Comparison

Alpha vs Back

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Alpha

This self-improvement app guides you toward a more fulfilling life with daily journaling, habit tracking, and goal management. It offers insights into your growth and challenges to build resilience, all in just 5 minutes a day.

Highlights
  • Daily journaling with prompts
  • Habit tracking with visual progress
  • Goal setting and achievement
  • Progress analytics and insights
  • 21-day resilience challenges (Quests)
  • Custom themes and creative sparks
Features
Read full description

An operating system for people who want to live better. Each day, Alpha runs a simple practice: your priority and most important tasks, a short reflection, and the habits that keep life in balance. Not five more apps — one system that fits in a few minutes. WHAT'S IN THE SYSTEM • Today & Alfie — your daily companion helps you pick what matters, walk through the practice, and cheer when you show up • Hitlist & reflection — set your priority with the most important tasks and a short journal so the day has a clear shape • Habits — track the routines that keep life in balance, with streaks that reward consistency • Move, Meditate & Breathe — short sessions for body and calm; workouts and sessions can sync with Apple Health • Themes & widgets — personalize the look; Home and Lock Screen widgets keep your next step visible • Streaks — every day you show up counts, with skip days so one off-day doesn't end the run ALPHA PRO • Custom themes and personalization • Advanced analytics and insights • Priority cloud sync and data export • Exclusive growth prompts and quests Download Alpha and start a few focused minutes a day — the system keeps running. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Back

Features
Read full description

Back is a private self-help tool for the next minute of anxiety, panic, or overload. You’re here. What feels possible right now? Six quiet tools on your phone: Breathe — a gentle rhythm you can follow. Distract — simple activities that give your mind a smaller thing to hold. Ground — slow attention to your body and the room. Move — small, quiet movement. Listen — rain, ocean, forest, fan, or brown noise, on this device. Read — short lines that appear at a pace you choose. Need someone? Call my person opens a contact you keep on this phone. Extra support can help you reach a person you trust, or show a public local emergency number. Back does not place the call for you. Private. No account. Nothing you save is sent to Back. Your “my person” contact stays on this device. Back is not therapy, not a diagnosis, and not an emergency service. It is not a medical device.

Screenshots

Alpha4 screens
Back4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Back at none against Alpha's 6. Back also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Alpha sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Back asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Alpha ships an update every 2 weeks, Back daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Alpha versus Back: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlphaBack
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size223 MB168 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSuper Labs Inc.TATJANA FEDORKOVA

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Alpha

Subscriptions5
  • BetterMe Pro$0.991 Month
  • Alpha Monthly$1.991 Month
  • BetterMe Pro$4.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • BetterMe Pro$7.991 Year
  • Alpha Annual3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • BetterMe Pro Forever$17.99
None

Back

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Alpha free?
Alpha is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Back free?
Back is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Alpha or Back have ads?
Neither Alpha nor Back shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Alpha or Back?
Alpha ships an update every 2 weeks, and Back daily. Most recently, Alpha was updated on November 2, 2026 and Back on October 31, 2026.

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