Best Online Psychiatry Services of 2026
The largest online therapy network, 31,000+ therapists
Depression and anxiety meds, prescribed online
Therapy plus full telehealth, insurance accepted
01
BetterHelp
Excellent
The largest online therapy network, 31,000+ therapists
- Matched to a licensed therapist from a pool of 31,000+ providers
- Message anytime, plus scheduled chat, phone or video sessions
- Individual, couples and teen therapy, 100% online
- 150+ digital worksheets and 20+ free weekly group seminars
- Switch therapists at the click of a button
02
Lemonaid Health
Good
Depression and anxiety meds, prescribed online
- One intake covers depression and anxiety together, not two separate visits
- Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac and Wellbutrin on the formulary
- $95 a month for ongoing care, with $25 for the first month
- Online mental health assessment reviewed by a US-licensed clinician
- Ongoing refills and follow-up handled without a clinic visit
The largest online therapy network, 31,000+ therapists
Our #1 pick · Therapy to pair with medication, $70–$100/wk
03
PlushCare
Very Good
Therapy plus full telehealth, insurance accepted
- Licensed online therapists and board-certified doctors available virtually
- Therapy appointments from smartphone or computer
- Mental health medication referrals through physicians when appropriate
- Primary care, urgent care, weight loss, and prescription services in one platform
- Available across multiple U.S. states with flexible booking options
Best Overall Pick
Which Kind of Psychiatric Care Is Right for Me?
Online “psychiatry” covers several different jobs — talk therapy, prescribing for common conditions and physician medication management. Knowing which one you need narrows the choice. What is right for you specifically is a decision for a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Talk therapy alongside medication
Psychiatric medication works best as part of a plan, and for moderate to severe depression the evidence favors combining it with therapy. A therapy platform handles the weekly talking; a prescriber handles the medication.
On this page: BetterHelp matches you with a licensed therapist from 31,000+, but its providers cannot diagnose or prescribe — pair it with a prescribing service.
Online prescribing for common conditions
A licensed clinician reviews an online assessment and prescribes first-line medication — typically SSRIs or bupropion — for depression and anxiety, with refills handled online.
On this page: Lemonaid Health assesses depression and anxiety in one intake and prescribes where a clinician judges it appropriate.
Physician visits with medication management
Video visits with a physician who can prescribe and adjust non-controlled psychiatric medication, often billed to insurance.
On this page: PlushCare doctors prescribe most medications except controlled substances; visits are $129 without insurance.
If you are in crisis
Online therapy and prescribing services are for ongoing, non-urgent care. They do not treat psychiatric emergencies, active suicidal thoughts or psychosis. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
How We Evaluate Online Psychiatry Services
Our comparison is a documentary review of what each provider publishes, checked against its own site. We do not treat patients or collect outcome data, so there are no efficacy scores on this page.
Clinician credentials
Whether care comes from genuinely licensed clinicians — counselors, psychologists, clinical social workers, physicians or nurse practitioners — and whether the provider says which of them you will see.
What the service can do
Talk therapy, diagnosis and prescribing are different jobs. We check which of them each provider says it offers, and say plainly where a service stops.
Pricing and insurance
Whether the price is published before you sign up, whether it is a subscription or per session, and whether insurance, HSA or FSA can be used.
Formats and flexibility
Video, phone, live chat or messaging, and how easy it is to switch clinicians or cancel without starting over.
State availability
Licensure is state-bound, so we note where availability varies rather than assuming nationwide care.
Safety boundaries
Whether the provider is clear that it does not handle emergencies, and points readers in crisis to 988 or 911.
Editorial scores and reader vote counts shown on the cards reflect ExploreTreatments’ own assessment and the votes cast on our mental-health pages. They are not clinical ratings and not a measure of treatment effectiveness. Provider details change frequently — confirm current pricing, insurance and state availability on the provider’s own site before you enroll.
A Guide to Online Psychiatry in 2026
What online psychiatry is
Online psychiatry is care from a clinician who can assess symptoms and prescribe — a psychiatrist, physician or psychiatric nurse practitioner — delivered by video or online assessment. The medications involved are the same ones described in the National Institute of Mental Health’s guide to mental health medications, from antidepressants to anti-anxiety drugs. What changes is access: no waiting room, and often a much shorter wait for a first appointment.
Therapist or psychiatrist?
Therapists talk; prescribers prescribe. Most people start with therapy, and medication is added when symptoms are moderate to severe or therapy alone is not enough. That is why BetterHelp tops this list: it is the largest therapy network we compare, at $70–$100 per week. But BetterHelp says its providers cannot diagnose or prescribe, so it is the therapy half of the plan. For the medication half, see Lemonaid Health or PlushCare. Our online therapy comparison covers the therapy side in more depth.
What can be prescribed online
Non-controlled medications — SSRIs such as sertraline and escitalopram, bupropion, and similar — are routinely prescribed over telehealth. Controlled substances, including ADHD stimulants and benzodiazepines, are a different matter: PlushCare says its doctors prescribe most medications except controlled substances, and Lemonaid does not prescribe them online. If you are looking for ADHD care specifically, see our ADHD treatment comparison.
How the ranked services compare
- BetterHelp — licensed talk therapy from 31,000+ therapists by message, chat, phone or video; no diagnosis or prescribing.
- Lemonaid Health — online assessment and prescribing for depression and anxiety; no talk therapy.
- PlushCare — physician visits ($129 without insurance) plus $169 therapy sessions, many insurance plans accepted.
For condition-specific rankings, see our comparisons of online depression treatment and online anxiety treatment.
How to get started
- Decide whether you need therapy, medication or both.
- For therapy, complete a matching questionnaire and book a first session.
- For medication, complete the prescriber’s online assessment; a clinician decides whether medication is appropriate.
- Keep both clinicians informed — tell your therapist about any medication, and your prescriber about therapy.
Before you start
Online services are not for emergencies. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Pricing, insurance and state availability are set by each provider — confirm them on the provider’s own site.
Online Psychiatry FAQs
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Medical Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for medical questions, treatment decisions, or emergency care. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it based on information found here.