# AA 12 Step Toolkit vs AA Steps 8/9

The clearest difference is price: AA 12 Step Toolkit at Free against AA Steps 8/9's $2.99. AA 12 Step Toolkit also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 9). AA Steps 8/9's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%) and in-app purchases (none vs 12). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

AA 12 Step Toolkit is free to download; AA Steps 8/9 costs $2.99 up front. AA 12 Step Toolkit sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. AA Steps 8/9 asks for nothing beyond the download.

AA 12 Step Toolkit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AA 12 Step Toolkit has 3.6K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of AA 12 Step Toolkit's written reviews are positive against 100% of AA Steps 8/9's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

AA 12 Step Toolkit ships an update every 2 months, AA Steps 8/9 every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AA 12 Step Toolkit | AA Steps 8/9 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-12-step-toolkit/id1452072215/reviews)** | [4.3 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-steps-89/id1455711763/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 49 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tushar Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/901932809) | [12 Step Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/947529610) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### AA Steps 8/9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-steps-89/id1455711763)

This app helps users manage their 8th and 9th Step lists for Alcoholics Anonymous. It offers secure storage, relevant AA literature, and tools to track amends and progress.

**Highlights:** Secure Touch ID/Pass-code protection, Integrated AA literature resources, Tools for 8th Step harms and amends timing, 9th Step amends review and status tracking, Progress visualization meter, Exportable PDF lists, Shareable app link

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AA 12 Step Toolkit free?

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

### Is AA Steps 8/9 free?

AA Steps 8/9 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AA 12 Step Toolkit or AA Steps 8/9?

AA 12 Step Toolkit is rated higher. AA 12 Step Toolkit averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while AA Steps 8/9 averages 4.3 from 9 ratings.

### Do AA 12 Step Toolkit or AA Steps 8/9 have ads?

Neither AA 12 Step Toolkit nor AA Steps 8/9 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AA 12 Step Toolkit or AA Steps 8/9?

AA 12 Step Toolkit ships an update every 2 months, and AA Steps 8/9 every 4 days. Most recently, AA 12 Step Toolkit was updated on October 19, 2026 and AA Steps 8/9 on October 15, 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.*