Ginger vs BetterHelp: Is Employer-Funded Therapy Better?

Not all online therapy providers are made equal.

And if you end up going with one that isn’t right for you, you’ll be spending a lot of money on something that might not make you feel much better.

If you’ve spent any time researching online therapy, you’re probably familiar with both Ginger and BetterHelp.

Both platforms have been around for a while and are used by thousands worldwide to improve their mental health.

But the two providers are distinct in their approach and availability. Let’s break down their approaches and compare the strengths of each.

Overall Best: BetterHelp is our preferred online therapy provider because it has much stronger reviews and is usable without needing support from your employer.

While Ginger therapy has decent reviews, it's biggest downfall is that it's typically only accessible if your employer or healthcare provider offer it.

To get started with BetterHelp, click here to fill in their brief questionnaire.

Discussing Psychology readers get 15% off their first month with BetterHelp.

BetterHelp vs. Ginger: A 2024 Comparison

Overall, Ginger and BetterHelp offer a comprehensive online mental health support service, although most users report a smoother experience with BetterHelp.

Since Ginger is typically only available through your employer most people will be better off trying BetterHelp.

Features	BetterHelp	Ginger
Cost	From $65 to $90 per week, billed every four weeks	Coaching and self-help resources free. Approximately $119 per therapy session— fully or partially covered by employer/insurer
Availability	Open to anyone	Typically only offered through employers.
Services offered	Online therapy via video, audio calls and live chat	Behavioral health coaching via instant messaging. Online therapy via video call (US only). Self-help resources are available.
Licensed therapists?	Yes	Yes
Average customer reviews	4.8/5 on the App Store	4.0 on the App Store
Payment method	Credit card or Paypal.	If subscribed, the employer will typically pay. Otherwise, credit card, HSA card or Gentem.
Provider website	Click here to visit BetterHelp	Click here to visit Ginger

BetterHelp Online Therapy

BetterHelp is the world’s most widely used online therapy platform.

With over 3 million users signed up and over 30,000 accredited therapists, it’s fair to say that BetterHelp is revolutionizing how people access therapists.

BetterHelp’s team are fully trained and accredited therapists with at least three years and 1,000 hours of practical experience.

This means that therapists are licensed and experienced in treating a range of mental health disorders, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Social anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Substance abuse disorders
• Relationship issues
• Much more

The process is straightforward. Before signing up, you’ll be asked questions about your mental health and situation.

Based on this, you can be matched with an experienced therapist who can assist with your specific challenges.

You’ll then be able to schedule your first weekly session and can even start messaging your therapist.

You can expect treatment to cover almost all the same bases as in-person therapy, from identifying your challenges to analyzing your thoughts and emotions to learning practical strategies to help you feel better.

Online therapy prices starting at $65 per week. Cancel anytime.

Ginger Online Therapy

Ginger is a mental health platform that is typically only available to members through their employer or healthcare plan.

The platform offers a personalized approach to mental healthcare, with a range of support options to suit different needs and individuals.

If your employer or insurance gives you access to Ginger, the primary forms of support offered are listed below.

Text-based coaching

Aimed at helping you overcome life’s daily challenges, such as anxiety, relationship difficulties, or trouble sleeping, this service gives you instant access to a trained coach anytime, anywhere.

You can communicate with a coach 24/7 and receive real-time support via instant messaging.

It’s important to note that you can only communicate with your coach via text messages. Video and audio calls with your coach are not available with Ginger.

Interestingly, when we compared Ginger competitor and coaching platform BetterUp with BetterHelp, we noticed BetterUp supports more communication channels, covering not just text, but also video and audio calls with coaches.

Video therapy

Therapy and psychiatry are available via video call for those who need more structured support or have more pervasive mental health challenges.

Sessions can be scheduled weekly, and evening/weekend appointments are available.

This service resembles your experience at a traditional face-to-face therapy session (or from BetterHelp).

The therapist will aim to understand your situation and difficulties and talk you through tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms more effectively.

This service is currently only available to members in the United States.

Self-care resources

Ginger also offers access to a library of 200+ activities and resources, which members can complete at their own pace.

These topics include mindfulness, relationships, career progression, and stress.

Click here to visit Ginger.

BetterHelp vs. Ginger: Pricing

BetterHelp

BetterHelp utilizes a subscription model, with a typical rate of $260 to $360 per four-week billing period, or approximately $65 to $90 per therapy session.

The exact pricing depends on the kind of therapist you are looking for, your specific requirements and other factors such as location.

