Comparison

Back Rx vs Relio

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

Head to head
About

Back Rx

This app offers a clinically proven program for back pain relief, combining guided physiotherapy routines with emotional support. It helps users improve mobility, reduce pain, and understand their condition through educational insights and a peer community.

Highlights
  • Guided video physiotherapy routines
  • Progress tracking (pain, movement, wellbeing)
  • Educational insights on back health
  • Supportive peer community
  • Mind-body approach to healing
Features
Read full description

Back Rx®: Clinically Proven Relief. Emotionally Validated Support. Back Rx® is more than an app—it’s your personal path to lasting back pain relief. Created by a chronic pain sufferer, healthcare researcher, and computer scientist, Back RX blends medical expertise with lived experience to help you heal physically and emotionally. Our program is based on the clinically validated Back Rx regimen developed by Dr. Vijay Vad, sports medicine specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. Proven through multiple clinical trials, this safe, at-home physiotherapy and mind-body approach improves mobility and reduces pain—without surgery or strong medications. Whether you're newly diagnosed or managing long-term pain, Back Rx® empowers you to take control of your health with: 1. Guided video routines based on doctor-recommended physiotherapy 2. Progress tracking to monitor pain, movement, and emotional wellbeing 3. Educational insights to help you understand your body and options 4. A supportive peer community that truly gets it Back pain isn’t just physical—it affects your mood, relationships, and sense of self. That’s why Back RX combines physical healing with emotional validation. You’ll find stories, support, and strategies from people who’ve walked this path—and discover that you’re not alone. Whether you're using Back RX as a standalone solution or alongside your doctor’s care, our goal is simple: to help you move better, feel stronger, and reclaim your life. Join the Back Rx® community today—and start your journey toward lasting relief. Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Stop if you experience pain and seek medical advice.

About

Relio

Manage chronic back pain symptoms at home with a psychology-based program. This app uses clinical hypnosis and pain science education to help you understand and address the root causes of persistent pain, aiming to reduce discomfort and improve daily function without medication.

Highlights
  • Psychology-based program for back pain
  • Clinical hypnosis sessions
  • Pain science education
  • Stress and tension reduction techniques
  • Strategies for returning to daily activities
  • In-app chat support
Features
Read full description

Relio is the easiest way to self-manage your persistent back pain symptoms at home, without medications. Developed by experts, Relio can help you better manage your pain and get back to your activities with a 6-week psychology-based program. Relio uses a proven psychological approach to persistent back pain: clinical hypnosis combined with pain science education. Examined in a government-funded study at Neuroscience Research Australia, this approach was found to double the number of people reporting reduced pain and improved function*. How does it work? Most solutions only provide temporary or incomplete relief because they fail to target the root cause of persistent back pain, which is an overprotective pain system. Relio can help you learn how to address this overprotective pain system through education and audio-based clinical hypnosis in just a few weeks. What you get: - An evidence-based clinical hypnosis program designed by world-leading experts to help you better manage your pain - Interactive educational content to help you understand why you’re experiencing persistent pain - Relaxing 15-minute daily sessions that fit easily into your schedule - Techniques to calm stress and reduce tension - Strategies to help you safely return to your daily activities - In-app chat support from real people *Rizzo RRN, Medeiros FC, Pires LG, Pimenta RM, McAuley JH, Jensen MP, Costa LOP. Hypnosis Enhances the Effects of Pain Education in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain. 2018 Oct;19(10):1103.e1-1103.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.03.013. Epub 2018 Apr 11. PMID: 29654980. Medical Disclaimer: Relio is a general wellbeing and lifestyle tool designed to help people live well with diagnosed persistent back pain. Relio is not intended as a treatment for persistent back pain and does not replace care by your provider or persistent back pain treatments you may be using. Always consult your healthcare professional before making medical decisions. Relio is not a substitute for any medications. You should continue to take your medications as directed by your healthcare provider. If you have any feelings or thoughts of harming yourself or others, please dial 911 (or local equivalent) or go to the nearest emergency room. If you subscribe through iTunes, the credit card associated with your iTunes account will be charged at the end of the 7-day trial period, and your subscription will automatically renew every 3 months thereafter unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current payment period. If you do not cancel, your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. If you purchase a subscription during the free trial period, any unused portion of the trial period will be forfeited. To manage your Relio subscription from iTunes: 1) On your iOS device, go to your device Settings and the ‘iTunes & App Stores’. 2) Tap on your Apple ID. 3) Tap to ‘View Apple ID’. (You may need to sign in or use Touch ID.) 4) Tap on ‘Subscriptions’. 5) Choose ‘Relio Subscription. 6) Tap ‘Cancel Subscription’. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions of Use: https://www.mindsethealth.com/legal/terms-conditions-relio

Screenshots

Back Rx4 screens
Relio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Back Rx at 5.0 against Relio's 4.4. Back Rx also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Relio's advantage is ratings volume (124 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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. Back Rx sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Relio sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $199.00 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Back Rx holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Relio has 124 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Back Rx's written reviews are positive against 75% of Relio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Back Rx versus Relio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBack RxRelio
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (124 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1124 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB134 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperHeal Factory LLCMindset Health Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Back Rx

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Relio

All ratings124 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative22.9%

Bugs and requests

Back Rx

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Relio

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App won't open
  • Cannot get hypnosis part to open
  • App crashes when clicking anything
  • Subscription management unavailable
  • Trial access limited to day 5

Requested features

10 requests
  • Two-tier price model for program completers
  • More hypnosis sessions
  • More than 7 hypnosis sessions
  • 14 hypnosis sessions minimum
  • Stop AI email responses
Show 5 more
  • Escalate issues to IT
  • More comprehensive services for trauma
  • Allow completion of intro trial after recovery
  • Access to missed trial days
  • More about severe and complex pain

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Back Rx

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly subscription$6.991 Month
  • Semi-annual subscription$34.996 Months
  • Annual subscription$59.991 Year
1 purchases

Relio

Subscriptions1
  • Relio Full Access7 Days trial$199.001 Year

Questions

Is Back Rx free?
Back Rx is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Relio free?
Relio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Back Rx or Relio?
Back Rx is rated higher. Back Rx averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Relio averages 4.4 from 124 ratings.
Do Back Rx or Relio have ads?
Neither Back Rx nor Relio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Back Rx or Relio?
Back Rx ships an update every 2 months, and Relio every 2 months. Most recently, Back Rx was updated on September 29, 2026 and Relio on October 1, 2026.

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