Comparison

Just Checking In. vs Not Dead Yet!

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

Head to head
About

Just Checking In.

Stay connected with loved ones by sharing your well-being status with simple check-ins. Receive notifications if a check-in is missed, ensuring safety and peace of mind for both you and your contacts. Strengthen bonds and support mental health with this convenient companion app.

Highlights
  • Simple check-ins to share well-being
  • Notifications for missed check-ins
  • Customizable check-in reminders
  • Create circles of friends and family
  • Emergency text alerts for missed check-ins
  • Vacation mode
Features
Read full description

Know how the people you love are really doing. Just Checking In is a private daily emotional check-in app that helps you, your family, friends, and trusted circle share how you feel, stay connected, and know when it may be time to reach out. With one tap, let the people you choose know you’re okay without another phone call or crowded text thread. If someone suddenly stops checking in, their circle can be notified. Premium can also send a missed check-in SMS to a chosen alert contact, even if that person does not have the app. No pressure. No performance. Just an honest emotional check-in and a simple way to show you care. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose how you’re feeling. 2. Share your check-in with your private circle. 3. Build a consistent emotional wellness habit. 4. If a scheduled check-in is missed, the right people can be notified. FEATURES DAILY EMOTIONAL CHECK-INS Share your emotional status in one tap. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Only the people you choose can see your check-ins. TRUSTED CIRCLE Create a private group of family members, friends, and supporters. MOOD TRACKER AND HISTORY Review your check-ins over time, notice emotional patterns, and build greater self-awareness. CUSTOM REMINDERS Choose a daily check-in time that fits your routine. Premium supports multiple check-in times. MISSED CHECK-IN ALERTS Your circle can be notified when a scheduled check-in is missed. Premium can also alert a chosen contact by SMS, even if they do not use the app. PRIVATE CHAT Stay connected with your circle inside the app without starting another group text. VACATION MODE Pause scheduled check-ins while traveling or off the grid to avoid unnecessary alerts. FULL CONTROL Manage your circle, check-ins, and account. Delete your account anytime. CHOOSE YOUR PLAN FREE • Multiple daily check-in times (scheduled or surprise) • Add All Friends and Family • 30-day check-in history • 30-day chat history • Core in-app notifications PREMIUM • Stored check-in history • Stored chat history • Annual Check-In Pattern • Missed check-in SMS alerts WHO IT’S FOR Just Checking In is designed for people living alone, families separated by distance, aging parents and the people who care about them, students away from home, veterans, close friends, and anyone building a daily emotional wellness or safety check-in routine. It is also for the friend group that promised to check on one another more often and wants an easy way to follow through. Just Checking In supports real human connection, emotional awareness, and peace of mind. It is not therapy, medical care, an emergency service, a safety guarantee, or a crisis line. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or crisis, contact local emergency services or an appropriate crisis resource. Because the people who care about you shouldn’t have to wonder. Download Just Checking In and start your first emotional check-in today. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Premium is offered as an auto-renewing annual subscription. Pricing varies by location and is shown before purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime through your App Store. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy [support@justcheckingin.co]

About

Not Dead Yet!

This app provides a simple, automated way to let loved ones know you're safe. It prompts you to check in and alerts your trusted contacts if you miss it, offering peace of mind for those living alone or apart from family.

Highlights
  • One-tap check-ins
  • Flexible check-in scheduling
  • Multi-channel alerts (Push, SMS, Email)
  • Optional location sharing
  • Family Dashboard
  • Trusted Contacts management
Features
Read full description

