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There is no single best telemedicine company for every patient. HealthTap is the strongest all-around choice for ongoing virtual primary care and variety of services; Teladoc is the most compelling broad platform when it is included with your health plan; Maven is the specialist choice for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and family health; PlushCare is a broad consumer option with primary, mental, and sexual-health services; Sesame is best for cash-pay price visibility and choosing a clinician; and GoodRx Care is suited to budget-oriented routine care and medication-related visits.
This comparison uses those six platforms because they were the six services covered in the Forbes Health comparison. Its methodology considered factors such as membership costs, visit prices, care variety, provider choice, lab testing, availability, and whether visits used text, phone, or video. However, that page was audited on February 23, 2024, so its displayed prices and ratings should not be treated as current. The pricing and service descriptions below use the companies’ more recent public pages where available; verify the final price, insurance eligibility, and appointment availability before booking.
Quick comparison
| Platform | Best for | Current public pricing or payment model | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthTap | Variety of care and ongoing virtual primary care | $129 self-pay visit; $44 primary-care visits for members. Membership is listed at $55 every three months or $180 annually. | Broad virtual primary-care categories, video visits, messaging, and insurance acceptance including major plans and Medicare, subject to plan rules. |
| Teladoc Health | Insurance-linked access and integrated virtual care | Usually determined by the employer or health plan and the selected service; check the member account before booking. | General medical care, virtual primary care, mental health, chronic care, dermatology, specialty care, and expert medical opinions through one large platform. |
| Maven Clinic | Fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and family health | Consumer virtual-clinic visits start at $29 and vary by provider and appointment length. The consumer clinic is pay-as-you-go without a subscription. | More than 30 women’s and family-health specialties, plus separate employer- and health-plan-sponsored programs. |
| PlushCare | Broad consumer access, including sexual health | Insurance or self-pay; the exact charge depends on the plan and service. Insurance is not required. | Primary care, urgent care, mental health, therapy, preventive care, sexual health, video visits, and pharmacy routing. |
| Sesame | Clinician choice and transparent cash-pay booking | Telehealth appointments start from $37 on the cited service page. No insurance is required, and the price is shown before booking. | A cash-pay marketplace where patients can compare provider profiles and select a clinician. |
| GoodRx Care | Budget-oriented routine care and medication services | GoodRx Gold members pay $19 per telehealth visit; nonmembers start at $59.99 on the cited support page. | Text, phone, or video visits for common conditions, short-term refills, prescription services, and lab-related care, with GoodRx prescription savings available separately. |
Prices and benefits are snapshots from the cited pages, not guarantees. Insurance acceptance is not the same as insurance coverage, and the final cost can depend on deductible, copay, coinsurance, membership, visit type, laboratory charges, and prescriptions.
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1. HealthTap: best variety of care and relationship-based virtual primary care
HealthTap is the best fit among these six if you want more than a one-off urgent-care interaction. Its virtual-care categories include chronic-condition management, women’s health, men’s health, children’s health, senior health, mental health, sexual health, travel medicine, wellness, prevention, prescriptions, and urgent care. The combination of video visits and messaging can be useful for patients who want continuing contact around routine or chronic-care questions rather than repeatedly starting from zero.
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HealthTap’s consumer page lists a $129 self-pay visit and $44 primary-care visits for members. It lists membership at $55 per three months or $180 per year. That means the attractive $44 figure is not the ordinary price of an isolated visit: it depends on membership and applies to the described primary-care service. Insurance copays and other out-of-pocket amounts depend on the patient’s plan.
HealthTap says virtual doctor visits are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., subject to applicable rules and eligibility. Its public page also describes acceptance of major insurance plans, including Medicare. That does not mean every plan, clinician, service, or appointment is covered, so confirm eligibility in the booking flow.
Choose HealthTap if: you want broad virtual-primary-care coverage, ongoing messaging, or one platform for several routine health needs.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThink twice if: you need emergency evaluation, a hands-on examination, or a guaranteed diagnosis or prescription. HealthTap is not an emergency service, and information displayed on a health platform is not a substitute for medical care.
