last updated september 29, 2026
7 Cups and TalkLife are both free places to talk about what is going on with people who are not professionals. the shape is different. on 7 Cups you ask for a chat and a trained volunteer listener picks it up, one-on-one, text only; there are also group rooms, forums, an AI chatbot and a paid therapy option. TalkLife is a community feed: you post, members respond, and a professional moderation team watches the platform around the clock. the ages differ too: 13 and up on 7 Cups, 16 and up on TalkLife.
from 7 Cups' homepage, FAQ, online-therapy page, upgrade page and terms, and TalkLife's homepage, about page and terms. checked on 2026-09-29; 7 Cups prices checked on 2026-10-23.
| 7 Cups | TalkLife | |
|---|---|---|
| format | on-demand 1-on-1 text chats with trained volunteer listeners, plus group rooms and forums | community feed: post, and members reply and react |
| who responds | "over 500,000 trained volunteer listeners" (7 Cups' figure) | other members; TalkLife volunteers or admins sometimes post "in a non-clinical capacity" |
| cost | listening is free; paid online therapy and premium accounts exist | "currently free of charge for personal use" (terms) |
| paid therapy inside | yes: licensed therapists by weekday messaging ($159 a month) or a weekly 45-minute live audio or video session ($299 a month), from its upgrade page, checked 2026-10-23 | no; terms say TalkLife "does not provide professional support or counselling" |
| AI | AI chatbot (Noni); AI suggestions for listeners who get stuck | machine-learning detection that "flags potentially harmful content within seconds" |
| minimum age | 13 | 16 |
| anonymity | anonymous chats; contact details blocked from being shared | "safe, anonymous spaces to share"; option to post anonymously |
| moderation | listener trust scores; removal for harmful language or blocks | "24/7 professional moderation" with trust and safety teams |
| company | 7 Cups of Tea Co. | TalkLife Limited, Bristol, UK |
7 Cups runs like a marketplace for attention. when you ask for support, available listeners are notified with your topic and how long you have been waiting, and one who has time and a fit accepts. listeners complete an online active-listening course, a mock chat with a bot and an oath before they start, and 7 Cups says each begins with a low trust score and is removed for harmful language or repeated blocks. listeners are volunteers, not counselors. the company is for-profit and says 99.8% of what it does is free; it earns money from paid online therapy, premium accounts and versions sold to employers and universities. its FAQ is candid about the other half of the exchange: users "GIVE participation on research and anonymous data."
TalkLife is closer to a social network built for hard days. you post what is on your mind, and members around the world respond. its own terms set expectations plainly: "TalkLife is Not Intended To Replace Professional Support," and its support team and mentors "are not medically qualified." the safety model is layered: professional moderators around the clock, machine-learning flagging, escalation pathways, and user-side trigger filters. its terms also warn that the platform "may contain explicit material uploaded by users" despite monitoring. the service is free for personal use under its terms, and TalkLife also runs paid versions for universities (TalkCampus) and employers.
7 Cups fits you if you want one person's full attention in a private conversation right now, if you are 13 to 15 (TalkLife isn't open to you), if you want to choose a listener by age, language, religion or topic, or if you think you might move to a paid licensed therapist later and want that on the same account.
TalkLife fits you if you would rather hear from many people than one, if you want to read how others are getting through the same thing before you say anything yourself, if you want tools like trigger filters to control what you see, or if you prefer a place with no therapy upsell inside it.
neither is therapy on its free side, and neither is a crisis service. 7 Cups' listener course covers when to refer someone to a licensed therapist or emergency contact; TalkLife's homepage tells anyone who needs urgent help to call local emergency services. in the US, that means 988 by call or text, or texting HOME to 741741.
some people find live one-on-one chat too intense and an open feed too loud. if you want to write one post about one thing, come back to any answers it gets, and close it out when it's handled, that is how veisund is built. veisund is a free app (iOS and Android) where you post under a handle you choose, with no real name and no phone number, and other members can answer when they read it. it is not live chat and nobody is waiting on the other end; the community is still small, so replies can take a while. you can mark a post resolved and credit the reply that helped. the web side is an evidence library: plain-language study summaries with the source and an evidence grade, plus a lookup of drug-company payments to your own doctor from federal Open Payments data. it is not therapy, not a crisis service, has no licensed clinicians providing care, prescribes nothing and bills no insurance. if you are in crisis, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741.
Yes. TalkLife's terms say the site and app are currently free of charge for personal use. It also sells separate versions to universities and employers. Checked on 2026-09-29.
Talking to volunteer listeners, group rooms and forums are free. 7 Cups also sells online therapy with licensed therapists and premium accounts; it says 99.8% of users never upgrade. Its upgrade page (checked 2026-10-23) lists the free plan at $0 with a limited number of daily chat requests and a limited number of chats a month with Noni, its AI chatbot; premium at $7.99 a month billed yearly or $12.99 month to month; and licensed-therapist plans at $159 a month for weekday messaging or $299 a month for a weekly live audio or video session.
7 Cups requires you to be at least 13, and has listeners specifically for teens. TalkLife is not intended for anyone under 16, and may verify age in some regions.
No. They are trained volunteers who complete an online active-listening course. Licensed therapists are only available through 7 Cups' paid therapy service.
TalkLife describes itself as offering safe, anonymous spaces to share, and has an option to post anonymously. You still create an account.
Yes. veisund is free with no paid tier: you post under a handle and other members can answer when they read it. It is not live chat and the community is still small. For a crisis, call or text 988.
veisund is free peer support under a handle: post what you're carrying, and people who've been through it can answer. it isn't therapy or a crisis service — in the US, call or text 988.
get veisund — it's freenot sure whether what you need is a therapist or people? six questions, two minutes — no diagnosis, no email.