Who pays more, BetterHelp or Headway?

BetterHelp: BetterHelp's own job postings print hourly ranges for live sessions that differ by posting and state: $43 to $59, $43 to $70, and $55 to $70 per hour, and one posting prints an annual range of $52,000 to $81,900 for 25 to 35 hours a week. Headway: Headway prints no rate schedule publicly. Ask each for the rate for your license, state and insurers, in writing, before you sign. For reference, Medicare's 2026 national amount for a 60-minute session (90837) is $125.25 for an LCSW, LMFT or LPC, $141.95 for a psychiatric nurse practitioner and $167.00 for a psychologist or psychiatrist, before the adjustment for where you practice.

Can pre-licensed or associate clinicians join BetterHelp or Headway?

BetterHelp does not accept pre-licensed or associate clinicians. Headway's pages do not say.

For therapists

BetterHelp vs Headway for therapists

Choosing where to practice? What BetterHelp's and Headway's own pages tell clinicians, side by side: how you work with each, what each charges you and keeps, what each says about pay, credentialing and malpractice, each fact linked to the page that says it.

Clinician facts · checked 3 wk ago

FreeBetterHelp: cost to you

FeeHeadway: cost to you

BetterHelp contracts you to treat the clients it sends you on its platform; Headway lets you keep your own practice and bills insurance for you. BetterHelp is free to join. Headway is free to join, but charges $9.99 per marketplace-client session from Nov 2026, and keeps 2.95% of private-pay sessions. BetterHelp prints pay from $43 to $70 per hour in its own job postings; Headway publishes no pay figure. BetterHelp bills under its own insurer contracts, so you do not panel with insurers yourself; Headway credentials you with insurers and says it takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months to be approved. Neither provides malpractice insurance: you carry your own policy with either.

Side by side Rates Questions Pay alerts

Apply to BetterHelp Apply to HeadwayOn each platform's own site, which reviews every application.

At a glance

BetterHelp vs Headway: the short version

One line each. Open a platform for every fact it states.

Platform	How you work with it	Contractor or employee	Cost to you	Pay it publishes	Insurance credentialing	Licenses	Open clinical roles today
BetterHelp	Network	Independent contractor (1099)	Free	$43 to $70 per hourMental Health Counselor (New Comp & Benefits), listed for all 50 states and DC, remote $43 to $59 per hourLicensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor- Remote, Utah - Remote 3 more	You bill under its contracts	LCSW, LPC/LMHC, LMFT, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, PMHNP	141
Headway	Own practice, it bills	Your own practice	Free to join; $9.99 per marketplace-client session from Nov 2026 Keeps 2.95% of private-pay sessions	No figure published	Credentials you	LCSW, LPC/LMHC, LMFT, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, PMHNP	8

Side by side

BetterHelp vs Headway, fact by fact

Each platform in its own words, from its pages for providers, its provider help center and its own job postings. Where a platform's pages are silent, we say so.

FactBetterHelpHeadway

How you work with it

BetterHelp

A clinician contracts to treat clients who come through the BetterHelp platform. In the US the contract is with a professional-corporation group (Uplift Behavioral Health P.C. and affiliated entities), and BetterHelp, Inc. supplies the platform, operations and marketing services on that group's behalf. The terms are dated May 19, 2026.

Headway

You keep your own practice and Headway credentials you with insurers under its own payer agreements, handles claims, and pays you on a fixed schedule. You set your own working hours in its provider portal.

Contractor or employee

BetterHelp

BetterHelp's US terms state that all contractors under them are independent contractors, not employees, and that the group issues 1099 forms where applicable.

Headway

You keep your own practice; Headway's pages describe providers keeping their practice in one place on Headway and do not describe them as its employees.

Cost to you

BetterHelp

BetterHelp's job postings say it collects no fees from the therapist. The contractor terms add that the contractor bears their own overhead and out-of-pocket expenses and supplies their own equipment.