2. Teladoc Health: best for insurance breadth and integrated virtual care
Teladoc Health makes the most sense when your employer or health plan already offers it. Rather than relying on one public cash price, Teladoc typically routes the patient through plan-specific eligibility and pricing. The actual copay, deductible exposure, provider-choice rules, and covered services can therefore be very different for two people using the same platform.
Teladoc’s primary-care service says patients can connect by phone or video, choose a provider where available, receive a care plan, obtain prescriptions and laboratory orders when clinically appropriate, and receive referrals to in-person care. Teladoc says clinicians for the described primary-care service are licensed in all 50 states. Its wider portfolio includes general medical care, virtual primary care, mental health, chronic-condition management, specialty care, expert medical opinions, and dermatology.
For scale, Teladoc’s 2025 annual filing reported that approximately 102 million U.S. members had access to one or more Teladoc services as of December 31, 2025. This is a company-reported access figure, not the number of people who actively used the service, and size alone does not establish that a particular clinician or service will be available to you.
Choose Teladoc if: your insurance or employer benefit already includes it, you want phone and video options, or you prefer a broad platform spanning general, mental, chronic, and specialty care.
Think twice if: you are comparing cash prices without checking your plan first. Do not rely on an old claim about a fixed number of accepted insurance types; participation and member pricing should be verified against your own plan.
3. Maven Clinic: best for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and family health
Maven Clinic is not primarily a generic urgent-care marketplace. Its strongest use case is women’s and family health, including fertility treatment navigation, pregnancy, postpartum care, lactation, parenting, pediatrics, menopause, and related mental-health and nutrition support.
Maven’s consumer virtual clinic currently describes more than 30 women’s and family-health specialties, including OB-GYN care, midwives, doulas, fertility-awareness education, reproductive endocrinology, lactation, nutrition, mental health, pediatrics, parenting, and developmental support. The consumer page lists visits starting at $29, with the price varying by provider and appointment length. It describes the service as pay-as-you-go without a subscription and says insurance-covered care is coming soon for that consumer offering.
That consumer clinic is different from Maven’s employer- and health-plan-sponsored programs. The separate Maven benefit ecosystem can include fertility and family building, maternity and newborn care, parenting and pediatrics, menopause and midlife health, 24/7 virtual support, care teams, and a network of more than 700 women’s and family-health experts. Whether you receive those benefits depends on your employer or health plan.
Choose Maven if: you need support around fertility, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, lactation, parenting, pediatric guidance, or menopause, especially when your employer provides Maven.
Think twice if: you simply need a one-off visit for a cold, minor injury, or general urgent-care complaint. A focused family-health platform may not be the most efficient fit for that need.
4. PlushCare: best for broad consumer access and sexual health
PlushCare is a broad, consumer-oriented service offering online primary care, urgent care, mental health, therapy, preventive care, and sexual-health services. Users can book video visits, use insurance or self-pay, and have a prescription sent to a preferred pharmacy when a clinician determines that prescribing is appropriate. PlushCare says insurance is not required, although accepted plans and coverage vary.
Sexual health is one of PlushCare’s more useful differentiators. The service describes consultations and treatment related to sexually transmitted infections, HIV prevention and treatment, hepatitis C, and birth control, subject to clinician assessment and state-specific rules. That makes it worth considering for users who want ordinary primary care and sexual-health services in the same consumer app.
Keep the cost structure in perspective. A self-pay visit may be substantially more expensive than an insured copay, and any membership charge is a separate consideration from the visit fee. Because pricing and appointment availability can vary by state, specialty, insurance plan, and clinician, check the booking screen rather than assuming that a promotional or older editorial price applies to your visit.
Choose PlushCare if: you want a consumer platform spanning primary care, mental health, therapy, and sexual health, and you value a video-first booking experience.
Think twice if: you need a hands-on examination, emergency care, or a guaranteed same-day appointment. Check the calendar for your location and specialty before relying on rapid access.
5. Sesame: best for clinician choice and transparent cash-pay booking
Sesame works differently from an insurance-centered telehealth benefit. It is a cash-pay marketplace that connects patients with licensed clinicians for telehealth and, in some locations, in-person care. Its cited telehealth page says appointments start from $37, no insurance is required, prices are displayed before booking, and patients can choose among providers.
