5 Best Online Psychiatry Services Of 2025

For those who prefer a subscription model, Cerebral positions itself as a great option for online psychiatry services. Perhaps its best feature is its in-house CerebralRX virtual pharmacy that keeps appointments and critical medications under one roof. As a bonus, the delivery of medication through CerebralRX is free.

The personal nature of the platform makes it worth trying, as users can select and change their provider with ease. There are also specialized providers on hand for those confronting concerns related to LGBTQ+ issues, ADHD and more. Cerebral is a functional and inclusive platform that expertly unifies mental health needs.

Our Experience with Cerebral

When trying out Cerebral for online therapy, our tester, Dave, had a generally positive experience with the platform. In particular, its interface, effective reminder system and skilled therapist were highlighted as major strengths. Dave experienced cerebral through a 45-minute video call and had a relatively favorable experience. Signup was seamless, taking just 10 minutes to complete. From there, he was able to choose the type of plan that worked best for him, which included psychiatry.

Dave liked that, in contrast to some other platforms, Cerebral offered a list of providers to choose from and clearly displayed their qualifications, giving him agency over this important choice.

The session itself was successful. Dave, described the therapist as “prepared” and able to offer a more personalized and thorough intake session than similar platforms.

“If the monthly subscription model works for you, this is an excellent service.” — Dave, Cerebral Tester

Available Plans:

• Medication only: $180 every three months
• Medication and therapy: $365 per month

Insurance and Financial Assistance:

• Accepts Insurance: Yes
• Accepts HSA/FSA: Yes, accepts both HSA/FSA
• Financial assistance available: Yes, 15% off select subscriptions for military members by using promo code “HERO.”

While some services only offer online psychiatry services via a subscription, Sesame Health is perhaps the most open platform in this ranking when it comes to allowing users to choose a payment structure that works for them.

The service’s $79 Mental Health RX monthly subscription is quite affordable compared to the competition, but those who don’t want an ongoing commitment can instead opt to purchase sessions individually. Users may even find psychiatrists who have in-person sessions available to book, which could be helpful in crisis scenarios. On the medication front, Sesame Health doesn’t have its own bespoke pharmacy to fill prescriptions, but it will send them locally.

People hoping to use insurance won’t find that support with Sesame Health, as the provider doesn’t accept insurance or Medicare. Luckily, users can see which providers are available in their area before signing up and committing money to the service.

Our Experience with Sesame Care

Our tester, Megan, had a very positive experience using Sesame Health to sign up for a therapy session with a new provider. Everything from account creation to therapist selection went smoothly, and the therapist came prepared with personalized questions based on intake information.

“[I liked] the ease of the app, the knowledge of the therapists, the super-fast appointment times [and] the smooth intake process” – Megan, Sesame Health Tester

In particular, Megan liked that Sesame put available providers front and center, allowing users to select their source of care before the sign-up process even begins. She could also filter providers based on certain criteria, such as gender, if needed. When her appointment time arrived, Megan was prompted by email, text and in-app notifications. When issues arose, customer service responded to concerns in less than one hour.

The only downside Megan noted was that provider availability seemed to depend greatly on her physical location. However, for those in a large metropolitan area or one in which Sesame has a decent selection, the platform remains a viable option.

Available Plans:

• Mental Health RX subscription with unlimited messaging and sessions as needed: $79
• Individual session prices determined by providers

Insurance and Financial Assistance:

• Accepts Insurance: Does not accept insurance or Medicare
• Accepts HSA/FSA: Yes, accepts both HSA/FSA
• Financial assistance available: Yes, $14 discount on Mental Health RX plans for Costco members and discounted individual session pricing through Sesame Plus subscription ($99 per year or $10.99 per month to subscribe).

As an intuitive telehealth platform with an online psychiatry option, Doctor On Demand is a solid option to consider. Its prescription services offer some great benefits like free delivery and automatic refills, making it a worthwhile selection for psychiatry. The available specialties, such as for ADHD and OCD, provide much-needed representation for specific groups.

Doctor On Demand also fares well by some basic review metrics. Sporting a 4.9-star rating on the App Store and a 4.7-star rating on Google Play means many customers have a positive experience when using this app. The A+ Better Business Bureau rating further solidifies Doctor on Demand as a platform for consideration.

Our Experience with Doctor On Demand

Our tester, Megan, had a broadly negative experience while trying Doctor On Demand for an online therapy session. While video chat and the platform functioned well, scheduling glitches, limited provider selection and a poor interaction with the provider hampered the experience.

