LeanOn vs 7 Cups

Written by the LeanOn team. 7 Cups facts from 7cups.com and independent reviews, checked 2 November 2026.

7 Cups is free text chat with trained volunteer listeners from around the world, with paid therapy as an extra. LeanOn is paid one-to-one text or voice with a screened listener in India whom you choose — by experience, language or topic, including a woman listener — with the first 5 minutes free. Want free and text-only? 7 Cups. Want someone in India, in your language, by voice? LeanOn.

Side by side

	LeanOn	7 Cups
Who you talk to	Screened peer listeners in India (application, screening quiz, live selfie + ID check, manual review). Not therapists.	7 Cups says trained volunteer listeners; paid licensed therapy separately.
Price	Each listener sets a rate: 15 min from about ₹40, typically ₹160 (incl. ₹10 fee). Abroad from US$10.	Volunteer chat free; therapy about US$150–160/month (review sites)
Free start	First 5 minutes free, once per account	Volunteer chat is free
Text / voice	Text or voice (voice never recorded)	Text chat
Choose who you talk to	Yes — or Talk now asks whoever is online	Yes
Languages	English, Hindi + 10 Indian languages (depends on who is online)	Hindi not listed
Age	18+ only	Separate area for 13–17
Platforms	Android app + website (iPhone: website)	Android, iPhone, web
Therapists too	No — peer listeners only	Yes, paid

Prices change — check inside each app before you pay.

Choose 7 Cups if…

you want it free;
text chat is enough;
you might want paid therapy in the same app.

Choose LeanOn if…

you want someone in India who understands Indian family life — marriage, in-laws, career pressure;
you want to talk in Hindi or another Indian language;
you want voice as well as text (voice calls are never recorded);
you want to choose and return to the same listener;
you live abroad and want prices in your own currency.

Questions

Is 7 Cups free?

7 Cups says chat with its trained volunteer listeners is free. Its therapy with licensed professionals is paid — independent review sites put it at about US$150–160 a month.

Why pay for LeanOn if 7 Cups is free?

You may not need to. LeanOn suits people who want to choose a specific listener in India by what they have lived through, talk by voice as well as text, talk in Hindi or another Indian language, or keep talking to the same person. Your first 5 minutes on LeanOn are free, once per account.

Can I use 7 Cups in India?

Yes — 7 Cups is online and available in India. Its listeners are volunteers from many countries; Hindi is not listed on its public pages.

Is either one therapy or a crisis service?

Neither listener service is therapy or a crisis service. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or NIMHANS on 080-46110007 (free).

More comparisons: best apps to talk to a real person in India.

Try LeanOn — first 5 minutes free

A screened peer listener in India, by text or voice. Once per account; no card needed to start.

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