Columbia Protocol vs Bells
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Columbia Protocol
This application provides a standardized tool for assessing suicide risk through a series of questions. It is designed for widespread use to aid in suicide prevention, offering guidance for low or moderate risk responses.
- Suicide risk assessment
- Evidence-supported tool
- Simple question series
- Global usability
- Mental health referral guidance
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The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), the most evidence-supported tool of its kind, is a simple series of questions that anyone can use anywhere in the world to help prevent suicide. Disclaimer: If you are high risk, a further evaluation is indicated. For Low or Moderate answers, a mental health referral may be helpful or is provided. Thank you to the sponsors that helped make this a possibility: Blair County Department of Social Services Community Care Behavioral Health UPMC Healthy Blair County Coalition UPMC Altoona Foundation
Bells
This AI-powered tool streamlines documentation for service providers, automating data capture and syncing it to client EHRs. It optimizes note quality with clinically relevant language, saving time for QA teams and improving reimbursement processes.
- AI-assisted note optimization
- Automatic EHR data syncing
- Clinically relevant language training
- Grammar and spelling assistance
- Client event reminders
- Scribbles for quick notes
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AI-assisted features allow the service provider more time to focus on their client, whether in the community or in the office. Data capture in Bells seamlessly and automatically syncs to the clients' chart in the EHR. This creates a very efficient information flow and provides the agency with a holistic, up-to-the-moment view of the client. Our AI engine is trained with clinically relevant language and phrases from behavioral health and human service care paradigms. This enables Bells to review, flag and recommend changes that will optimize the note's overall quality based on the program and type of care. The result is significant savings of time and effort for internal QA teams, a reduction in the time it takes to submit a progress note for reimbursement, and an overall improvement in your audit results. Bells assists with grammar, spelling, key phrase preferences, ensuring the documentation is for the intended client. Data capture in Bells provides users with reminders of upcoming and past due client focused events, and even offers shorthand efficiencies in the progress note and within Scribbles via Bells Commands. Scribbles is the fastest way to jot something down, attach it to a client or progress note, or simply leave it as an unassigned scribble for future reference. Bells is accessible via a mobile application designed specifically for use in the community or via a desktop experience offering flexibility for service providers. Bells gives the service provider a unique tool to help them enhance their documentation in an efficient and effective manner based on the agency's preferences.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Bells at 4.8 against Columbia Protocol's 4.4. Bells also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Columbia Protocol's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bells holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 11 respectively.
Columbia Protocol ships an update every 6 weeks, Bells every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Columbia Protocol | Bells |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (12 ratings) | 4.8 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PSS Chute Software | Remarkable Health, LLC. |
Customer experience
Columbia Protocol
Bells
In-app purchases
Columbia Protocol
No in-app purchases
Bells
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Columbia Protocol free?
Is Bells free?
Which has better reviews, Columbia Protocol or Bells?
Do Columbia Protocol or Bells have ads?
Which is updated more often, Columbia Protocol or Bells?
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