Develop A Therapy App Like BetterHelp: Its Cost, Features, Process, & Tech Stack

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Therapy App Like BetterHelp

Looking for the best possible ways to develop a therapy app like BetterHelp? The way mental health apps are catching the hype suddenly after 2019, the demand for therapy app development services has gradually increased year-on-year!

Did you realize the same? If yes, then why are mental health counseling apps surging in demand?  

Well, 1 in every 8 people are dealing with mental disorders and over 970 million people around the world are dealing with Anxiety and depressive disorders.

According to Mental Health America, anxiety disorders are the highest reported mental health issues in the US where 42 million Americans claim to suffer from this illness.

Reports claim that mental illness starts showing symptoms by the age of 14. Mental health crises account for 60 million visits for seeking primary care and 6 million sufferers require ER visits annually. 

All-in-all, 40% of the world is dealing with some kind of mental illness that requires therapy sessions. The biggest challenge that comes here for people is to find the right therapist.

Further, the reports say that the mental health app market was valued at $ 5.05 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit $16.50 billion by 2030.

The global burden of mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorders is crazily increasing. That’s where mental health apps provide a complete solution from diagnosing and preventing to managing these disorders. 

As people are becoming aware of the value of mental well-being, more and more people are using stress relievers and therapist apps. In that case, using the well-designed therapy app is far more convenient, secure, and affordable than seeking therapy sessions in person. 

Many budding enterpreneurs are looking to create a counseling app in 2024 to drive the most user traffic and dominate the industry. As the depression rate among people keeps increasing, the demand for such apps also increases.

With the mental health therapy app sector expanding, investing in a well-designed therapy app can be a worthy deal. Let Xicom enable you to hire a mobile app developer to customize the app to address the urgent need. Let’s connect now! 

How to Develop a Therapy App like BetterHelp in 4 Simple Steps?

Getting started with a mental health app development can be a simple process especially when you know the roadmap of the development process. If you are ready to create a mental health app, then consider these simple 4 steps:

Step 1: Identify Your Business Requirements

How would you establish the benchmark to stand out in the overcrowded market where several mental health apps are there to offer you counseling and therapy sessions?

This is where you need to understand your business requirements. So before getting straight into coding the app, you need to plan the app, think about your target audience, and understand how this solution will help them. who will be your users and what exactly makes your solution different from existing apps?

Apart, most importantly, how will your app make money? Ask these questions to start exploring the idea and turning it into a business plan. 

Step 2: Select a Mobile App Development Team

To create a therapy app like BetterHelp, you need to hire a team of mobile app development team with the right skills and expertise. The right choice of developers matters as they can strengthen your idea, assist in marketplace research, and help you achieve better ROIs. 

So when it comes to hiring Android app developers, take your time, conduct market research, check their portfolio with relevant cases, and verify the credentials. 

Step 3: Develop an MVP Solution

Instead of getting into developing a feature-rich app, creating an MVP solution will be a smart decision. The Minimum Viable Product is generally developed with the basic features and functionalities that can be easily scaled up later after considering the user feedback. 

MVP is a fully functional product that is developed with limited features temporarily. By launching to the market, businesses can easily evaluate the market requirements and able to get outline the scope of improvement. 

Step 4: Scaleup the Product

Once you receive the feedback and analyze the data, it is time to improve and grow the app. The team of developers will help you scale up the app, provide post-launch support, and release the app update.

Crucial Features to Create a Therapy App Like BetterHelp

 When developing a therapy app like BetterHelp, it is important that you prioritize the features that enhance the user experience, build user trust, and ensure confidentiality. Here is the list of features that you can consider including in your therapy app:

• User Registration: Let users register themself using their email ID or mobile number. 
• Profile Setup: Have a feature in the app that allows for detailed user profile setup for both therapists and clients and enables them to fill in details including credentials, specializations, and user preferences. 
• Matching Algorithm: Use an AI/ML algorithm-based intelligent matching system that connects users with therapists based on their mental health needs, preferences, and goals. Also, have an option in the app for users to choose a therapist manually or request a recommended match. 
• In-App Communication: Make sure your therapy app offers in-app real-time chat and messaging options to allow seamless communication between therapists and users. For this, offer high-quality video and audio sessions for face-to-face virtual therapy. 
• Integrate Calendar: Let users schedule their sessions in advance and therapists would manage their appointments using the in-app integrated calendar. In addition, you can offer flexible rescheduling options for users and therapists along with sending notifications and reminders for timely attendance. 
• Payment Integration: Have secure payment gateways integrated into the app to allow users to make payments through multiple payment methods including credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and more.

There are several features that you can consider including in the app depending upon the requirement. But keep in mind that every feature addition will add up to the cost. So prioritize the features carefully!

Did you know that 43% of users seek online mental health support?

Partner with Xicome to create a counseling app that offers flexible counseling sessions that cater to user preferences, enhance engagement, and enable you to meet 80% of users’ needs.

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Tech-Stack for BetterHelp Clone App Development

Therapy apps like BetterHelp are recognized for their seamless experience and flawless processing. So if you are looking to develop a therapy app like BetterHelp, you need to look for the tech experts and the right choice of technologies that make it work like a well-oiled machine.

