Alongside vs CBT without a Therapist: Helpy

Alongside7.7Visit CBT without a Therapist: Helpy7.0Visit

Higher score Alongside #5 in AI Mental Health Chatbots 7.7/10 7-day trial ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Alongside

vs

CBT without a Therapist: Helpy #8 in AI Mental Health Chatbots 7.0/10 Free plan · paid from $29 Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Helpy

• Alongside fits best

  Schools needing safety and administration tools

• CBT without a Therapist: Helpy fits best

  Users wanting low-cost structured CBT exercises

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Side by side

Feature	Alongside 7.7/10 Visit ↗	CBT without a Therapist: Helpy 7.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.7	7.0
Ranking	#5 in AI Mental Health Chatbots	#8 in AI Mental Health Chatbots
Best for	Schools needing safety and administration tools	Users wanting low-cost structured CBT exercises
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Alongside 4/5 · CBT without a Therapist: Helpy 3/5
Guided exercises	✓	✓
Behavioral coaching	✓	✓
Human escalation	✓ (best)	—
Crisis resources	✓	✓
Conversation memory	Not published	Not published
Specs
Access platforms	web, iOS, Android	web, ios, android
Our review
Pros	Combines CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness skill building Includes crisis detection, 988 links, and school notifications Supports school integrations, screening, and district dashboards	Free plan includes unlimited thought journaling and a full exercise library $29 Full Access provides unlimited conversations and lifetime access Available on web, iOS and Android with crisis-resource routing
Cons	Paid subscription with no free plan Designed primarily for adolescents, especially middle and high school students Supplements rather than replaces professional mental-health services	Free users receive limited AI chat replies No human escalation for crisis conversations Positioned as self-help, not therapy or medical care
Our verdict	Alongside is a clinician-designed wellness platform for K-12 schools, with an AI chatbot that provides personalized coaching, self-reflection, journaling, goal setting, behavioral exercises, and social-emotional skill building. It is… Read the review →	CBT without a Therapist: Helpy is a self-help platform for people working independently on anxiety, stress, sleep, panic symptoms and emotional well-being. It combines an AI assistant with a thought journal, cognitive-distortion analysis,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Alongside — where it wins

  • Combines CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness skill building
  • Includes crisis detection, 988 links, and school notifications
  • Supports school integrations, screening, and district dashboards

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid subscription with no free plan
  • Designed primarily for adolescents, especially middle and high school students
  • Supplements rather than replaces professional mental-health services

• CBT without a Therapist: Helpy — where it wins

  • Free plan includes unlimited thought journaling and a full exercise library
  • $29 Full Access provides unlimited conversations and lifetime access
  • Available on web, iOS and Android with crisis-resource routing

  Where it doesn't

  • Free users receive limited AI chat replies
  • No human escalation for crisis conversations
  • Positioned as self-help, not therapy or medical care

• Alongside7.7/10 · 7-day trial

  A school-focused AI wellness platform with safety workflows and district administration tools.

  Visit AlongsideFull verdict →
• CBT without a Therapist: Helpy7.0/10 · Free plan · paid from $29

  A low-cost CBT self-help app with structured exercises, journaling and crisis routing.

  Visit HelpyFull verdict →