Teladoc Alternatives: 7 Better Options for Cost, Speed & Specialty Care

Disclosure: This guide is published by August (meetaugust.ai), which runs one of the services listed below (August online urgent care). August appears here only where it genuinely fits: low, flat cash pricing for simple urgent visits. We also say where it falls short of Teladoc and where other options beat both. No one paid for placement. Confirm every price on the provider's own site before booking.

Teladoc is the largest telehealth service in the US, and for people with insurance that covers it, it is hard to beat. The trouble starts when you are paying cash, waiting longer than you expected during cold-and-flu season, or seeing a different doctor every visit. Those are the three reasons people go looking for Teladoc alternatives: price, speed, and continuity of care. This guide compares seven Teladoc competitors and shows which one fits each problem, so you can switch with a clear reason instead of a guess.

Why people look for a Teladoc replacement

Three complaints come up again and again. First, cash price. Without insurance, a Teladoc general medical visit runs about $89, which is higher than several apps like Teladoc that do the same simple visit for less. Second, wait times. Teladoc usually connects you in under 10 minutes, but peak demand during flu season can stretch that out. Third, no continuity. Teladoc does not assign you one doctor, so there is no ongoing relationship and no single clinician tracking your chart. None of this makes Teladoc bad. It just means a different service may suit your specific need better.

If you have insurance that includes Teladoc, check that first. A covered visit often costs $0 to $50, which beats every cash option below. The alternatives matter most when you are uninsured, on a high-deductible plan, or unhappy with the experience.

How we compared these Teladoc competitors

We looked at three things: total out-of-pocket cost, how fast and how you get seen (live video versus chat), and what each service treats best. Prices come from each provider's public pricing pages and recent 2026 market reviews. We grouped the alternatives to Teladoc by the job they do best, because the cheapest option for a quick refill is not the best option for ongoing primary care.

The 7 best Teladoc alternatives in 2026

1. August: lowest flat cash price for simple urgent visits

If your main problem with Teladoc is the cash price, August is the most direct fix. A visit is a flat $39 with no insurance and no membership, compared with about $89 on Teladoc. You start with a free AI symptom check, then a US-licensed MD handles your urgent care visit and sends any prescription to your pharmacy. Doctors are licensed across all 50 states plus DC.

The honest trade-off: August visits are asynchronous and chat-based, so you do not get a live video call, and it is built for common, non-emergency issues like UTIs, sinus infections, and pink eye. Teladoc covers more ground, including dermatology and a wider mental-health offering. But for a one-off urgent issue where you want a predictable price, August costs less than half of a cash Teladoc visit.

Best for: uninsured patients who want the lowest flat price on a simple visit.

2. Sesame: cheapest cash-pay marketplace

Sesame is the strongest pick if you want the lowest possible sticker price on a video visit. It works as a marketplace, so you compare doctors and upfront prices and book directly, often from about $29 with no insurance and no required membership. That undercuts Teladoc's cash rate by a wide margin.

The trade-off is that you pick up prescriptions at a pharmacy yourself, and because you may see a different provider each time, it shares Teladoc's lack of continuity. For uninsured patients who just want a cheap, real video visit, Sesame is one of the best sites like Teladoc.

Best for: the lowest cash price on a standard video visit.

3. GoodRx Care: cheapest route to a prescription

If your visits are mostly about getting or refilling a prescription, GoodRx Care is worth a look. Tied to GoodRx's pharmacy discounts, its cash visits have historically started around $19 for simple needs, and it pairs the visit with drug coupons that can cut your pharmacy bill. Pricing and structure have shifted over time, so confirm the current rate before booking.

It is narrower than Teladoc and not built for complex care, but for refills and routine infections at the lowest combined cost, it is a smart Teladoc replacement.

Best for: routine prescriptions where drug savings matter as much as the visit price.

4. MDLive: best for after-hours and Cigna members

MDLive is the closest like-for-like alternative to Teladoc on services, and it beats Teladoc in two situations. If you have Cigna or Evernorth, many members pay $0, because MDLive is now part of Cigna's Evernorth. And if you need care at 2 a.m., MDLive staffs heavily for nights and weekends, so overnight waits are often shorter than on competitors. Without insurance, a visit runs about $82, roughly in line with Teladoc.

It covers urgent care and behavioral health in all 50 states. Like Teladoc, it does not give you a dedicated doctor.

Best for: Cigna members and anyone who needs reliable overnight care.

5. Amwell: best for mental health with insurance

Teladoc offers mental-health visits, but Amwell goes deeper. It has a strong therapy and psychiatry network, with psychiatrists who can prescribe in many states, and it is widely covered by insurance. If your reason for leaving Teladoc is that you want serious behavioral-health support rather than a general medical app, Amwell is the better home.

Out of pocket it is pricier than Teladoc: urgent care starts near $109, and initial psychiatry can reach the high $200s. With insurance, though, it is often very affordable.

Best for: insured patients who need therapy or psychiatry with medication management.

6. PlushCare: best for an ongoing doctor relationship

PlushCare solves Teladoc's biggest weakness: continuity. Instead of a random provider each visit, you see the same physician and build a real relationship, much like a local primary-care office. It is in-network with many insurers; cash visits run about $129, or you can pay roughly $19.99 a month for membership pricing. Patient satisfaction is among the highest in the field.

It costs more than a bare-bones visit, so it is overkill for a one-off refill. But for managing something over time, it is one of the best Teladoc competitors.

Best for: people who want one consistent doctor, not a rotating cast.

7. Doctor on Demand (Included Health): full-service video care

Doctor on Demand, now part of Included Health after a 2021 merger, is another full-service option that mirrors Teladoc's range: urgent care, primary care, therapy, and psychiatry by live video. Cash visits start around $99, so it is not a budget pick, but the clinician quality and the integrated Included Health navigation are draws for people who found Teladoc's experience inconsistent.

If your complaint about Teladoc was doctor quality rather than price, this is a reasonable apples-to-apples switch.

Best for: patients who want Teladoc-style breadth with a different provider network.

Teladoc alternatives compared: cost and best use

Prices reflect public 2026 pricing and recent market reviews and change often. Verify each on the provider's site before booking.

How to pick the right alternative to Teladoc

Start with why you are leaving. If it is cost, your answer is at the top of the list: August for a flat $39 simple visit, Sesame for the cheapest video visit, or GoodRx Care when a prescription is the point. If it is speed, MDLive's overnight staffing is the most reliable. If it is continuity, PlushCare gives you one doctor. If you want deeper mental-health care, Amwell leads. And if you simply want the same kind of service with a different provider network, Doctor on Demand fits.

One more step before you switch. If you have any insurance, check which of these apps like Teladoc your plan already covers, because a covered visit usually beats any cash price here. You can confirm Medicare coverage at Medicare.gov. For a deeper look at the service you are leaving, see our Teladoc review.

What telehealth can and cannot handle

All of these Teladoc competitors work best for common, low-risk problems: infections, rashes, allergies, refills, and similar concerns. According to Telehealth.HHS.gov, virtual visits also help providers triage you to decide whether you need in-person care. None of them, including Teladoc, is built for emergencies. For chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, or a serious injury, call 911. Complex or ongoing conditions usually still need a doctor who can examine you in person.