The service lists urgent care, primary care, mental health, dermatology, women’s health, prescriptions, and other visit types. The ability to review clinician profiles and select a provider is the main reason to choose Sesame over a platform that assigns or limits provider choice.
Sesame explicitly says it does not bill insurance for the cited service. Clinicians may prescribe or refill medication at their discretion, but the service page says controlled substances such as stimulants, opioids, and benzodiazepines are not prescribed through that online-doctor service. A prescription is never automatic: the clinician must decide that treatment is appropriate and lawful.
Do not carry forward older membership claims without checking the specific booking flow. Sesame’s current telehealth page says no membership fee is required for the cited service, while prices remain dependent on the provider and service. In-person services also have different geographic availability from telehealth.
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Think twice if: you expect the visit to be submitted to your insurer or need a service whose state-specific availability has not been confirmed.
6. GoodRx Care: best for budget-oriented routine care and medication services
GoodRx Care is designed around common consumer health needs, virtual visits, and medication-related convenience. GoodRx describes prescription services, laboratory tests, and short-term medication refills, with visits available by text, phone, or video. Prescriptions may be sent to a pharmacy selected by the patient.
The cited GoodRx support page lists $19 per telehealth visit for GoodRx Gold members and a nonmember starting price of $59.99. The lower price therefore depends on Gold membership, and the nonmember figure is a starting price rather than a universal charge. GoodRx Care is not health insurance, and the exact price and service menu can vary by condition and membership status.
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Choose GoodRx Care if: you have a routine, time-limited concern, need a short-term refill or common-condition consultation, and prioritize an advertised cash price or text-based access.
Think twice if: you need a long-term primary-care relationship, complex specialist care, emergency assessment, or a service not listed for your condition and location.
How to choose the right telemedicine company
1. Check your insurance and employer benefits first
Start with your health-plan portal or benefits administrator. An employer-sponsored Teladoc or Maven benefit may offer a different care team, price, and service menu from the public consumer website. HealthTap also says it accepts major insurance plans, including Medicare, but the plan still determines whether the specific appointment is covered.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsRemember the distinction between accepted insurance and covered care. Acceptance means a platform or clinician may be able to process your plan. Coverage determines your deductible, copay, coinsurance, eligibility, and potential out-of-network exposure.
2. Match the service to the medical need
- Ongoing virtual primary care: Start with HealthTap or Teladoc. PlushCare is another broad consumer option.
- Fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, or menopause: Maven is the most specialized of the six.
- Sexual health: Consider PlushCare or GoodRx Care, while checking the exact condition and state availability.
- Provider selection and cash-price comparison: Sesame is the clearest fit.
- Routine conditions and medication-related convenience: GoodRx Care may be the budget-oriented option.
- Emergency symptoms or a problem requiring hands-on evaluation: Use in-person or emergency services rather than choosing among these platforms.
3. Calculate the full cost
Compare more than the headline visit price. Add any membership fee, the actual visit charge, follow-up visits, laboratory costs, prescription costs, and the amount your insurance leaves you responsible for. A $19 member visit, a $37 cash appointment, and a $129 self-pay primary-care visit are not directly comparable if they represent different conditions, appointment lengths, memberships, or levels of follow-up.
Before paying, ask or verify:
- Is the displayed price for a new visit, a follow-up, or only one condition?
- Is a membership required for the advertised price?
- Does the platform bill insurance, or is the visit cash-pay?
- Are laboratory orders, tests, prescriptions, or follow-ups billed separately?
- Will the clinician serve the state where you are physically located?
4. Verify state and clinician availability
Telehealth licensing is location-sensitive. During an appointment, you are considered to be in the state where you are physically located, not necessarily your home state or the state where the clinician is based. State licensure and other rules can affect whether a clinician may treat you, prescribe a medication, or provide a particular service. The HHS licensure guidance explains why this matters.
Do not assume that a platform’s nationwide footprint means every specialty, clinician, appointment time, prescription, or in-person service is available nationwide.
5. Decide whether you need text, phone, or video
Text can be convenient for a limited, documented question; phone may help when video is unavailable; and video gives the clinician more visual information. The best mode depends on the complaint and the platform’s clinical workflow. A video appointment still cannot perform every physical examination or replace testing that must happen in person.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When telemedicine is appropriate—and when it is not
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, telehealth may be appropriate for many follow-up visits, chronic-condition care, behavioral-health services, medication management, and remote monitoring. It can also be useful when a clinician needs to review symptoms, discuss a care plan, or decide whether an in-person referral is needed.
