Comparison

12 Steps Guide vs Sober SideKick

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

Head to head
About

12 Steps Guide

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
Read full description

Work the Twelve Steps one day at a time, with a practical guide to every Step and Tradition, the Big Book and over 90 hours of recovery audio, in one calm, easy-to-read app. THE STEPS AND TRADITIONS - A guide to each of the Twelve Steps, with an introduction and a conclusion, written from personal experience in plain language - A guide to each of the Twelve Traditions - See how far you've read: a quiet percentage while you read, and a tick when you finish THE BIG BOOK - Every chapter, from the Doctor's Opinion to A Vision for You - Personal stories from the first and second editions - Printed page numbers, so you can follow along in a meeting - A clean list of chapters and stories with a tick for each one you've read, and "Continue reading" to pick up where you left off PRAYERS AND READINGS - The Serenity Prayer, the Third, Seventh and Eleventh Step prayers and more - How It Works, the Promises, the Preamble, Just for Today, On Awakening and other readings - Sobriety tips, including how to find a sponsor, and a link to the day's Daily Reflection RECOVERY AUDIO - 138 recordings in 11 albums: Big Book studies, speaker tapes and meditation bells, including Joe and Charlie, Chuck C., Sandy B., Clarence S. and Father Martin - Read along with the transcript of the Joe and Charlie and Big Book recordings - Choose your playback speed, from 0.75× to 2× - Keeps playing with the screen locked, with controls on the lock screen - Premium: download recordings and listen offline YOUR RECOVERY - Count your days from your recovery date. It stays on your phone. - Optional hourly reminders between the times you choose, each with a thought for the hour COMFORTABLE TO READ - Choose your text size; the app also follows your iPhone's text size - Light and dark themes, or follow your iPhone's setting - Designed for iPad too, with readings beside their list FREE, WITH A PREMIUM OPTION Reading and listening are free and supported by adverts. Premium removes the adverts and lets you download recordings for offline listening. Premium is an annual subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the trial ends, and the subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account's subscription settings. No account is needed. Your recovery date and your reading stay on your device. Terms of use: https://ibyteapps.com/apps/12-step-guide/terms Privacy policy: https://ibyteapps.com/apps/12-step-guide/privacy 12 Step Guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alcoholics Anonymous or A.A. World Services, Inc.

About

Sober SideKick

This app provides a supportive community and tools for individuals seeking to quit alcohol or drug addiction. It offers a sobriety tracker, counter, and access to recovery resources, connecting users with others on a similar journey.

Highlights
  • Sober community support
  • Sobriety counter
  • Daily sobriety tracker
  • Anonymous social network
  • Access to AA/NA meetings
  • Motivational content and blogs
Features
Read full description

