# ACT iCoach vs CBT Thought Diary App

The clearest difference is monetization model: CBT Thought Diary App at freemium against ACT iCoach's subscription. CBT Thought Diary App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). ACT iCoach's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (187 vs 26). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ACT iCoach sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and CBT Thought Diary App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CBT Thought Diary App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ACT iCoach has 187 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 85% and 85% positive.

ACT iCoach ships an update every 4 weeks, CBT Thought Diary App every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ACT iCoach | CBT Thought Diary App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (187 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/act-icoach/id1449444733/reviews) | **[4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbt-thought-diary-app/id6478697575/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **187** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews | 84.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 66 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Resiliens Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295868545) | [Aly Bairamov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1156046797) |

## What reviewers say

### ACT iCoach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/act-icoach/id1449444733)

Learn and practice Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) skills through video lessons, animations, and interactive tools. Track your mood, journal your thoughts, and monitor progress with analytics. Share data with your therapist for real-time engagement and motivation.

**Highlights:** Video lessons and animations, Mood and emotion tracking, Journaling and ACT measures, Progress summaries and analytics, Therapist sharing, Over 100 exercises, 1000+ meditations

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Six Month Subscription | $49.99 | per 6 months |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 📊 Excellent tracking and analytics tools
- 🎓 Comprehensive ACT lessons and educational content
- 🧘 Helpful guided meditations and exercises
- 👥 Ability to share data with therapists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model ($10/month or $50/6 months)
- 🔒 Limited free functionality without premium
- 🐛 App freezes after entries or assessments
- 🐛 Crashes and connection failures
- ❌ Poor onboarding and unclear instructions

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes after every entry or assessment
- Failed to connect to store error
- Login page resets during account creation
- Account existence conflicts (user exists/does not exist)
- Intermittent crashes and connection issues

**Requested features**

- Offline functionality
- Goals section in addition to journal
- Better onboarding tutorial ("ACT & This App 101")
- Clearer password requirements during signup
- Clinician subscription bundling options


### CBT Thought Diary App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbt-thought-diary-app/id6478697575)

This app helps you track and transform your thoughts and emotions using the ABC model of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Log your experiences, gain insights into patterns, and challenge negativity for improved mental well-being. Securely store your data and export progress for personal review or sharing with professionals.

**Highlights:** ABC model thought logging, Historical emotional insights, PDF progress export, Privacy-focused data storage, Positive thinking guidance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CBT Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| CBT Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ACT iCoach free?

ACT iCoach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CBT Thought Diary App free?

CBT Thought Diary App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ACT iCoach or CBT Thought Diary App?

CBT Thought Diary App is rated higher. ACT iCoach averages 4.6 out of 5 from 187 ratings, while CBT Thought Diary App averages 4.8 from 26 ratings.

### Do ACT iCoach or CBT Thought Diary App have ads?

Neither ACT iCoach nor CBT Thought Diary App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ACT iCoach or CBT Thought Diary App?

ACT iCoach ships an update every 4 weeks, and CBT Thought Diary App every 3 months. Most recently, ACT iCoach was updated on October 22, 2026 and CBT Thought Diary App on October 25, 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.*