Comparison

Talkspace vs 23andMe

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Talkspace

Access licensed therapists for online mental health support through text, audio, and video messaging. Receive personalized support and custom podcasts to aid your mental wellness journey. Insurance and employer coverage options are available.

Highlights
  • Licensed therapist matching
  • Unlimited messaging (text, audio, video)
  • Daily responses from therapists
  • Personalized Talkcast podcasts
  • Insurance and employer coverage
  • HIPAA compliant security
Features
Read full description

Talkspace is an online therapy app that connects adults and teens (13+) with licensed therapists in their state for text, audio, and video therapy — covered by many U.S. insurance plans and employers. More than 1 million people have used Talkspace for online therapy. Read member reviews at www.talkspace.com/reviews. Talkspace uses clinician-informed, responsible AI tools to support care that always stays human-first: every member is treated by a licensed therapist. HOW DOES TALKSPACE WORK? Tell us your preferences and get matched with a licensed therapist in your state, often the same day. Send unlimited text, audio, picture, or video messages anytime and receive responses at least once a day, 5 days a week — so you can process things as they happen instead of waiting for a weekly appointment. WHAT CAN TALKSPACE HELP WITH? Talkspace therapists treat a wide range of mental health needs, including anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, relationship challenges, trauma and PTSD, substance use, and grief. Whatever brings you to therapy, you'll be matched with a therapist experienced in your area of need. IS TALKSPACE FOR TEENS? Yes. Talkspace offers online therapy for teens ages 13–17 with therapists specialized in adolescent mental health — including school stress, anxiety, and self-esteem. Parental or guardian consent is required to get started. DOES TALKSPACE OFFER PSYCHIATRY OR COUPLES THERAPY? Yes. In addition to individual therapy, Talkspace offers psychiatry (evaluation and medication management with licensed prescribers) and couples therapy — all online, in the same app. IS TALKSPACE COVERED BY INSURANCE? Yes. Talkspace is in-network with leading U.S. health plans and partners with many employers, so most covered members pay a copay similar to an in-person visit. Enter your insurance or employer details at checkout to check eligibility in seconds. HOW MUCH DOES TALKSPACE COST? Many members pay only a copay through insurance. Without insurance, choose a subscription plan that fits your needs and budget. Visit our Help Center for pricing details. IS TALKSPACE EFFECTIVE? Talkspace has been shown to be as effective as face-to-face therapy: in one study, 81% of participants found Talkspace as effective or better than in-person therapy, and users showed significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms within 2 months. Talkspace has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Business Insider. Research: research.talkspace.com | Press: talkspace.com/press WHO ARE THE TALKSPACE THERAPISTS? The Talkspace network includes thousands of licensed therapists across all 50 states, all vetted and credentialed according to NCQA standards. If your first match isn't the right fit, you can switch therapists anytime. IS TALKSPACE SECURE? Your safety and security are our #1 priorities. Talkspace is protected with banking-grade encryption and externally audited for HIPAA compliance. Full Privacy Policy: talkspace.com/public/privacy-policy WHAT IS TALKCAST? To help you stay engaged between sessions, your therapist can create Talkcast personalized podcasts: after your therapist reviews a script based on your therapy goals, our AI engine generates a custom recording you can listen to anytime. WHO IS TALKSPACE BEST FOR? Talkspace is ideal for anyone who wants therapy that fits a busy schedule, prefers messaging a therapist over weekly appointments, wants to use insurance for mental health care, or is starting therapy for the first time and wants a low-pressure way to begin. CONNECT WITH US Questions or feedback? Email support@talkspace.com or visit talkspace.com. Follow Talkspace on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

About

23andMe

Explore your genetic heritage and potential health predispositions. Connect with DNA relatives and gain personalized insights into your ancestry and wellness. Offers tiered services for deeper health analysis and research participation.

Highlights
  • Ancestry exploration by region
  • Personalized health insights
  • Connect with DNA relatives
  • Premium health reports
  • Research participation option
  • Data privacy controls
Features
Read full description

