Rula vs BetterHelp for therapists
Choosing where to practice? What Rula's and BetterHelp'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.
Rula lets you keep your own practice and bills insurance for you; BetterHelp contracts you to treat the clients it sends you on its platform. Both are free to join. Rula publishes no pay figure; BetterHelp prints pay from $43 to $70 per hour in its own job postings. Rula credentials you with insurers and says timelines vary by state and payer; BetterHelp bills under its own insurer contracts, so you do not panel with insurers yourself. Neither provides malpractice insurance: you carry your own policy with either.
Rula vs BetterHelp: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rula | Own practice, it bills | Independent contractor (1099) | Free | No figure published | Credentials you | LCSW, LPC/LMHC, LMFT, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, PMHNP | 0 |
| BetterHelp | Network | Independent contractor (1099) | Free |
| You bill under its contracts | LCSW, LPC/LMHC, LMFT, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, PMHNP | 141 |
Rula vs BetterHelp, 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.
How you work with it
Contractor or employee
Cost to you
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
When you are paid
BetterHelp
Compensation is paid weekly.Insurance credentialing
Clients
Schedule and caseload
Malpractice insurance
In person
What it provides
Requirements
Where
Benefits
Licenses
BetterHelp
Clinical social workers, Licensed counselors, Marriage and family therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Psychiatric nurse practitioners Not pre-licensed or associate clinicians.The rate Rula does not print
Rula 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.
| 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
Rula vs BetterHelp for therapists: questions, answered
- Rula vs BetterHelp for therapists: what is the difference?
- Rula lets you keep your own practice and bills insurance for you; BetterHelp contracts you to treat the clients it sends you on its platform. Both are free to join. Rula publishes no pay figure; BetterHelp prints pay from $43 to $70 per hour in its own job postings. Rula credentials you with insurers and says timelines vary by state and payer; BetterHelp bills under its own insurer contracts, so you do not panel with insurers yourself. Neither provides malpractice insurance: you carry your own policy with either.
- Who pays more, Rula or BetterHelp?
- Rula: Rula prints no pay figure. 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. 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 Rula or BetterHelp cheaper for therapists?
- Rula: Rula says joining and using it is completely free, with no minimum hours or caseload. The only deduction found is optional: in Wingspan, Rula's payout tool, an Instant payout deducts a fee while a Standard payout is free. 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.
- How does credentialing work at Rula and BetterHelp?
- Rula: Rula runs credentialing and payer enrollment and credentials you under its group contracts even if you are already in-network on your own. You must keep your license, NPI, liability policy and CAQH profile current; re-credentialing happens about every 3 years. Rula's sign-up page says most therapists are credentialed and see their first client in 3 weeks or less, while its FAQ says payer timelines vary by state and payer. 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'.
- How often do Rula and BetterHelp pay therapists?
- Rula: Paid every other Friday by direct deposit through Wingspan, for sessions in the previous two weeks. BetterHelp: Compensation is paid weekly.
- Are Rula and BetterHelp therapists contractors or employees?
- Rula: Rula's therapists are 1099 independent contractors who operate as their own business, with no employer-provided benefits. 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.
- Do Rula or BetterHelp provide malpractice insurance?
- Rula: Contractor therapists must carry their own professional liability insurance, a minimum of $1M per occurrence and $3M aggregate for non-prescribing therapists, renewed annually, as an individual policy. BetterHelp: The clinician must carry their own professional liability insurance, and the terms require certificates of insurance within three days of a demand.
- Can pre-licensed or associate clinicians join Rula or BetterHelp?
- BetterHelp does not accept pre-licensed or associate clinicians. Rula's pages do not say.
- Can you see clients in person through Rula or BetterHelp?
- Rula: Providers can opt in to see patients in person through Rula if they already have an office with an address. Rula also offers discounts on rented therapy rooms in California and Virginia. BetterHelp: Services are rendered remotely, and the application page's comparison table answers 'No' to seeing clients in person through BetterHelp.
Know when Rula or BetterHelp 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.
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.
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.