# 12 Steps Guide vs Caron’s CONNECT 5

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Caron’s CONNECT 5 at none against 12 Steps Guide's 4. 12 Steps Guide's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 40 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 12 Steps Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Caron’s CONNECT 5 asks for nothing beyond the download.

12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, Caron’s CONNECT 5 every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 12 Steps Guide | Caron’s CONNECT 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-guide/id1238097883/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 40 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tushar Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/901932809) | [Richard J. Caron Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352008477) |

## What reviewers say

### 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, iPhone Duo 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


### Caron’s CONNECT 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carons-connect-5/id1488317760)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 12 Steps Guide free?

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

### Is Caron’s CONNECT 5 free?

Caron’s CONNECT 5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do 12 Steps Guide or Caron’s CONNECT 5 have ads?

Neither 12 Steps Guide nor Caron’s CONNECT 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 12 Steps Guide or Caron’s CONNECT 5?

12 Steps Guide ships an update every 3 months, and Caron’s CONNECT 5 every 40 months. Most recently, 12 Steps Guide was updated on October 27, 2026 and Caron’s CONNECT 5 on October 25, 2026.

---

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