Telehealth is not a complete substitute for an in-person service. Some examinations, diagnostic tests, imaging, laboratory work, urgent hands-on care, and procedures require physical facilities or equipment. If a clinician cannot safely evaluate the problem remotely, the appropriate outcome may be an in-person appointment rather than a prescription.
Emergency warning: Do not use a telemedicine platform instead of calling 911 or going to an emergency department for life-threatening symptoms or an immediate medical emergency. HHS guidance on telehealth for emergency departments is available here.
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What you need for a telehealth visit
For a typical video visit, you usually need an internet-connected smartphone, tablet, or computer with a working camera and microphone. The HHS patient checklist also recommends preparing your medication information, medical history, symptoms, pharmacy details, and relevant measurements such as weight or temperature.
You do not need to buy specialized equipment for every appointment. If fever is relevant to the complaint, a digital thermometer can help you report a useful measurement. If a clinician has asked you to track blood pressure, an upper-arm blood pressure monitor is one type of device used in remote monitoring. For selected respiratory or cardiac care, a pulse oximeter may be part of a clinician-directed monitoring plan. Desktop users whose computer lacks usable video or audio may need a USB webcam for telehealth or a USB microphone for video doctor visits.
These devices are optional and condition-specific, not requirements for ordinary telemedicine. HHS says remote patient monitoring can involve blood-pressure devices, pulse oximeters, blood-glucose meters, smart scales, heart monitors, spirometers, and wearables, but recommends using them under provider supervision. They are not emergency tools, and a reading should not delay emergency care.
Before the appointment, also test your connection, choose a reasonably private and well-lit location, keep your pharmacy information nearby, and write down the main symptoms and questions. If the visit changes into an in-person referral, ask where to go and what information should be transferred.
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How these rankings should be interpreted
The labels in this guide—such as best for family health or best for cash-pay transparency—are editorial shorthand for fit, not clinical endorsements. They do not mean that one company delivers better medical outcomes than another, that every clinician on a platform is equally available, or that a service will diagnose or prescribe for a particular condition.
Prices, memberships, insurance participation, state eligibility, provider networks, visit formats, and medication policies can change. Review the platform’s current booking page and your insurance benefits immediately before paying. The older Forbes comparison is useful for understanding the comparison categories, but its February 2024 audit date is why its historic prices and ratings are not repeated as current facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a telemedicine company prescribe medication?
Some of these services describe prescription or refill support, but a prescription is never guaranteed. The clinician must decide that medication is clinically appropriate and comply with state and federal rules. Sesame’s cited online-doctor service specifically says it does not prescribe controlled substances such as stimulants, opioids, or benzodiazepines.
Is telemedicine covered by health insurance?
It depends on the specific plan, service, clinician, and appointment. Teladoc and Maven may be particularly valuable through employer or health-plan benefits, while Sesame’s cited telehealth service does not bill insurance. A platform accepting your insurer does not guarantee that your appointment will be covered at a particular copay.
What is the best telemedicine platform for an emergency?
None of the six should replace 911 or emergency-department care for a life-threatening or time-critical emergency. Telemedicine is better suited to appropriate routine, follow-up, behavioral-health, medication-management, and selected chronic-care needs.
Do I need a blood-pressure monitor or other medical device for telehealth?
Usually not. A phone, tablet, or computer with internet access, video, and sound is enough for an ordinary video visit. Blood-pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, thermometers, and other devices are useful only when relevant to the symptoms or a clinician-directed remote-monitoring plan.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Choose based on your health need and benefit status rather than a universal ranking. Use HealthTap for broad, ongoing virtual primary care; Teladoc when your insurance or employer already provides it; Maven for fertility and family health; PlushCare for broad consumer care and sexual health; Sesame for transparent cash-pay booking and clinician choice; and GoodRx Care for routine, budget-conscious medication and common-condition visits. Confirm the total price, state eligibility, provider availability, and whether virtual care is clinically appropriate before booking.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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