last updated september 29, 2026
on the headline numbers, Alma and Grow Therapy are almost identical. both say they have more than 26,000 providers, both offer therapy and medication management, both do in-person and virtual care, and their average insured session cost differs by a dollar ($20 at Alma, $21 at Grow). so the choice comes down to fine print: Medicaid, how cash prices are shown, reviews, cancellation rules, and whether you want a free consultation first.
from Alma's homepage and FAQ, and Grow Therapy's homepage, how-it-works page and client help center. checked on 2026-09-29.
| Alma | Grow Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| average cost with insurance | "$20 per session" | "$21 on average with insurance" |
| providers | "over 26,000" | "26,000+" |
| care types | therapy for individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents; medication management | talk therapy (incl. couples, family, minors) and medication management |
| Medicaid | not named on the pages we read | named: "125+ insurance plans, including Medicaid" |
| cash price | each therapist sets their own rate; many use a sliding scale | each provider's self-pay rate is shown on their profile; sliding scale options |
| first step | free consultation or book directly; instant booking with many | book online; most clients start within 2 days |
| reviews | not described on the pages we read | star ratings and consented reviews, collected after the 1st and 5th sessions |
| no-show or late cancel | set by each therapist's own policies | set by provider, up to $200 |
| who the clinicians are | independent therapists; Alma "does not employ therapists" | providers bill through Grow's affiliated practices (Grow Healthcare Group PA/PC) |
| ownership | part of Spring Health | Grow Care, Inc. |
Alma describes itself as support for independent practices: therapists "set their own policies around payment, including their rates for sessions and insurance companies they work with," and Alma handles insurance and invoices in the background. Grow's client help center tells you to give your insurer the facility name "Grow Healthcare Group PA" (or "PC" in California) when you call for a cost estimate, which means claims run through Grow's affiliated practices. for you as a client, the day-to-day feels similar. where it shows up is in policies: at Alma, payment and cancellation terms vary therapist to therapist; at Grow, each provider sets their fee within Grow's practice policies, which allow up to $200 for a no-show or late cancellation.
for insured clients, both have estimate tools. Alma's covers Aetna, Cigna, Optum, Oscar, Oxford and UnitedHealthcare members. Grow's cost estimate tool checks eligibility by plan and region. for cash clients, Grow is easier to shop: self-pay rates are on every profile. on Alma, you note what you're comfortable paying in your consultation request and the therapist tells you their rate. one timing difference: Grow says insured clients are charged 3 to 4 weeks after the appointment, once the insurer confirms.
Alma fits you if you want a short free consultation before committing to someone, if you want to filter for in-person or virtual and book instantly with many therapists, or if you want a therapist who runs their own practice and sets their own policies.
Grow fits you if you're on a Medicaid plan it accepts, if you want to compare cash rates across providers without asking each one, if reviews from other clients matter to you, or if you need evening and weekend times.
both of these get you to a licensed clinician. if you are not ready for that, or you want to talk things through with peers between sessions, that is a different kind of place. veisund is a free app (iOS and Android) where you post under a handle you choose, with no real name and no phone number, and other members reply when they read it. it is not live chat and nobody is waiting on the other end; the community is still small, so replies can take a while. you can mark a post resolved and credit the reply that helped. the web side is an evidence library: plain-language study summaries with the source and an evidence grade, plus a lookup of drug-company payments to your own doctor from federal Open Payments data. it is not therapy, not a crisis service, has no licensed clinicians providing care, prescribes nothing and bills no insurance. if you are in crisis, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741.
With insurance, they are nearly identical on their own figures: Alma says $20 per session on average, Grow says $21. Your cost depends on your plan and deductible. Checked on 2026-09-29.
Grow says it works with 125+ plans including Medicaid, depending on your region. Alma's pages we read did not name Medicaid.
Yes. Alma says you can book a free consultation, a short conversation to decide whether a therapist is a good fit, and that many therapists offer instant booking for it.
Yes on both. Alma therapists set their own cash rates and many use a sliding scale. Grow shows each provider's self-pay rate on their profile and also offers sliding-scale options.
Yes. Both list medication management with licensed prescribers alongside therapy.
veisund is free peer support under a handle: post what you're carrying, and people who've been through it reply. it isn't therapy or a crisis service — in the US, call or text 988.
get veisund — it's freenot sure whether what you need is a therapist or people? six questions, two minutes — no diagnosis, no email.