Curable vs SelfBack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Curable
This app helps individuals find lasting relief from chronic pain, including back pain and migraines. It utilizes neuroscience-based tools and exercises to retrain the brain's role in pain perception, offering a path to healing without medication or invasive procedures.
- Clinically proven symptom reduction
- Neuroscience-based pain relief program
- 100+ science-backed exercises
- Audio lessons on pain science
- Customizable plans
- Virtual coaching
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If you're still searching for answers about chronic pain, you're not alone. Many people are never taught how pain works or why it can continue for months or even years. The missing piece may not be another treatment – it may be a new understanding of pain that shows why recovery is possible. Curable is a guided recovery program that helps you make sense of your symptoms and gives you science-backed tools to move forward. ► TRUSTED BY PATIENTS AND CLINICIANS WORLDWIDE – 1M+ Users: Over 1 million people have used Curable to help navigate persistent pain and symptoms – Trusted by 23,000+ Clinicians: Used by physicians, physical therapists, and pain specialists to support care between visits – Backed by Independent Clinical Research: Evaluated in a randomized controlled trial where participants reported meaningful pain improvement at 6 weeks compared to a control group (Thomson et al., Can J Pain, 2024) – Top-Rated for Quality: Rated the #1 highest quality app for persistent pain in an independent, peer-reviewed study (Devan et al., JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 2019) – 82% Reported Improvement: In a large-scale survey of Curable members, 82% reported an improved quality of life (Patient Global Impression of Change, n=10,173) ► A WHOLE-PICTURE APPROACH TO CHRONIC PAIN RECOVERY Persistent pain is complex and rarely driven by a single cause. Curable helps you understand the different factors that can influence symptoms – including your body, nervous system, environment, and everyday experiences – and gives you practical tools to take the next step in your recovery alongside your existing care. Built with leading experts in pain medicine, physical therapy, neuroscience, and psychology, Curable helps people living with persistent symptoms including: - Back pain - Migraine - Sciatica - Fibromyalgia - Neck pain - Joint pain - Pelvic pain - Knee pain - Hip pain ► WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THE APP Curable's guided recovery program helps you better understand persistent pain, build practical recovery skills, and move forward with confidence. – Your Daily Plan: Step-by-step guidance tailored to your needs, starting with short audio lessons that help you make sense of persistent pain – Recovery Tools: Practical, science-backed exercises – including somatic tracking, cognitive reflection, guided relaxation, and expressive writing – to help you respond differently to pain – Expert Guidance: Live workshops, Q&As, and video classes with leading multidisciplinary pain specialists and researchers – Support for Flare-Ups: On-demand tools designed to help you calm your nervous system and respond with clarity during difficult moments Start making sense of your symptoms today, and begin reclaiming your life. Sources: 1. Thomson CJ, Pahl H, Giles LV. Can J Pain. 2024. 2. Devan H, et al. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019. Disclaimers & Boundaries: Curable is a self-guided app providing education and self-management tools. Curable does not diagnose, treat, cure, or mitigate any medical condition and is not a substitute for clinical care or professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your medical decisions. Free Resources & Paid Subscription Terms: Curable offers access to select resources free of charge, with the option to unlock the full library of exercises and tools via a paid subscription. Pricing may vary by country. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period from account settings. Read our privacy policy at https://www.curablehealth.com/privacy and our terms and conditions at https://www.curablehealth.com/terms.
SelfBack
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Say goodbye to back pain – with SelfBack SelfBack is your personal back specialist in your pocket, supporting and helping to reduce lower back pain. You get a weekly personalised plan with suggestions for exercises, activities and knowledge to help you manage pain in your everyday life – on your terms. - Your plan, your pace You will receive a personalised plan that is updated every week. The plan includes exercises, activity goals and concise instructions based on the information you have provided. You choose how much time you have, and all exercises can be performed without equipment. - First aid SelfBack gives you access to targeted, pain-relieving exercises, sleeping positions and other tools you can use if the pain flares up. - Knowledge-based SelfBack is based on scientific documentation and international recommendations for self-management of lower back pain. Unlike other apps, it is clinically tested and CE marked, making it safe and proven suitable for adults of all ages – from 18 to 85 years old. - Do it your way You can use the app whenever it suits you – at home, on the go, during breaks – and get support to create good routines and stay motivated through notifications and encouragement. - Multiple languages, greater freedom SelfBack is available in 9 languages, so you can get your plan in your own language. CLINICALLY PROVEN SelfBack has been tested in a large, randomised, controlled trial in Norway and Denmark. DEVELOPED BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS The app has been developed with leading researchers in the field of musculoskeletal disorders and is based on the latest knowledge and clinical recommendations. TESTED AND RECOMMENDED BY: - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) England - Belgian mHealth - App Nævnet (DK) In short: Do you want support to manage your back pain – without equipment, without stress and when it suits you? Then SelfBack is the app for you! Read more about the clinical evidence here: https://www.selfback.dk/en/publikationer Read the NICE evaluation here: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/hte16 Read more about Belgian mHealth here: https://mhealthbelgium.be/apps/app-details/selfback Read more about approved Danish health apps here: https://www.sundhed.dk/borger/sygdom-og-behandling/om-sundhedsvaesenet/anbefalede-sundhedsapps/selfback/ SelfBack is registered as a Medical Device Class 1 in EUDAMED: https://ec.europa.eu/tools/eudamed/#/screen/search-eo/9dddf15c-a858-440f-b4aa-3b11ff3fa0ee We welcome your feedback on SelfBack. Please contact us by writing to contact@selfback.dk We aim to respond to feedback within 24 hours on weekdays. For professional inquiries or research-related questions, please contact us at: contact@selfback.dk Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date: https://www.linkedin.com/company/selfback-aps
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Curable at 13.0 against SelfBack's 15.1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Curable sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and SelfBack sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Curable ships an update every 3 months, SelfBack every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Curable | SelfBack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 74.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 208 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Curable Inc. | SelfBack |
Bugs and requests
Curable
Reported bugs
2 issues- App crashes or freezes
- Issues with content playback
Requested features
4 requests- Offline content access
- More personalized recommendations
- Ability to skip or repeat specific content
- Integration with other pain management tools
SelfBack
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Curable
- Monthly$11.991 Month
- Curable$95.901 Year
- Curable$399.99
SelfBack
- 3 months7 Days trial$99.993 Months
- 12 months7 Days trial$299.991 Year







