BetterHelp vs Headspace:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, BetterHelp had more branded searches than Headspace among mental health apps worldwide. BetterHelp had about 301,000 branded searches, while Headspace had 18,100. BetterHelp made up 53.6% of all mental health app searches we track, and Headspace accounted for 3.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mental health apps, Headspace appeared in four of the five answers and BetterHelp in none.
Who do people search for more?
BetterHelp, about 17 searches for every 1 for Headspace
Who does AI mention more?
Headspace, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, BetterHelp in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Headspace, the only one of the two named
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Top mental health apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Headspace was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. BetterHelp did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Headspace1st
Daylio2nd
Calm3rd
MindShift CBT4th
Wysa5th
Insight Timer6th
Talkspace7th- BetterHelp–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Daylio5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Calm4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Headspace4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Insight Timer2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Talkspace2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wysa2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- MindShift CBT2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- BetterHelp0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about mental health apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which mental health app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best mental health apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best mental health app for daily support?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mental health apps”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mood tracking app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is BetterHelp or Headspace more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for BetterHelp and Headspace by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight mental health apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for BetterHelp, Headspace. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BetterHelp | Calm | Insight Timer | Talkspace | Headspace | Wysa | Daylio | MindShift CBT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 65.5% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 10.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 0.65% |
| Nov 2025 | 63.6% | 7% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 0.64% |
| Dec 2025 | 60.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 12.1% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3% | 0.68% |
| Jan 2026 | 59.5% | 8% | 9.8% | 12% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 0.68% |
| Feb 2026 | 65.4% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 10.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 0.69% |
| Mar 2026 | 63.3% | 5.7% | 7% | 12.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 0.67% |
| Apr 2026 | 65.7% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 10.8% | 4% | 4.8% | 2.2% | 0.7% |
| May 2026 | 66.5% | 4.9% | 6% | 10.9% | 4% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 0.59% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.1% | 6.6% | 8.1% | 12.1% | 3.6% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 0.55% |
| Jul 2026 | 63.7% | 5.7% | 7% | 12.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 0.55% |
| Aug 2026 | 61.2% | 6.7% | 8.2% | 12.3% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.53% |
| Sep 2026 | 53.6% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 0.58% |
How has the BetterHelp and Headspace comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- BetterHelp was ahead of Headspace in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BetterHelp’s share of searches among mental health apps worldwide moved from 65.5% to 53.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Headspace’s share of searches among mental health apps worldwide moved from 3.9% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 18.1K.
How did search popularity change for mental health apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, BetterHelp lost share of searches among mental health apps worldwide, from 61.2% to 53.6%.
In September 2026, Headspace rose from 6th to 5th among mental health apps worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BetterHelp’s and Headspace’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
BetterHelp
2 branded search terms
- better help
- betterhelp
Headspace
1 branded search term
- headspace app
Other head-to-heads among mental health apps
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