Mental Health Information
This content is for informational purposes only. AI therapy tools are not substitutes for professional mental health treatment. Always consult a licensed mental health professional.Our Methodology
Transparency is non-negotiable for a mental health review site. Here's exactly how we evaluate AI therapy tools, what we look for, and how we ensure our rankings aren't influenced by affiliate commissions.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
Editorial Independence
Some platforms in our reviews have affiliate programs that pay us commissions. Upheal pays $300/referral, SimplePractice pays $100+, Freed pays $50, Alma pays $500, Wysa pays 15%, and Mentalyc offers revenue sharing. We disclose every affiliate relationship on every page where affiliate links appear.
Our commitment: Affiliate commissions never influence rankings. We rank platforms by clinical evidence, user experience, pricing value, and safety protocols. If the best tool has no affiliate program, it still ranks first. If the highest-paying affiliate has weaknesses, we report them.
Example: Alma pays $500/referral — the highest in our coverage. Yet we report its directory saturation problems, unreliable billing, and slow customer support. Blueprint, which has no affiliate program, earns positive coverage for its free EHR and low-cost AI notes.
Evaluation Criteria — Consumer Apps (B2C)
We assess consumer AI therapy apps across six dimensions:
Published peer-reviewed studies, RCT quality, effect sizes, sample sizes, journal prestige. A tool with 30+ papers (Wysa) scores higher than one with internal data only.
Range and depth of evidence-based approaches (CBT, DBT, ACT, etc.). Does the app implement genuine therapeutic techniques or just branded chat?
Crisis detection capability, escalation procedures, responsible messaging about limitations. Apps that lock crisis features behind paywalls are penalized.
App store ratings, user reviews, conversation quality, onboarding ease, engagement metrics where available.
Clear pricing, reasonable free tier, value for premium features, no deceptive billing practices.
FDA, CE-mark, NHS endorsement, or other regulatory recognition.
Evaluation Criteria — Therapist Tools (B2B)
How well does the AI generate clinically appropriate documentation? Does it capture therapeutic nuance or produce generic notes?
BAA availability, SOC 2 certification, data handling practices, encryption standards.
Variety of note templates (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, custom), support for diverse therapeutic modalities.
EHR compatibility, recording methods, ease of use during sessions, Chrome extension reliability.
Cost per note, free tier availability, total cost of ownership including add-ons and fees.
Session analytics (Upheal), measurement-based care (Blueprint), training capabilities (Lyssn), alliance insights (Mentalyc).
Overall Editorial Score (0–10)
We combine the weighted dimensions above into a single overall editorial score from 0 to 10, published on each review (and surfaced as a star rating in search results where supported). The score is the weighted sum of each dimension's 0–10 sub-score; affiliate relationships never enter the calculation. The score derives from applying this rubric to published peer-reviewed research, vendor documentation, and verified pricing — not from first-hand clinical testing, which we do not claim. Where a product is discontinued or its evidence base is too thin to score responsibly, we publish no score rather than a placeholder or estimated rating.
Clinical Evidence Evaluation
We rate clinical evidence on a four-tier scale:
- Gold: 5+ RCTs with control groups in peer-reviewed journals
- Silver: 1-4 peer-reviewed studies or large observational data
- Bronze: Internal data or validated instruments used (no independent platform studies)
- Unrated: No published clinical evidence
See the full Clinical Evidence Scorecard for every platform's rating.
YMYL Standards
Mental health is a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topic. We apply heightened content standards:
- Crisis resources (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line) appear on every page
- Mental health disclaimer appears above the fold on every comparison and review page
- Affiliate disclosure appears on every monetized page
- We never claim AI tools "treat" or "cure" mental health conditions
- We explicitly state limitations and appropriate use cases for every tool reviewed
- Clinical claims are attributed to specific published studies
What We Don't Do
- We don't accept payment for reviews or rankings
- We don't allow platforms to pre-approve our content
- We don't suppress negative findings to protect affiliate relationships
- We don't recommend tools for conditions beyond their validated use cases
- We don't provide medical advice or therapeutic recommendations
Update Schedule
All reviews and comparisons are reviewed quarterly. The next scheduled update is July 2026. If a significant event occurs (platform shutdown, major research publication, pricing change, safety incident), we update immediately regardless of schedule.
Contact
Questions about our methodology? Corrections? Contact us at [email protected].