Headway

Joining is free, but Headway's help center announces a $9.99 service fee on every appointment with a new client who found you through its marketplace (its matching, its ads, its booking team, a connected health plan or health system, or its AI integrations such as ChatGPT), starting state by state in November 2026 and in every state by the end of 2026. The fee applies to insurance and private-pay sessions for as long as you see that client, and is deducted from your payout; clients you add yourself, clients who book through your direct link, and clients who reach your profile on their first visit from a search engine (not an ad) carry none.

Private-pay sessions

BetterHelp

Its pages do not say.

Headway

Headway's payout for a private-pay session deducts 2.95% of your session rate for payment processing and its cost of supporting the session. There is no fee when the client pays by bank account.

Pay

BetterHelp

BetterHelp's own job postings print hourly ranges for live sessions that differ by posting and state: $43 to $59, $43 to $70, and $55 to $70 per hour, and one posting prints an annual range of $52,000 to $81,900 for 25 to 35 hours a week. Postings say therapists can earn up to 33% more per session for insurance clients, and the contractor terms say compensation is as outlined in a Counselor Guide that the group may change at any time. BetterHelp's own advice article says it does not share payment details until onboarding and describes engagement-based rather than hourly pay, which differs from the hourly ranges in its postings.

$43 to $70 per hour (Mental Health Counselor (New Comp & Benefits), listed for all 50 states and DC, remote)
$43 to $59 per hour (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor- Remote, Utah - Remote)
$55-$70 per hour (Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Remote, District of Columbia)
2 more figures

Headway

Headway prints no rate schedule publicly. It says session rates vary by license type and insurance plan and that a practice consultant quotes them on the first call. Once you are a provider, rates are shown by carrier and CPT code in the provider portal under Rates & Agreements.

When you are paid

BetterHelp

Compensation is paid weekly.

Headway

Paid twice a month, on the 15th and the last day of the month. Headway's rates article says providers are paid on time every two weeks whether or not Headway has been reimbursed by the insurer.

Insurance credentialing

BetterHelp

BetterHelp's contracting group holds the payor contracts and may enroll the clinician with insurers on their behalf, so the clinician does not panel with insurers individually. One posting says 'No insurance paneling and zero fees'.

Headway

Headway credentials you itself with insurers through its own payer agreements; credentialing you completed on your own with a carrier is not honored through Headway. Headway's help center puts the wait for approval at anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months, and up to 8 weeks more for insurers to add you to their systems before you are paid.

Clients

BetterHelp

BetterHelp refers clients to the clinician but does not guarantee referral volume, and the terms say the group may stop referrals at any time. The terms bar soliciting platform clients for therapy outside the platform unless clinically necessary or authorized, and postings say both insurance and cash-pay clients are available.

Headway

Headway matches new clients from its marketplace to you, and you can also bring your own clients, who get a direct booking link. Private pay clients can be seen and billed through Headway (not Medicare or Medicaid clients). Marketplace matches can be paused after a pattern of cancelled or missed first appointments.

Schedule and caseload

BetterHelp

Postings say the clinician sets their own hours. The contractor terms say the group has no obligation to make any minimum commitment of work, time or compensation. The $650 monthly health benefit stipend requires a continuous commitment of 30 hours a week.

Headway

You set your own weekly working hours and locations in the provider portal, and new clients can book only into the openings you leave. Clients cannot book less than 2 hours ahead.

Malpractice insurance

BetterHelp

The clinician must carry their own professional liability insurance, and the terms require certificates of insurance within three days of a demand.

Headway

Every provider must buy their own professional liability insurance; minimum limits vary by state and license type. Headway does not require being named an additional insured.

In person

BetterHelp

Services are rendered remotely, and the application page's comparison table answers 'No' to seeing clients in person through BetterHelp.

Headway

You can see clients in person at an office location you list on Headway, as well as by telehealth. In-person visits in a client's home are not supported.

