes if a medication is very stable, routine prescribing can be continued by a primary care provider instead.
Do Online Psychiatrists Accept Insurance?
This depends on the psychiatrist and the platform. Some may screen and validate that your insurance is in-network ahead of time; others may not accept insurance upfront and make you do paperwork and send out-of-network bills instead, which can be time-consuming and have higher copays or fees. All of the telepsychiatry services listed in this roundup accept several health insurance plans.
How We Tested and Reviewed Online Therapy Services
We evaluated 82 online therapy companies and therapist directories in order to compile this list.
Firsthand Experience
As part of our research, we signed up for talk therapy at all 55 online therapy companies we reviewed. We tested each company’s therapy services, and if the company offered other services (such as couples therapy and kid or teen therapy) we tested those too. Our testers are located all across the United States and abroad, meaning we have extensive information about each company’s services in a variety of areas.
User and Brand Surveys
In addition, we surveyed more than 8,000 therapy users: 100 at each of the 55 online therapy companies and the 27 therapist directories we tested. We collected over 100 different data points in which we asked users to evaluate each company’s services, from their therapist’s qualifications to whether they found a therapist who met all their needs to how they’d rate the company overall. We also sent questionnaires to each company we considered, asking for their perspectives on the services they provide, and we interviewed former patients and therapists at the companies where possible.
Research
In addition to the extensive research we performed on each of the 55 online therapy companies we reviewed, we also researched dozens of therapy directories. We tested each by searching for appropriate therapists for 37 hypothetical scenarios that might lead someone to search for a mental health provider across 18 ZIP codes. We then rated the results by how well the therapists we found in each directory could address each scenario, looking into whether it listed competent, licensed therapists who were qualified to treat these issues.
Expert Recommendations
Once we completed this testing and these surveys, we evaluated our findings with the help of three licensed therapists—Amy Marschall, PsyD; Nic Hardy, PhD, LCSW; and Hannah Owens, LMSW—in order to make our recommendations. These therapists provided extensive insight into the ethics and efficacy of online therapy as well as information about relevant therapeutic modalities and approaches.
