Comparison

DBT Coach vs EMDR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DBT Coach

Learn and practice Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to manage emotions, build resilience, and improve relationships. This app offers expert-created lessons, interactive exercises, and progress tracking to support personal growth and emotional well-being.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive DBT skills library
  • Interactive video lessons and animated guides
  • AI-powered personalized skills coach
  • Intuitive diary card for mood tracking
  • Progress visualization and clinician sharing
  • Guided meditations and self-reflection questionnaires
  • Crisis support hotlines
Features
Read full description

Transform Your Life with Evidence-Based Skills. Feel more in control. Build resilience. Transform overwhelming emotions into actionable skills. DBT Coach is the most comprehensive DBT app available - trusted by over 3 million users. WHY DBT COACH WORKS Real Results: Most users show measurable improvement within 90 days. Our evidence-based approach combines DBT expertise with engaging, memorable content. Learn Skills That Stick 100+ expert video lessons 60+ animated skill guides Interactive exercises that reinforce learning Effortless Progress Tracking: Your intuitive diary card makes daily tracking simple. Visualize patterns, celebrate wins, and share seamlessly with your therapist - no more weekly emails. WHAT'S INSIDE - Comprehensive, beautifully designed DBT Diary tracking which lets you control what you want to track, how much detail (context) you want to provide. Additional context lets you to see advanced analytics - your patterns, progress, risk and provides recommendations. - Ability to share in graphical format as well as the traditional (tabular) diary card format - Complete DBT Skills Library Master Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. - Each skill includes videos, exercises, and real-world guides. 1,000+ Guided Meditations World-class teachers across mindfulness, crisis management, sleep, and self-compassion themes. - Smart Analytics and Insights Discover connections between skills practice and emotional well-being with data-driven insights. - Motivation System Earn achievements, track streaks, and celebrate milestones as you build your practice. 100+ Interactive Worksheets Practice exercises linked to lessons. - Review history to see your progress. - Crisis Survival Toolkit Quick access to distress tolerance skills when you need them most. - Therapist Integration Share diary cards, exercises, and progress with your clinician in real-time through our companion platform. - Beautiful Design Dark mode, customizable tracking, and intuitive interface. WHO IT'S FOR - Dealing with stress or emotional overwhelm - In DBT therapy and need a companion tool - Committed to personal growth and wellness WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT - Comprehensive: Complete DBT curriculum coverage - Clinically rigorous: Expert-reviewed, cited in journals - Visual and engaging: Video, animation, and interaction - Therapist-connected: Seamless clinical care integration - Proven effective: Real outcomes, real data SUBSCRIPTION Free trial available $11.99/month or $59.99/6 months (save 17%) Cancel anytime in settings Auto-renews unless turned off 24 hours before period ends Payment charged to account at confirmation IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER DBT Coach is an educational and self-help wellness app. It is NOT a medical device and does NOT provide medical diagnoses, treatment plans, or prescriptions. All content is psychoeducational in nature, designed to teach general Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) coping skills. The AI coach feature is a skills coaching tool, not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This app complements - not replaces - professional therapy. For best results, use alongside a qualified mental health provider. If you are in crisis, please contact emergency services or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You deserve support that meets you where you are. Download DBT Coach and take the next step toward a life worth living. Privacy: https://www.resiliens.com/privacy Terms: https://www.resiliens.com/terms

About

EMDR

This app provides customizable bilateral stimulation across Apple devices, offering control over visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. It supports various use cases like research, education, focus enhancement, and relaxation, with accessibility features and online broadcasting capabilities.

Highlights
  • Customizable pace and auto-stop
  • Stereo sounds, animations, and vibrations
  • Cross-device connectivity (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
  • Game controller support
  • Online broadcasting via EMDR Connect
  • Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support
Features
Read full description

The EMDR app puts you in full control of visual, audio, and haptic bilateral stimulation. Turn game controllers and Joy-Cons into tappers, position sound precisely in stereo, and fine-tune vibration intensity. Sync across your Apple devices or broadcast to any browser with EMDR Connect. Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support is built in. STIMULATION YOUR WAY Tailor every session to your needs: • Set your pace with presets or fine-tune it with a slider. • Use auto-stop so you never have to count along. • Choose from a wide range of sounds, animations, and vibrations. • Hear the count spoken aloud in 21 languages. • Position stereo sound to the left, right, or center. • Fine-tune vibration intensity, automatically adapted to each device. • Personalize colors, patterns, and more. WORKS ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Connect iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Joy-Cons, and game controllers. Alternate flashes or vibrations between devices, or use one as a remote control for another. No specialized tapper hardware is needed. The devices you already own do the work. BROADCAST WITH EMDR CONNECT Send your stimulation to a protected webpage on any computer, tablet, or phone, whether it's your own device or someone else's. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account is needed. Shared names are encrypted, and EMDR Connect session data is removed from the server when the session ends. START FROM ANYWHERE • Start stimulation from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or the Action button. • Ask Siri, or automate your setup with Shortcuts. • Control playback from your headphones or a widget, even in the background. BUILT FOR ACCESSIBILITY Full support for Assistive Access and VoiceOver makes the app usable for people with diverse needs, with specialized interfaces that don't compromise on capability. TRY ONE MONTH FREE Explore everything the EMDR app offers with a free one-month trial for new subscribers. EMDR+ unlocks the full feature set across your Apple devices. EMDR Connect adds broadcasting to any browser. Download today and see how it fits your routine. APP PURPOSE This app is a general-purpose tool for generating bilateral and other types of stimulation. It supports a wide range of applications, including: • Research, e.g. testing the effects of bilateral stimulation. • Education, e.g. illustrating bilateral stimulation principles. • Focus and attention, e.g. pacing tasks with timed signals. • Relaxation and wellness, e.g. promoting physical relaxation through bilateral vibration. This app is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DBT Coach1 screens
EMDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