The easiest way to say "I'm okay" without a daily phone call. Not Dead Yet! is an automated lifeline for everyone living alone, or living apart from the people they care about. Stop worrying. Check the app and just know. Why I built this: I'm Steve. My mom was sick and alone for almost a week before anyone knew. She didn't call. She didn't want to be a burden. Once she recovered, I looked for a simple way for her to let me know she was okay each day. Not a medical alert device. Not a wearable. Something she'd actually use. Nothing I found was quite what I wanted, so I built it. Not Dead Yet! does one thing. It tells the people who love you that you're okay today, and tells them when you might not be. Stop worrying. Just know. For the millions living alone, away from home, displaced, or transient, and the millions worrying about them, Not Dead Yet! is the simple, one tap, 5 second solution. It checks in on you, and lets the right people know if you don't check in. We built this for solo-dwellers; for the "Sandwich Generation" - the adult kids balancing their own lives while worrying about aging parents; for independent seniors who value their privacy but want a safety net; for college students letting mom, dad, and roommates know they're okay; and for deployed military helping their loved ones feel at ease. How It Works: 1. Check In Reminder: The app prompts you to check in at your chosen time. Daily, or every two or three days - your choice. And reminds you if you miss it. 2. You Tap Once: A single tap confirms you're safe and optionally notifies your trusted contacts. 3. The App Stands Down: Once you check in, notifications stop, no one gets bothered. 4. We Alert Your People: If you miss a check-in, we automatically alert your Trusted Contacts by Push, SMS (US and Canada only), and Email, so they can check on you. Key Features: - Simple one-tap check-ins - Flexible scheduling: daily, every 2 days, or every 3 days - Multi-channel alerts: Premium users can send alerts by SMS, Email, and Push - Location sharing: optional location snapshot in alerts for premium users - Family Dashboard: status of everyone in your family unit in one view - Trusted Contacts: friends, family, or neighbors in your safety circle Fair & Transparent Pricing: - Free Forever: daily check-ins, up to 2 Trusted Contacts, Push alerts. No monthly fee, no catch. - Premium Individual ($28.99/year): SMS & Email alerts, up to 8 Trusted Contacts, flexible schedules. That's less than the cost of a coffee a month. - Premium Family ($48.99/year): all Premium features for up to 4 people, plus a unified Family Dashboard. One low price for the whole house. Subscriptions are annual by design, so there's no monthly fee nagging at you. Charter Member (limited launch offer): We're opening a limited number of lifetime Charter memberships at launch. Pay once, keep every current and future Premium feature for life. - Charter Individual: $99 one-time - Charter Family: $179 one-time (covers 4 people) Once the Charter spots are gone, they're gone. This is the only lifetime option we'll offer. Who uses Not Dead Yet!: - People who live alone and don't want to be a burden, but also doesn't want to disappear - Adult children with a parent who says "I'm fine, don't fuss" while living by themselves three states, or 3 miles, away - Caregivers, paid or unpaid, who need a low-friction daily signal, without intruding - Parents keeping a quiet eye on a college student or young adult child - Anyone who is the person other people lose sleep over Keep your independence. Keep them from worrying. Download Not Dead Yet! free. One tap a day. That's the whole thing.

Screenshots

Just Checking In.4 screens
Not Dead Yet!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Not Dead Yet! at 5.0 against Just Checking In.'s 4.1. Not Dead Yet! also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Just Checking In.'s advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (86 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Just Checking In. sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Not Dead Yet! sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $28.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Not Dead Yet! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Just Checking In. has 86 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Just Checking In.'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Not Dead Yet!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Just Checking In. ships an update weekly, Not Dead Yet! monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Just Checking In. versus Not Dead Yet!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJust Checking In.Not Dead Yet!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (86 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings86 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHeraclius LLCIterate Pulse LLC

Customer experience

Just Checking In.

All ratings86 ratings
Positive79.1%
Neutral11.6%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral11.4%
Negative12.7%

Not Dead Yet!

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

Bugs and requests

Just Checking In.

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App freezes during onboarding/tour
  • Cannot scroll through setup screens
  • Keyboard covers input fields during registration
  • Inconsistent reminder notifications
  • False alerts about missed check-ins
Show 6 more
  • Check-in data not syncing to circle members
  • Random data deletion
  • App crashes when checking in
  • Emergency contact feature not working properly
  • Subscription pricing confusion
  • UI freezing and locking up

Requested features

16 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Mental health articles and educational content
  • Mood trend graphs and analytics
  • Direct messaging between circle members
  • Suggested mood descriptors/prompts
Show 11 more
  • Self-care activity suggestions
  • Motivational quotes based on mood
  • Task/checklist functionality
  • Meditation and breathing exercise reminders
  • Community forums for peer support
  • Contact import from phone
  • Multiple fixed check-in times per day
  • Adjustable alert windows (not just 24 hours)
  • Activity tracking correlated with mood
  • Better contact discovery within app
  • Engagement features between circle members

Not Dead Yet!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Just Checking In.

Subscriptions5
  • JCI Premium Account$4.991 Month
  • Duo Plan$30.001 Year
  • Advocate$42.001 Year
Show 2 more
  • Premium$42.001 Year
  • Family Plan$80.001 Year
8 purchases

Not Dead Yet!

Subscriptions6
  • Premium$28.991 Year
  • Premium1 Year trial2 variants$28.991 Year
  • Premium7 Days trial$28.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Family1 Year trial2 variants$48.991 Year
  • Family$48.991 Year
  • Family7 Days trial$48.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium Lifetime$99.00
  • Family Lifetime$179.00

Questions

Is Just Checking In. free?
Just Checking In. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Not Dead Yet! free?
Not Dead Yet! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Just Checking In. or Not Dead Yet!?
Not Dead Yet! is rated higher. Just Checking In. averages 4.1 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while Not Dead Yet! averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Just Checking In. or Not Dead Yet! have ads?
Neither Just Checking In. nor Not Dead Yet! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Just Checking In. or Not Dead Yet!?
Just Checking In. ships an update weekly, and Not Dead Yet! monthly. Most recently, Just Checking In. was updated on October 15, 2026 and Not Dead Yet! on October 9, 2026.

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