BetterHelp’s cost is competitive compared to other online therapy providers and is often significantly cheaper than face-to-face options.

Payment Method

Payment can be made to BetterHelp via Paypal or Credit Card.

Ginger

At Ginger, a single therapy session typically costs $119.

However, as previously mentioned, Ginger is typically only available through employers, insurance, or other healthcare plans.

Your insurer may cover all or part of this fee, so check with them exactly how much it covers before signing up for any sessions.

It’s worth noting that additional charges may apply even if you have Ginger access, depending on your subscription level.

You may, for example, have free access to the coaching service and a set number of therapy sessions, after which you’ll have to pay the full fee for sessions.

We noticed a similar trend when comparing BetterHelp with EAP-therapy provider Lyra, whereby there was typically a 12-15 session limit with Lyra before patients would need to pay out-of-pocket for extra sessions.

However, it’s important to note that even with these extra fees paid for exceeding your session limit, Ginger is still likely to end up much cheaper than many alternative options, and the free access to coaching and self-help resources is a big plus.

Payment Method

Payment can made via credit card, debit card or HSA card. Clinical sessions (eg: therapy, psychiatry) may also use Gentem to collect payment.

Click here to get started with BetterHelp.

Ginger vs. BetterHelp: Services

BetterHelp

BetterHelp focuses on matching clients to expert therapists and facilitating online therapy.

Therapists are accredited, experienced (minimum three years and 1,000 hours practicing experience), and trained in delivering therapy online.

Therapists are available for individuals, while BetterHelp also has two sister brands called Regain and Teen Counseling which focus on couples and teens.

Please note: To support the operation of this website, we are an affiliate with Regain and Teen Counseling. If you purchase products or services through the links provided, we may receive commission at no extra cost to you.

With BetterHelp, you’ll get a similar experience to face-to-face therapy, including weekly sessions and resources to work on in between, with the convenience and flexibility of doing things online.

Ginger

Ginger offers three separate services, as outlined previously. Text-based coaching is aimed at helping people reach their life goals and work through the daily demands of life.

Weekly video therapy is also available for those with more complex needs or a specific mental health diagnosis.

Psychiatrists at Ginger can also prescribe medication and, in some cases, deliver it straight to your door.

Self-help resources are also available on a range of topics.

So, while the range of services available at Ginger is broader, finding the level of treatment that’s best for you is a little more complex.

Matching with Your Therapist

Therapy Details	BetterHelp	Ginger
Can mental health professionals prescribe medication?	No	Yes, in the USA.
Are therapists licensed?	Yes	Yes
Able to choose a therapist?	Choose after your initial match	No
Time taken to match with a therapist	Can be matched within 48 hours	Therapy matches occur within 7 days.
How long do therapy sessions last?	30–45 minutes	45–50 minutes (some follow-up appointments are 20 minutes).
How many weekly sessions?	One	Variable depending on plan.

Although BetterHelp and Ginger offer contact with licensed and experienced therapists, how you access their services differs.

At BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist based on location, needs, and preferences.

At Ginger, video therapy is seen as the second line of treatment if text-based coaching isn’t enough. Arranging therapeutic support is done on a more ad-hoc basis by contacting customer support. You may be required to speak to a coach first.

This can inconvenience those who need additional help and want to start as soon as possible.

Resources

Putting you in touch with mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home is the main selling point for both Ginger and BetterHelp.

But you can do plenty to manage your mental health and build good habits between sessions.

So how do the two providers compare in terms of the extra resources they offer?

Both sites have a comprehensive catalog of articles giving tips and advice on managing your mental health. These cover topics ranging from overviews of different types of therapy to practical guidance on specific tools such as mindfulness.

BetterHelp’s volume of available free resources is significantly larger than on the Ginger site.

But Ginger does give access to additional resources for members only. Its app has a repertoire of over 200 activities and resources, with more added weekly.

So, if you want extra work to reinforce the lessons your therapist is helping you with, both sites have you covered.

Therapists at BetterHelp can also offer access to online worksheets and resources to work through during and after sessions.

This is especially important in therapy types such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), where therapy is less about fixing your problems during the sessions and more about giving you the tools to manage unhelpful thoughts and emotions in your day-to-day life.

BetterHelp vs Ginger: Reviews

BetterHelp boasts impeccable reviews across the board.

In the App Store, it holds an average score of 4.8/5, based on a whopping 100,000+ reviews. Likewise, Trustpilot rates BetterHelp at 4.6/5, based on over 5,000 reviews.