DBT Coach and EMDR both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of DBT Coach's written reviews are positive against 46% of EMDR's. DBT Coach also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 172). EMDR's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and device support (7 vs 3). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. DBT Coach sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and EMDR sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DBT Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DBT Coach has 1.7K ratings behind it against 172, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of DBT Coach's written reviews are positive against 46% of EMDR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DBT Coach ships an update fortnightly, EMDR weekly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
DBT Coach versus EMDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDBT CoachEMDR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.7K ratings) — better4.4 (172 ratings)
Positive reviews68.3% of reviews — better45.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better172
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS14.1 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperResiliens Inc.Bas Oppenheim

Customer experience

DBT Coach

All ratings1,717 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews319 reviews
Positive68.3%
Neutral9.7%
Negative21.9%

EMDR

All ratings172 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive45.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative50.0%

User reviews

DBT Coach

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent interface and packed with skills and tools
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🌟 Helpful for managing BPD, anxiety, and depression
  • 📚 Comprehensive DBT content and lessons
  • 💻 Seamless integration with therapist's app

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription, especially for those with limited means
  • 🔒 Paywall blocks access to important features like crisis support
  • 🐛 Frequent bugs, crashes, and login issues
  • 🔄 Constantly logging users out, requiring re-authentication
  • 📝 Editing and customization options are limited

EMDR

From 172 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Effective EMDR tool
  • 💡 Highly customizable
  • 🚀 Works well on iPhone/iPad
  • ✨ Clean interface
  • 🎧 Supports audio cues

Room to improve

  • 💸 Subscription model criticized
  • 🐌 Slow on Macbook
  • 📱 Apple TV app broken
  • 🚫 No free trial clarity
  • ⚠️ Upsell windows disrupt sessions

Bugs and requests

DBT Coach

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Diary card entries not saving properly
  • Inability to log food or physical activity
  • Apple Health integration not working
  • Certain meditations and lessons not functioning
  • Inconsistent performance and unexpected crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow more customization of diary card and tracked items
  • Improve stability and reduce bugs
  • Offer more affordable subscription options
  • Add ability to share diary entries with multiple providers
  • Improve navigation and make the app more user-friendly

EMDR

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Apple Watch app won't launch after update
  • Sound issues (thudding noise, stereo problems)
  • Apple TV app doesn't work
  • Session disrupted by upsell window
  • App crashes when selecting features
Show 5 more
  • Sound doesn't work after purchasing
  • App doesn't work without internet
  • Trial starts without warning
  • Trial period doesn't work
  • App doesn't play in background or when screen is locked

Requested features

13 requests
  • Gradient effect for circle
  • More customization for circle
  • Alternating controller vibration
  • Timer feature
  • Slower BPM options (down to 30)
Show 8 more
  • More frame rates per second
  • Additional movements (Achten, Kreise)
  • Slower option for Slow EMDR
  • Use two Nintendo controllers for each hand
  • Pitch control for tone option
  • Option for 48 repeats
  • Ability to run with screen locked or in background
  • Manual input for repetitions and speed

In-app purchases

3 purchases

DBT Coach

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Family Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
  • Six Month Subscription3 Days trial$59.996 Months
6 purchases

EMDR

Subscriptions5
  • EMDR+1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Monthly)1 Month trial$39.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • EMDR+ (Yearly)1 Month trial$49.991 Year
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Yearly)1 Month trial2 variants$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • EMDR+ for Research$9.99

Questions

Is DBT Coach free?
DBT Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EMDR free?
EMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DBT Coach or EMDR?
DBT Coach is rated higher. DBT Coach averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while EMDR averages 4.4 from 172 ratings.
Do DBT Coach or EMDR have ads?
Neither DBT Coach nor EMDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DBT Coach or EMDR?
DBT Coach ships an update fortnightly, and EMDR weekly. Most recently, DBT Coach was updated on September 23, 2026 and EMDR on September 23, 2026.

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