“My therapist was not prepared. We had a very informal conversation that honestly didn’t address my issue and the reason I wanted therapy.” – Megan, Doctor On Demand Tester

Even though onboarding was fairly simple, our tester left feeling less than impressed. She didn’t appreciate ads that attempted to upsell her on various unrelated services, such as cold and flu treatment. She also felt that provider selection was lacking, and, while specialty filters were present, they weren’t as robust as they could be for the neurodiverse community, in particular.

Her 50-minute video call started late because the therapist was not in the room. When they did arrive, Megan felt the discussion was too unprofessional to be helpful. When Megan finished her session, she also encountered a technical glitch in which the option to schedule her next visit disappeared from the interface. This was ultimately fixed by customer service, although the staff took several hours to resolve the problem.

Available Plans:

• Initial consultation: $299+
• Follow-up visit: $129
• Therapy session: Up to $134

Insurance and Financial Assistance:

• Accepts Insurance: Accepts insurance and Medicare
• Accepts HSA/FSA: Yes, accepts both HSA/FSA from Visa and MasterCard
• Financial assistance available: No

If you plan to utilize insurance to help cover the cost of your online psychiatry therapy, Brightside Health is an option worth considering. It has a large network of providers and a substantial insurance network that should give customers plenty of options to consider. It helps that the platform makes switching providers quick and easy.

In addition to basic psychiatry, we appreciate that this platform puts its psychiatry-plus-therapy plan front and center, given how well the two services complement one another. The Teen Care specialty is a fantastic concept, and one we’ve not often seen in our analyses.

Our Experience with Brightside Health

While testing Brightside Health’s therapy offering, our tester, Meaghan, appreciated the platform for its insightful therapy session and unique tracking tools. Meaghan expressed disappointment at the lack of a refund for subscribers once they start the service.

“My provider was very proactive and goal-oriented while simultaneously listening, reflecting and offering advice and guidance.” – Meaghan, Brightside Health Tester

After trying a Brightside therapy session on a laptop, Meaghan generally found it offered a solid user experience. Provider selection was simple, though she would have preferred the option to filter available providers based on specialty as opposed to availability. At the very least, bios for matched providers added a level of personal touch.

In advance of her session, Meaghan received multiple notifications, and the provider was prepared as soon as the appointment time arrived. The video conference platform also operated without issue for the full 45 minutes. Actionable mental health insights were gained even during the introductory session.

To find out more, read our full Brightside Health review.

Available Plans:

• Psychiatry: $95 per month
• Therapy: $299 per month
• Psychiatry + Therapy: $349 per month
• Teen Care: Therapy and Psychiatry + Therapy offered at the above rates

Insurance and Financial Assistance:

• Accepts Insurance: Accepts insurance and Medicare
• Accepts HSA/FSA: Yes, accepts both HSA/FSA
• Financial assistance available: No

Talkspace is one of the premier online mental health platforms. With a huge network of 5,000 providers to its name, there’s opportunity for customers to find the psychiatry or therapy services that work best for them. While the company could provide greater clarity on its precise number of accepted insurers, some of the more popular insurers are specifically highlighted for inclusion.

One area where Talkspace stands slightly above the rest is its front-facing inclusive messaging. There are a fair number of providers that outline their commitments to the LGBTQ+ population and other crucial communities, but Talkspace is among the first we’ve seen to specifically highlight specialized mental health services for military members and seniors, two groups that are especially prone to unique struggles.

Our Experience with Talkspace

Talkspace therapy yielded a favorable outcome in Forbes Health user testing. The provider, customer support and the core technical facets of the platform performed at or above expectations without major issues.

“The therapist was professional, communicative and asked the right questions about me. I’d definitely continue the therapy session with her.” – Jonny, Talkspace Tester

Getting started on Talkspace was seamless for Jonny, with basic account creation steps taking less than three minutes. The provider selection process lacked some transparency, given that users are instantly matched with a provider. It is possible to change and receive a new match even before seeing that first provider, but Jonny felt the method for doing so wasn’t as intuitive as it could be.

In the session, the therapist was warm and caring. The same can be said of Talkspace’s customer support, which promptly offered a refund when asked.

Available Plans:

• Initial evaluation plus Follow-up session: $299 + $175
• Initial evaluation plus follow-up session (for new members): $435
• Initial evaluation plus three follow-up sessions (new members): $725
• Three follow-up sessions: $475
• Six follow-up sessions: $890
• Nine follow-up sessions: $1,260
• Messaging therapy: $69 per week
• Video + messaging therapy: $99 per week
• Video + messaging + workshop therapy: $109 per week

Insurance and Financial Assistance:

• Accepts Insurance: Accepts insurance and Medicare
• Accepts HSA/FSA: Yes, accepts both HSA/FSA
• Financial assistance available: Psychiatry bundles for discounted prices