Compare Self Care Apps (2026)
Compare all 20 self care apps side by side — filter by the features you care about, sort by our score, starter-tier value or privacy care, and open any full review. Everything is scored the same way; see the method.
| App | Score | No-cost tier | From | Starter value | Privacy care | Mood | Journal | AI | Courses | Meditate | Habits | Coaching |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4 | — | $7.99/week | 2/5 | 3/5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Coaching tier | |
| 4.3 | Yes | ~$8.99/month | 5/5 | 4/5 | ✓ | ✓ | — | Guided exercises | Breathing | ✓ | — | |
| 4.3 | — | ~$12.99/month | 2/5 | 3/5 | ✓ | — | Ebb (in some markets) | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | |
| 4.3 | Yes | ~$5.99/month | 5/5 | 3/5 | — | — | — | Plus | ✓ | — | Live sessions | |
| 4.2 | — | ~$69.99/year | 2/5 | 3/5 | Check-in | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | |
| 4.2 | — | ~$69.99/year | 2/5 | 3/5 | ✓ | Daily check-in | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | |
| 4.1 | — | ~$9.99/month | 2/5 | 3/5 | Light | Light | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | |
| 4.1 | — | ~$99.99/year | 4/5 | 4/5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | Paid coaching | |
| 4.0 | — | ~$34.99/year | 3/5 | 5/5 | Light | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4.0 | Yes | $0 | 5/5 | 4/5 | ✓ | Notes | — | Skill tips | Exercises | — | — | |
| 4.0 | — | ~$12.99/month | 2/5 | 4/5 | Light | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — | |
| 4.0 | — | ~$69.99/year | 2/5 | 3/5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | |
| 3.9 | — | ~$99.99/year | 2/5 | 3/5 | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | |
| 3.9 | Yes | ~$2.99/month | 4/5 | 5/5 | ✓ | Micro-journaling | — | — | — | Activities/goals | — | |
| 3.9 | — | ~$89.99/year | 1/5 | 3/5 | — | — | — | ✓ | — | Daily goal | — | |
| 3.8 | — | ~$30/quarter | 1/5 | 2/5 | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | |
| 3.8 | Yes | ~$4.99/month | 5/5 | 3/5 | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | |
| 3.8 | — | ~$49.99/year | 3/5 | 5/5 | ✓ | ✓ | — | Wisdom content | Breathing | — | — | |
| 3.6 | — | ~$59.99/year | 2/5 | 3/5 | ✓ | ✓ | Prompts | — | — | — | — | |
| 3.6 | — | ~$69.99/year | 3/5 | 2/5 | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
"Starter value" = how much real self-care you get before paying (1–5); "Privacy care" = how carefully it handles your data (1–5). Prices approximate, June 2026 — verify in the App Store / Google Play.
Full feature matrix
Every feature we track, normalised across all 20 apps — the same fields for everyone, so you can compare like for like.
| App | Mood tracking | Journaling | AI companion | Courses & lessons | Meditations | Soundscapes / focus music | Habit & routine builder | Reminders | Quiz / assessment | Community | Live coaching | Crisis resources | Data export | Apple Health / Google Fit | Home-screen widgets | Offline use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liven | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | Coaching tier | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | Partial |
| Finch | ✓ | ✓ | — | Guided exercises | Breathing | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Friends/support | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | Partial |
| Headspace | ✓ | — | Ebb (in some markets) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insight Timer | — | — | — | Plus | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | Live sessions | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | Plus |
| Balance | Check-in | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Calm | ✓ | Daily check-in | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Fabulous | Light | Light | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | Partial |
| Wysa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | Paid coaching | ✓ | — | — | — | Partial |
| Day One | Light | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| How We Feel | ✓ | Notes | — | Skill tips | Exercises | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rosebud | Light | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | Partial |
| Youper | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | Partial |
| Blinkist | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Daylio | ✓ | Micro-journaling | — | — | — | — | Activities/goals | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Headway | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | Daily goal | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| BetterMe: Mental Health | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | Partial |
| Habitica | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | Partial |
| Stoic | ✓ | ✓ | — | Wisdom content | Breathing | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Partial |
| Reflectly | ✓ | ✓ | Prompts | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | Partial |
| Replika | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — |
Our original data
Two numbers most roundups never measure, scored the same way for all 20 apps. This is our own research, not the apps' marketing — and we score it honestly, so the app that hands you the most before you pay isn't our top pick, and neither is the most careful with your data. They're here to help you weigh an app on what matters to you.
Starter-tier value
How much genuinely useful self-care you get before paying anything — a no-cost tier you could live on scores high, a quiz-and-preview scores low. Our own score (1–5), dated June 2026 — higher is better.
| App | Starter-tier value |
|---|---|
| Finch | 5/5 |
| Habitica | 5/5 |
| How We Feel | 5/5 |
| Insight Timer | 5/5 |
| Daylio | 4/5 |
| Wysa | 4/5 |
| Day One | 3/5 |
| Replika | 3/5 |
| Stoic | 3/5 |
| Balance | 2/5 |
| Blinkist | 2/5 |
| Calm | 2/5 |
| Headspace | 2/5 |
| Liven | 2/5 |
| Reflectly | 2/5 |
| Rosebud | 2/5 |
| The Fabulous | 2/5 |
| Youper | 2/5 |
| BetterMe: Mental Health | 1/5 |
| Headway | 1/5 |
Privacy care
How carefully the app treats your sensitive wellbeing data: minimal collection, no selling, a clear policy, and on-device or exportable entries. Our own score (1–5), dated June 2026 — higher is better.
| App | Privacy care |
|---|---|
| Day One | 5/5 |
| Daylio | 5/5 |
| Stoic | 5/5 |
| Finch | 4/5 |
| How We Feel | 4/5 |
| Rosebud | 4/5 |
| Wysa | 4/5 |
| Balance | 3/5 |
| Blinkist | 3/5 |
| Calm | 3/5 |
| Habitica | 3/5 |
| Headspace | 3/5 |
| Headway | 3/5 |
| Insight Timer | 3/5 |
| Liven | 3/5 |
| Reflectly | 3/5 |
| The Fabulous | 3/5 |
| Youper | 3/5 |
| BetterMe: Mental Health | 2/5 |
| Replika | 2/5 |
FAQ
How does the compare tool work?
Every app is scored on the same rubric and the table is ordered by that overall score. Use the filters to show only apps with, say, a no-cost tier or an AI companion, and the sort menu to reorder by score, starter-tier value or privacy care.
What are the starter-tier value and privacy-care indices?
Two pieces of our own original data: how much genuinely useful self-care you get before paying, and how carefully the app handles your data — each scored the same way (1–5) for all 20 apps. They're our editorial estimates as of June 2026, the things most roundups never measure, and our top pick leads neither.