Comparison

DBT Coach vs self 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

self EMDR

This application provides auditory and visual stimulation to aid in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. It is designed to create effects that support the therapeutic process. Users should consult a healthcare professional before use.

Highlights
  • Auditory stimulation effects
  • Visual stimulation effects
  • Supports EMDR therapy process
  • Consultation advisories
  • Health warning resources
Features
Read full description

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. (Ref. *1) It is a therapeutic method that uses bilateral stimulation, often through guided eye movement, sound, or tapping. Self EMDR provides a simple, self-paced visual and audio stimulation tool. You control the movement, speed, appearance, and sound yourself. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MEDICAL DISCLAIMER This app is not a replacement for professional therapy. Please consult a doctor or therapist before using EMDR-style stimulation, especially if you have trauma symptoms, epilepsy, dissociation, severe anxiety, or other medical or psychological concerns. This app offers a function that creates auditory and visual effects for stimulation. Under certain circumstances, this stimulation may be contraindicated for you. (Ref. *2) Please consultat your doctor/therapist and read our health warning on https://selfemdr.app/intro.html before use. (Ref. *3) In addition, here are some sources you might want to consider: *1 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_Movement_Desensitization_and_Reprocessing/ *2 https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-908 *3 https://www.castlecraig.co.uk/therapy/dangers-of-emdr/ 4. https://emdrhealing.com/safe-place-for-your-emdr-session-here-are-some-script-examples/ 5. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ 6. https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/ 7. https://www.therapie.de/psyche/info/therapie/emdr/anwendungsgebiete/

Screenshots

DBT Coach1 screens
self EMDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DBT Coach at Free against self EMDR's $2.99. DBT Coach also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 1). self EMDR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#200 vs unranked). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support 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

DBT Coach is free to download; self EMDR costs $2.99 up front. DBT Coach sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. self EMDR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DBT Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DBT Coach has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of DBT Coach's written reviews are positive against 75% of self EMDR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DBT Coach ships an update fortnightly, self EMDR every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
DBT Coach versus self EMDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDBT Coachself EMDR
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.6 (1.7K ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews68.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.7K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#200 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size139 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperResiliens Inc.Christian Ahrweiler

Customer experience

DBT Coach

All ratings1,729 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews323 reviews
Positive68.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative21.7%

self EMDR

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

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

self EMDR

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

self EMDR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DBT Coach free?
DBT Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is self EMDR free?
self EMDR costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DBT Coach or self EMDR?
DBT Coach is rated higher. DBT Coach averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while self EMDR averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do DBT Coach or self EMDR have ads?
Neither DBT Coach nor self EMDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DBT Coach or self EMDR?
DBT Coach ships an update fortnightly, and self EMDR every 3 weeks. Most recently, DBT Coach was updated on October 19, 2026 and self EMDR on October 4, 2026.

Other comparisons