Start your DNA-powered journey with the 23andMe app. Explore your ancestry, connect with your DNA relatives, review personalized health insights and more. ANCESTRY SERVICE: Explore where in the world your DNA is from across 3000+ regions. HEALTH + ANCESTRY SERVICE*: Get a more complete picture of your health with insights from your genetic data and find out what you may pass on to your future children. Includes everything in Ancestry Service.¹ 23ANDME+ PREMIUM™*: Access new premium reports and features throughout the year to keep fueling your health journey and exploring your ancestry. You can also opt in to Health Action Plan for a more personalized experience and recommendations. Includes everything in Health + Ancestry Service.² 23ANDME+ TOTAL HEALTH™**: Optimize your health with physician initiated whole exome sequencing, biannual blood testing and genetics-informed clinical care. Includes everything in 23andMe+ Premium.³ PRIVACY: You are in control of your data. When you explore your DNA with 23andMe, you entrust us with important information. That’s why, since day one, we’ve committed ourselves to protecting your privacy. We provide robust controls that give you options for your genetic data. RESEARCH: You can also choose to participate in 23andMe research. If you opt to do so, the answers you provide could help drive scientific discoveries. HOW YOUR KIT AND THE APP WORK TOGETHER: All services require purchasing a kit, registering and submitting a saliva sample using the collection tube provided. Log into your account to track your sample’s progress. Once your reports are ready, open your app to view your reports. NOTIFICATIONS: Stay in the know with notifications about personalized recommendations, new product updates, research surveys, family connections and more. TERMS OF SERVICE US (https://www.23andme.com/legal/terms-of-service) UK, IE, FI, DK, SE, NL (https://www.23andme.com/en-eu/legal/terms-of-service) Canada (https://www.23andme.com/en-ca/legal/terms-of-service/) All other countries (https://www.23andme.com/en-int/legal/terms-of-service/) Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy (https://www.23andme.com/legal/us-privacy/#washington-consumer-health-data-privacy-policy) AVAILABILITY ¹ Health + Ancestry Service is available in US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and Sweden. ² 23andMe+ Premium Membership is available in US, Canada, and United Kingdom only. Health Action Plan is available in the US only and requires opting in to personalized recommendations. ³ Total Health Membership not available to residents of AL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NJ, NY, RI, SC, TN, and US territories. *The 23andMe PGS test includes health predisposition and carrier status reports. Health predisposition reports include reports that meet FDA requirements for Genetic Health Risks and wellness reports which are based on 23andMe research. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report. Each Genetic Health Risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe their overall risk of developing the disease. The reports do not detect all variants. The reports are not intended to diagnose any disease, tell you about your current state of health, or for use in making medical decisions, including whether to take medication, or how much medication to take. This test is intended for use in adults. Visit https://www.23andme.com/test-info for additional important limitations about each report. **Total Health membership includes services initiated and performed by third-party clinicians and lab providers through the 23andMe platform. Additional terms and conditions also apply. Exome Sequencing is analyzed by a CLIA- and CAP-accredited laboratory. All telehealth services are provided in accordance with the Telehealth Terms (https://www.23andme.com/legal/telehealth-tos/) and Consent to Telehealth (https://www.23andme.com/legal/telehealth-consent/).

Screenshots

Talkspace4 screens
23andMe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: 23andMe at free with in-app purchases against Talkspace's subscription. 23andMe also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (561K vs 47K). Talkspace's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#201 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Talkspace against 4.8 for 23andMe. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 23andMe has 561K ratings behind it against 47K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 27% of Talkspace's written reviews are positive against 40% of 23andMe's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Talkspace ships an update every 6 weeks, 23andMe weekly. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Talkspace versus 23andMe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTalkspace23andMe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (47K ratings) — better4.8 (561K ratings)
Positive reviews26.5% of reviews39.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings47K561K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#201 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB106 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperGroop Internet Platform inc.23andMe, Inc.

Customer experience

Talkspace

All ratings46,721 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews490 reviews
Positive26.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative69.2%

23andMe

All ratings561,225 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews697 reviews
Positive39.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative52.4%

User reviews

Talkspace

From 47K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient online therapy
  • 👍 Helpful therapists
  • 💡 Innovative concept
  • 🔒 Secure platform

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unresponsive customer service
  • 💰 Expensive pricing
  • 🕰️ Slow therapist response times
  • 🔀 Difficulty switching therapists
  • 🚫 Lack of in-network insurance coverage

23andMe

From 561K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Detailed ancestry and health reports
  • 👍 Easy to navigate app
  • 🎉 Found biological family members
  • 💡 Interesting genetic insights
  • 🧬 Confirmed family history

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app performance
  • 📤 Difficult to download raw data
  • 💰 Expensive subscription fees
  • 🔍 Lacking in-depth ancestry details
  • 🚫 Does not recognize Palestinian ancestry

Bugs and requests

Talkspace

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Technical issues with app and website
  • Glitches in booking and rescheduling appointments
  • Inconsistent therapist availability and communication

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to schedule live sessions
  • Option to extend session credits beyond monthly cycle
  • Improved user interface and navigation
  • More transparency around billing and cancellation policies

23andMe

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Relatives not showing up in family tree
  • Messaging functionality unreliable
  • Inconsistent data updates across user profiles

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved family tree functionality
  • More detailed regional ancestry breakdowns
  • Better messaging and relative connection features
  • Ability to view health reports without additional fees

In-app purchases

None

Talkspace

No in-app purchases

None

23andMe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Talkspace free?
Talkspace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 23andMe free?
23andMe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Talkspace or 23andMe?
Talkspace is rated higher. Talkspace averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while 23andMe averages 4.8 from 561K ratings.
Do Talkspace or 23andMe have ads?
23andMe shows ads; Talkspace does not.
Which is updated more often, Talkspace or 23andMe?
Talkspace ships an update every 6 weeks, and 23andMe weekly. Most recently, Talkspace was updated on November 2, 2026 and 23andMe on November 2, 2026.

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