What it provides

BetterHelp

BetterHelp runs the telehealth platform (secure phone, video and text sessions) and handles client acquisition, billing and support, according to its postings. The terms say the contractor supplies their own tools and equipment.

Headway

Headway includes a free EHR (scheduling, messaging, notes, telehealth video, billing). You may keep using another EHR instead.

Requirements

BetterHelp

Postings ask for 3+ years of mental health counseling experience and a master's or doctorate in a related field, plus US residency, a private workspace, reliable internet and professional liability insurance. The application page also lists an individual NPI number and a computer with a webcam. Interns and anyone who needs supervision cannot be providers, and the postings exclude substance abuse, school, career and Christian counselors, registered nurses and business coaches unless they hold an additional license as a mental health counselor.

Headway

You must be licensed and credentialed with the client's plan in the state where the client is during the session. Headway also requires your own professional liability insurance, an NPI and a DataSpring (CAQH) profile, and a DEA registration for prescribers. PSYPACT is not accepted as a license. Some Anthem BCBS plans require you to live in the state.

Where

BetterHelp

The US postings are fully remote and require the clinician to live in the US. The multi-state posting lists all 50 states and DC, and other postings are state-specific. First-client bonus eligibility depends on the state of licensure. BetterHelp also posts roles for the Netherlands, Germany and Australia.

Headway

Headway supports independently licensed providers in all 50 states.

Benefits

BetterHelp

Contractors get no employee benefits under the terms. Postings offer a $650 Health Benefit Stipend that requires a continuous commitment of 30 hours a week, free access to 390+ CEU courses and a free BetterHelp membership.

Headway

Its pages do not say.

Licenses

BetterHelp

Clinical social workers, Licensed counselors, Marriage and family therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Psychiatric nurse practitioners Not pre-licensed or associate clinicians.

Headway

Clinical social workers, Licensed counselors, Marriage and family therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Psychiatric nurse practitioners

Rates

The rate Headway does not print

Headway prints no per-session rate: what you are paid depends on your license, your state and the client's insurer. Medicare's schedule is public, so it is the reference point to ask against.

Medicare 2026, national amount per session (office, or telehealth to a client at home)
Session	LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCs	Psychiatric NPs, PAs	Psychologists, psychiatrists
90837 (60 minutes)	$125.25	$141.95	$167.00
90834 (45 minutes)	$85.43	$96.82	$113.90

Computed from CMS's fee schedule files and the shares in CMS's mental health booklet. Medicare adjusts every amount for where you practice, and commercial insurers set their own rates. Medicare rates in your state

