# How It Works Group vs 12 Steps Guide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: How It Works Group at none against 12 Steps Guide's 4. 12 Steps Guide's advantage is ratings volume (3.3K vs 8) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 12 Steps Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. How It Works Group asks for nothing beyond the download.

12 Steps Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 12 Steps Guide has 3.3K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of How It Works Group's written reviews are positive against 92% of 12 Steps Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

How It Works Group ships an update every 13 months, 12 Steps Guide every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | How It Works Group | 12 Steps Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-it-works-group/id1086809624/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-guide/id1238097883/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **3.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 92.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 18 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Applified Marketing Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154795843) | [Tushar Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/901932809) |

## What reviewers say

### How It Works Group

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-it-works-group/id1086809624)

This app provides a community platform for individuals seeking recovery from alcoholism. It offers easy access to daily meditations and book studies based on the principles found in the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous.

**Highlights:** Community support for addiction recovery, Daily meditation access, Book study resources, Based on Alcoholics Anonymous principles, Easy-to-use interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 12 Steps Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-guide/id1238097883)

This app provides a comprehensive guide to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, featuring audiobooks of key recovery tapes and literature. It includes prayers, readings, a sobriety calculator, and the complete Big Book text for a structured recovery journey.

**Highlights:** 12-step program guide, Audiobooks of recovery tapes, Complete Big Book text, Sobriety calculator, Included prayers and readings, AA literature

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Donate | $2.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $4.99 | one-time |
| Donate | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great recovery resource
- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 💡 Comprehensive AA literature in one place
- 🙏 Helpful prayers and daily reflections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads still present after paid upgrade
- 🤔 Lack of dark mode option
- 💤 Difficulty retaining information from reading

**Reported bugs**

- Daily reflections page not working
- App crashes on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add sobriety tracker
- Include 12 & 12 book content
- Improve bookmarking and page saving


## Frequently asked questions

### Is How It Works Group free?

How It Works Group is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 12 Steps Guide free?

12 Steps Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, How It Works Group or 12 Steps Guide?

12 Steps Guide is rated higher. How It Works Group averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while 12 Steps Guide averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do How It Works Group or 12 Steps Guide have ads?

Neither How It Works Group nor 12 Steps Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, How It Works Group or 12 Steps Guide?

How It Works Group ships an update every 13 months, and 12 Steps Guide every 3 months. Most recently, How It Works Group was updated on October 24, 2026 and 12 Steps Guide on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*