Sober Sidekick - the sober community with addiction recovery support. Quit drinking alcohol today with your sober buddy app, with sobriety counter and tracker that helps you track daily your sober time. You are never alone with Sober Sidekick. Stop drinking, stay sober and get the right support. Your Sober Buddy App Quit drinking with Sober Sidekick, a sobriety and addiction recovery app for those struggling with alcohol or drugs. Our sober community members are here to support you. Receive guidance on how to stay sober and start your recovery journey today Join a judgment-free social network Alcohol addiction is fed in isolation. Immerse yourself in an understanding community of users who are on the path to recovery too. Stop drinking alcohol, take the first step and remember, you are not alone in this. Quit drinking or using drugs - start your addiction recovery journey with Sober Sidekick, your sobriety app. Track your addiction recovery daily Stay sober, day after day, from alcohol and drugs. Track your daily progress with our sobriety tracker feature. Get sober - our sobriety counter helps you count the days clean and accomplish goals and keep the motivation up: one day, 30 days, 60 days, and more. Sober Sidekick - More than a Social Network, a Valuable Sober Community Sober social networks features within the app will help you create your support system. Sober time, addiction recovery struggles, and wins can be shared in anonymous posts. Receive and lend recovery support through comments or empathy badges (likes). You can also message users directly. Alcohol or drugs recovery relies heavily on community; connect with a supportive, ego-free social network. All the addiction recovery help in one app Addiction recovery support & resources are offered in the app. Have a direct line to 24/7 AA and NA meetings. You will find motivational content and blogs to support your journey to an addiction-free life. Our sober community is here to support and has the same goal - Quit drinking or using drug and start your addiction recovery journey today. Stop drinking alcohol, seek addiction recovery and join our Sober Sidekick community today, where users have access to addiction recovery resources and daily support. Sober Sidekick - Your sobriety counter and tracker to start your addiction recovery today. Here are our app features to make your recovery journey easier: Sober Community: - Addiction recovery isn’t easy; connect with accountability partners (AA meetings) to stay on track with sobriety goals - Quit drinking and receive help: AA support is available every time you reach out, guaranteed! - Our Sobriety tracker & counter app gives you everything you need to keep moving forward Sober Tracker: - Days sober can be tracked (days, weeks, months & years) - Stay clean with our sobriety counter that helps you track days clean - Sober time: track and hit milestones, then celebrate! Sober Social Network: - Sober stories: share social media posts, comments, and empathy badges (likes) - Declare “I am sober” to the world, even if it’s anonymously - Sober posts are anonymous, so you can keep your identity private - Sober social network available through direct messaging feature Addiction Recovery Resources: - Addiction Recovery Counselors are available when you need help - AA meetings and NA meetings via Zoom 24/7 - Sober perspectives and support available through motivational content and blogs - Alcohol Treatment options, IOP treatments, Outpatient Programs, Substance Abuse Programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Dharma Recovery and more - unlock motivations and find what works for you! Join our sober community to receive the support you need to get sober and stay that way.

Screenshots

12 Steps Guide4 screens
Sober SideKick4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sober SideKick at none against 12 Steps Guide's 4. Sober SideKick also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). 12 Steps Guide's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. 12 Steps Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Sober SideKick asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for 12 Steps Guide against 4.8 for Sober SideKick. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.3K and 8.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of 12 Steps Guide's written reviews are positive against 96% of Sober SideKick's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, Sober SideKick every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
12 Steps Guide versus Sober SideKick: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter12 Steps GuideSober SideKick
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.3K ratings)4.8 (8.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews96.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.3K8.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB69 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperTushar BhagatChris Thompson

Customer experience

12 Steps Guide

All ratings3,293 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.0%

Sober SideKick

All ratings8,044 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews718 reviews
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.5%

User reviews

12 Steps Guide

From 3.3K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Sober SideKick

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Supportive community
  • 🚀 Accessible 24/7 support
  • 💡 Helpful for staying accountable and motivated
  • 👍 Safe and non-judgmental space
  • 🚀 Easy to use and navigate

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app glitches or crashes
  • 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
  • 🔍 Difficulty navigating some features

Bugs and requests

12 Steps Guide

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Daily reflections page not working
  • App crashes on older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add sobriety tracker
  • Include 12 & 12 book content
  • Improve bookmarking and page saving

Sober SideKick

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with sober day counter accuracy
  • Trouble connecting to Zoom meetings

Requested features

3 requests
  • More customization options
  • Improved in-app analytics and progress tracking
  • Ability to delete or edit comments

In-app purchases

4 purchases

12 Steps Guide

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time3
  • Donate$2.99
  • Donate$4.99
  • Donate$9.99
None

Sober SideKick

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 12 Steps Guide free?
12 Steps Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sober SideKick free?
Sober SideKick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 12 Steps Guide or Sober SideKick?
Sober SideKick is rated higher. 12 Steps Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Sober SideKick averages 4.8 from 8.1K ratings.
Do 12 Steps Guide or Sober SideKick have ads?
Neither 12 Steps Guide nor Sober SideKick shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 12 Steps Guide or Sober SideKick?
12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, and Sober SideKick every 2 weeks. Most recently, 12 Steps Guide was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sober SideKick on October 26, 2026.

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