With very few negative experiences to speak of and pages upon pages of testimonials on its website, BetterHelp is a name many people trust.

Ginger’s website reports a satisfaction score of 4.7/5 for both its coaching and therapy. It holds a 4.0 and 3.8 on the Appstore and Google Play, respectively, which is still solid.

The main complaints center around a slightly buggy, unintuitive experience on the app. Some customers note that going through text coaching before speaking to a therapist is slow and frustrating.

Online therapy prices starting at $65 per week. Cancel anytime.

Account Setup & Communication

Getting started with both services is quick and painless.

Getting started

At BetterHelp, you start by filling in a brief questionnaire where you choose what kind of treatment approach you’d prefer as well as a few additional details and preferences.

Based on these, you can be matched with your therapist in about 48 hours, however it can sometimes take longer.

Once you’re in, all communication is handled within the app, which makes for a very seamless user experience.

The process is similar at Ginger.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can sign in using the details from your provider.

You’ll then be able to specify the kind of coach you want to work with, and from there, you arrange a first conversation to discuss your situation and what you want to get out of the experience.

Talking to your therapist or coach

BetterHelp gives you plenty of options on how to communicate with your therapist.

You can talk via the in-app messaging service, where you can message your therapist anytime.

In addition to this, you’ll also have your weekly one-on-one sessions with your therapist. These are typically conducted via phone, video or messaging (it’s your choice).

Ginger offers a similar level of responsiveness and choice but is more compartmentalized.

The instant messaging service allows you to contact a health coach anytime and get a response quickly.

This is great for getting rapid answers to your questions or concerns, but the tradeoff is that you might be speaking to a different coach each time, so the level of personalization won’t be quite the same.

If you want to talk to a therapist, you are limited to video calls; there’s no function to speak with your therapist outside of this time.

This means you’ll talk to different people if you’re using video therapy and text support. Messaging with Ginger is done via the app, while video calls are handled externally on Zoom.

Final Verdict

Ginger and BetterHelp have earned strong reputations online as top-class mental health care providers.

If your employer or healthcare provider offers Ginger access, we’d recommend taking advantage of it and feel confident you’ll get a personalized, research-backed treatment experience.

Suppose your concerns have less to do with a mental health support and are more about needing coaching to meet the demands of your career, relationships, or other life challenges. In that case, Ginger’s instant-access coaching may be a great fit.

In most other situations, BetterHelp has the edge in our view.

Why BetterHelp is our recommended provider

The journey from signing up to being matched with a therapist and getting started is much smoother, and your level of choice with BetterHelp’s platform is unparalleled.

The quality of the therapists you’ll find on the two apps is similarly high.

But the experience around therapy—navigating the app, choosing your preferences, using the extra resources—just runs a lot more intuitively on BetterHelp. BetterHelp is the big name in online therapy, and from browsing its app and site, it sure shows.

If your employer doesn’t give you access to any online mental health service, BetterHelp is a strong choice.

Even in situations where you have access to both, say via different employers or healthcare packages, we’d still be tempted to stick with BetterHelp.

To match with a therapist at BetterHelp, fill in this brief questionnaire.

Online therapy prices starting at $65 per week. Cancel anytime.

FAQ

Does either provider offer a free trial?

Neither service offers a free trial.

Does either platform support insurance?

BetterHelp doesn’t currently accept insurance as a form of payment. A range of insurers provides Ginger access—contact your insurer or Ginger’s customer support to see if you qualify.

Cancellation and refunds

You can cancel your BetterHelp subscription anytime from within the app. Your subscription will then end with your current billing cycle.

Ginger access is typically free via employer or insurance, so canceling is unnecessary.

Ginger may charge a cancellation or no-show fees if you can’t make an appointment.

You will need to give Ginger 48 hours’ notice on any canceled session if you don’t want to incur a fee.

Does each platform have dedicated customer support?

BetterHelp has dedicated customer support teams available via email. Ginger’s customer support is available via their Chat tab or email.

How We Select Products

Product reviews, comparisons and write-ups are based on personal testing experience, customer review analysis and/or product research.

All product review information is liable to our product review process.

For Emergencies

In the case of an emergency, online therapy is not suitable. If you are at risk of self-harm or require emergency mental health assistance, contact your country/states emergency or suicide hotline.

If you are in the US, your emergency line is: 911. US Suicide Hotline: 988.

For an international list of suicide hotline numbers, visit this link here.