Questions

BetterHelp vs Headway for therapists: questions, answered

BetterHelp vs Headway for therapists: what is the difference?: BetterHelp contracts you to treat the clients it sends you on its platform; Headway lets you keep your own practice and bills insurance for you. BetterHelp is free to join. Headway is free to join, but charges $9.99 per marketplace-client session from Nov 2026, and keeps 2.95% of private-pay sessions. BetterHelp prints pay from $43 to $70 per hour in its own job postings; Headway publishes no pay figure. BetterHelp bills under its own insurer contracts, so you do not panel with insurers yourself; Headway credentials you with insurers and says it takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months to be approved. Neither provides malpractice insurance: you carry your own policy with either.
Who pays more, BetterHelp or Headway?: BetterHelp: BetterHelp's own job postings print hourly ranges for live sessions that differ by posting and state: $43 to $59, $43 to $70, and $55 to $70 per hour, and one posting prints an annual range of $52,000 to $81,900 for 25 to 35 hours a week. Headway: Headway prints no rate schedule publicly. Ask each for the rate for your license, state and insurers, in writing, before you sign. For reference, Medicare's 2026 national amount for a 60-minute session (90837) is $125.25 for an LCSW, LMFT or LPC, $141.95 for a psychiatric nurse practitioner and $167.00 for a psychologist or psychiatrist, before the adjustment for where you practice.
Is BetterHelp or Headway cheaper for therapists?: BetterHelp: BetterHelp's job postings say it collects no fees from the therapist. The contractor terms add that the contractor bears their own overhead and out-of-pocket expenses and supplies their own equipment. Headway: Joining is free, but Headway's help center announces a $9.99 service fee on every appointment with a new client who found you through its marketplace (its matching, its ads, its booking team, a connected health plan or health system, or its AI integrations such as ChatGPT), starting state by state in November 2026 and in every state by the end of 2026. The fee applies to insurance and private-pay sessions for as long as you see that client, and is deducted from your payout; clients you add yourself, clients who book through your direct link, and clients who reach your profile on their first visit from a search engine (not an ad) carry none. Headway's payout for a private-pay session deducts 2.95% of your session rate for payment processing and its cost of supporting the session. There is no fee when the client pays by bank account.
How does credentialing work at BetterHelp and Headway?: BetterHelp: BetterHelp's contracting group holds the payor contracts and may enroll the clinician with insurers on their behalf, so the clinician does not panel with insurers individually. One posting says 'No insurance paneling and zero fees'. Headway: Headway credentials you itself with insurers through its own payer agreements; credentialing you completed on your own with a carrier is not honored through Headway. Headway's help center puts the wait for approval at anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months, and up to 8 weeks more for insurers to add you to their systems before you are paid.
How often do BetterHelp and Headway pay therapists?: BetterHelp: Compensation is paid weekly. Headway: Paid twice a month, on the 15th and the last day of the month.
Are BetterHelp and Headway therapists contractors or employees?: BetterHelp: BetterHelp's US terms state that all contractors under them are independent contractors, not employees, and that the group issues 1099 forms where applicable. Headway: You keep your own practice; Headway's pages describe providers keeping their practice in one place on Headway and do not describe them as its employees.
Do BetterHelp or Headway provide malpractice insurance?: BetterHelp: The clinician must carry their own professional liability insurance, and the terms require certificates of insurance within three days of a demand. Headway: Every provider must buy their own professional liability insurance; minimum limits vary by state and license type. Headway does not require being named an additional insured.
Can pre-licensed or associate clinicians join BetterHelp or Headway?: BetterHelp does not accept pre-licensed or associate clinicians. Headway's pages do not say.
Can you see clients in person through BetterHelp or Headway?: BetterHelp: Services are rendered remotely, and the application page's comparison table answers 'No' to seeing clients in person through BetterHelp. Headway: You can see clients in person at an office location you list on Headway, as well as by telehealth. In-person visits in a client's home are not supported.

Pay alerts

Know when BetterHelp or Headway changes its pay or terms

We re-check what every platform pays, charges and requires each month. When one changes, you get one short email saying what changed and where.

Paid AI-training work for clinicians

AI companies hire licensed clinicians as remote contractors to write and grade mental-health material for their models: 8 roles open today, at $45 to $155 an hour as posted.

See the roles

Building your own practice instead?

The Practice Academy, from Practice of the Practice, is a paid membership with courses, coaching and a community for therapists starting or growing a private practice. Referral link: OnlineTherapy.me earns a fee from Practice of the Practice if you join through it. It never changes what these pages report about any platform.

See The Practice Academy

Spending evenings on notes?

Blueprint is AI software for therapists that drafts progress notes, treatment plans and client letters, and handles claims and eligibility; it runs alongside the EHR you already use or as its own all-in-one EHR. Referral link: OnlineTherapy.me earns a fee from Blueprint if you join through it. It never changes what these pages report about any platform.

See Blueprint

OnlineTherapy.me is an informational data platform, not an employer, recruiter or legal adviser. Neither BetterHelp nor Headway pays it for this page or its Apply links. It reports what each platform's own pages said when checked (Oct 13, 2026 and Oct 13, 2026); terms, rates and requirements change, and your agreement with the platform is what binds you.

Keep going

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