Comparison

12 Steps Guide vs Life Recovery

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

Life Recovery

This app guides users through the 12-step recovery process for life's adversities and addictions. It offers daily devotions, inspiring stories, and insights into life's governing laws and gifts.

Highlights
  • 12-step recovery guidance
  • Daily devotions
  • Inspiring stories
  • 12 laws of life recovery
  • 12 gifts of recovery
  • 12 missteps to avoid
Features
Read full description

What’s “Life Recovery?” It’s about how we recover, using the 12 steps, from any adversity in life, including addictions.. Your subscription includes the 12 laws that govern life recovery, and the 12 gifts that come as a result of being in recovery. You’ll also get a new devotional every morning, read inspiring stories, and consider the 12 missteps that can get us off track. More to come! The first two devotions are provided along with other content for free after installing the app. Monthly subscription for US$1.99/month is required to continue daily devotions and to view additional content. If you choose to subscribe, your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period unless you change your subscription preferences in your account settings. You can manage your subscriptions through your Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy: https://www.micodatech.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.micodatech.com/terms.html

Screenshots

12 Steps Guide4 screens
Life Recovery4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 12 Steps Guide at 92% against Life Recovery's 13%. 12 Steps Guide also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 17). Life Recovery's advantage is monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 and Life Recovery sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

12 Steps Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 12 Steps Guide has 3.3K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of 12 Steps Guide's written reviews are positive against 13% of Life Recovery's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, Life Recovery every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
12 Steps Guide versus Life Recovery: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter12 Steps GuideLife Recovery
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better2.4 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews — better12.5% of reviews
Number of ratings3.3K — better17
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB49 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperTushar BhagatMICODA TECHNOLOGIES LLC

Customer experience

12 Steps Guide

All ratings3,299 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.0%

Life Recovery

All ratings15 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative73.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative87.5%

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

Life Recovery

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

Life Recovery

Subscriptions1
  • Daily Devotionals Subscription$1.991 Month

Questions

Is 12 Steps Guide free?
12 Steps Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Life Recovery free?
Life Recovery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 12 Steps Guide or Life Recovery?
12 Steps Guide is rated higher. 12 Steps Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Life Recovery averages 2.4 from 17 ratings.
Do 12 Steps Guide or Life Recovery have ads?
Neither 12 Steps Guide nor Life Recovery shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 12 Steps Guide or Life Recovery?
12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, and Life Recovery every 6 days. Most recently, 12 Steps Guide was updated on November 6, 2026 and Life Recovery on November 2, 2026.

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