# Tranquil Essence vs AA 12 Step Toolkit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tranquil Essence at none against AA 12 Step Toolkit's 12. AA 12 Step Toolkit's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AA 12 Step Toolkit sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Tranquil Essence asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tranquil Essence ships an update every 11 months, AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tranquil Essence | AA 12 Step Toolkit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-12-step-toolkit/id1452072215/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 63.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Size | 49 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tom Marchant](https://appshunter.io/developer/1299796941) | [Tushar Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/901932809) |

## What reviewers say

### Tranquil Essence

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tranquil-essence/id1440171647)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### AA 12 Step Toolkit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-12-step-toolkit/id1452072215)

This app provides a comprehensive set of tools for individuals in recovery, offering guidance, inventories, readings, and practical utilities based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. It includes features for sponsorship, step work, sobriety tracking, and personal reflections, all within a secure and easy-to-use interface.

**Highlights:** In-app sponsorship with messaging, Full Big Book text and step guides, Sobriety time calculator and statistics, Moral inventory and daily practice tools, Readings and prayers, Gratitude lists and personal notes, PIN, Face ID, and Touch ID security

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly Subscription | $15.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| 3 Months Sponsee Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 Months Unlock For 1 Sponsee | $15.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year Sponsee Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year Unlock For 1 Sponsee | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Helpful for recovery
- 👍 Great reference tool
- 🚀 Integral part of recovery
- 👍 Useful for journaling and working steps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Technical issues (app crashes/closes)
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Too many ads/intrusive ads
- 🐛 App not working/crashing

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to add sobriety date
- Hourly reminders not working properly
- Login/sync issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to change time zone
- Improve sharing/connectivity features
- Reduce ads/make free version more usable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tranquil Essence free?

Tranquil Essence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AA 12 Step Toolkit free?

AA 12 Step Toolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Tranquil Essence or AA 12 Step Toolkit have ads?

Neither Tranquil Essence nor AA 12 Step Toolkit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tranquil Essence or AA 12 Step Toolkit?

Tranquil Essence ships an update every 11 months, and AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. Most recently, Tranquil Essence was updated on October 3, 2026 and AA 12 Step Toolkit on October 22, 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.*