So here are the few recommended technologies to create a counseling app like BetterHelp:

Functionalities	Technology	Description
Frontend	React Native, Flutter	Cross-platform frameworks for building mobile apps for both iOS and Android.
Backend	Node.js, Express.js	Server-side development and API integration for handling business logic and data exchange.
Database	MongoDB, PostgreSQL	Databases for storing user profiles, therapy sessions, and message data.
Authentication	Firebase Authentication, Auth0	Secure user authentication and authorization for safe login and user data protection.
Real-Time Communication	WebRTC, Socket.io	Enables real-time video, audio, and chat communication between users and therapists.
Cloud Hosting	AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud	Scalable cloud hosting and server management for reliable app infrastructure.
Payment Gateway	Stripe, PayPal	Secure and efficient payment processing for subscription fees and in-app purchases.
Analytics	Google Analytics, Mixpanel	Tracking user behavior, app performance, and generating reports for insights and improvements.
Security	SSL/TLS, End-to-End Encryption	Ensuring encrypted communication and data privacy for users and therapists.
Compliance	HIPAA Compliance Tools, GDPR Compliance Tools	Ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations (HIPAA) and data privacy laws (GDPR).
Push Notifications	Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), OneSignal	Sending notifications to users for session reminders, messages, and updates.
DevOps	Docker, Kubernetes	Containerization and orchestration tools for seamless app deployment and scaling.
Testing	Jest, Mocha, Selenium	Automated testing frameworks for ensuring the app’s functionality and stability before deployment.
Monitoring	New Relic, Sentry	Monitoring tools to track app performance, user activities, and error handling in real time.

These are the major tech stack requirements to create a therapy app like BetterHelp, but the question is how much does it cost to create an app? Let’s get into it!

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Therapy App Like BetterHelp?

So how much does it cost to create a counseling app like BetterHelp? How long it will take to create a mental health app? Whenever you decide to hire a software development company to kickstart your therapy app development process, probably these questions must create some kind of hassle. No worries, we’ve got you covered!

Generally, the overall app development cost depends upon the complexity of the app, the choice of features and functionalities, UI/UX design, app development team, operating systems, and more. 

Depending upon such factors, if we calculate the estimated app development cost for the therapy app, then here’s a rough look at the cost breakdown:

• Basic App Version: The simple app version is developed with the basic features which takes around 3 to 4 months and may cost between $15,000 to $20,000+.

• Moderate App Version: Along with the basic features, this app version includes additional features like real-time communication, localization, multilingual support, in-app payment integration, and more. This app version takes up around 5 to 6 months in development and may cost between $20,000 to $25,000+. 

• Advanced App Version: In case if you are looking to create an app heavily loaded with features, then you can consider an advanced app version integrated with AI and ML algorithms, third-party integrations, advanced analytics, and more. This app version usually takes up to 7 to 9 months in development and may cost between $30,000 to $35,000+ depending upon the business requirements. 

Still, these are the rough estimations and timelines outlined by analyzing market competitors. The actual cost and timeline to create a therapy app can go up or down depending on your business requirements. So if you are still hesitating in setting a budget for your therapy app development, then would recommend booking a 15-minute free consultation session with our experts to get your project idea evaluated by experts.

Read More: 115+ Top Mobile App Ideas in 2025 For Startups, Entrepreneurs etc.

Why Choose Xicom Technologies to Create a Mental Health Therapy App Like BetterHelp?

There is no doubt in this fact that therapy apps are surging in demand but the success of the app lies in the expertise of the app development team that they pour into the app. That’s where our tech professionals bring 20+ years of expertise in software development and have a track record of 4500+ successful projects.

Our journey to customize applications for over 1500+ clients in 109+ countries, made us pull the experience from vast industries and enabled us to understand the requirements of various clients.

This highlights our ability to deliver high-quality, user-friendly apps ready to address the mental and physical well-being of the users. Also, our expertise in analyzing client’s unique requirements, allows us to prioritize the features and functionalities that best fit their needs. 

No matter whether you require a simple or complex app version, our pool of app developers is here to take you through a roadmap of the app development process.

Still, doubt being a partner with Xicom? 

Here are the key highlights for you:

• We assure 100% bug-free applications
• Our experts are committed to delivering excellence 
• We provide 90% on-time delivery without compromising on quality
• We are ISO-9001 certified and Nasscom & STPI Accredited company

If you are ready with your app idea, then you are just one call away from our experts, who work collaboratively with clients. 

Ready to launch a therapy app to join the $248.4B industry?

Let Xicom help you customize the therapy app with an innovative choice of features and ensure a secure sense of therapy and counseling for every suffering person.

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Conclusion

At the end of this blog, it is fair enough to say that therapy apps like BetterHelp are going to take center stage in the context of assuring well-being. Though, apps are a convenient and accessible way for people to manage their mental health in comparison to traditional therapy sessions, therefore developing a therapy app like BetterHelp will be a worthy decision. All you need is to hire software developer that can customize the app considering the target audience, your business requirements, and end goals. 

If you are ready to develop a therapy app like BetterHelp, then Xicom is one of the leading mobile app development companies, recognized for its quality work, flexibility, and superior results. We have our team of experts who can assist you with the healthcare app development lifecycle right from conceptualization to final app deployment. For more details, you can drop a query below or contact us!

FAQs

If you still doubt developing a therapy app like BetterHelp, then you can consider this FAQ session to get answers to all your potential questions.