Comparison

FreeCBT vs BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach

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

Head to head
About

FreeCBT

This app provides a digital thought diary to practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It helps users identify and challenge negative automatic thoughts, retrain their brains, and ultimately improve mood and behavior. It's an open-source tool for self-help and as a companion to traditional therapy.

Highlights
  • Thought diary
  • Challenge automatic thoughts
  • Identify cognitive distortions
  • Train alternative thoughts
  • Open source
  • CBT self-help tool
Features
Read full description

FreeCBT is an open source thought diary for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the "gold standard" of psychotherapy and is widely considered to be one of the most effective, evidence backed treatments for depression, anxiety, and panic. If you go into just about any therapist or psychiatrist, CBT will likely be one of the first treatments they try. FreeCBT is a companion and self-help app for one of the most common formats of CBT. You may have heard it called "the three column technique" or "catch it, check it, change it." Your brain is really good at making you feel exactly what you're thinking. Often, we find ourselves thinking "automatic negative thoughts" that lead us to fume on something that may not be true. That can cause us to feel depressed or anxious. CBT helps you record "automatic thoughts," challenge them with cognitive distortions and then train your brain with an alternative thought. If you do it enough, you can change your thoughts, your moods and your behavior. FreeCBT, a fork of Quirk, is open source under the GPL. You can find the code on Github at: https://github.com/erosson/freecbt

About

BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach

This AI-powered app offers guided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises to help users manage stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. It features tools to challenge unhelpful thinking, track emotions, and build healthier mental habits.

Highlights
  • AI-driven thought challenging
  • Mood and emotion tracking
  • Guided CBT exercises
  • Personalized AI mental coach
  • Habit building for mental wellness
Features
Read full description

Your AI-Powered CBT Toolkit for a Healthier Mind Struggling with stress, anxiety, or negative thoughts? Our AI-powered app brings you science-backed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises to help you build a healthier mindset, challenge negative thinking patterns, and track your emotional progress—all in one place. How It Works: - Challenge Negative Thoughts – Use AI-driven tools to reframe and restructure unhelpful thinking patterns. - Track Your Mood & Emotions – Log your daily emotions and discover patterns in your mental well-being. - Practice CBT Exercises – Engage in proven techniques to reduce anxiety, stress, and negative self-talk. - AI Mental Coach – Get instant, intelligent guidance tailored to your emotional needs. - Build Better Habits – Incorporate daily mental wellness routines and see your progress over time. Why Choose This App? - Evidence-Based CBT Tools – Rooted in psychology, designed for real results. - AI-Powered Assistance – Personalized support, anytime you need it. - Simple & User-Friendly – No complicated steps, just actionable mental health support. Take charge of your mental well-being today! Download now and start your journey to a healthier mind. This app does not replace professional medical advice. Users are advised to consult a doctor before making any medical decisions based on the information provided by this application. Terms of Services: https://brightmind.now/terms Privacy Policy: https://brightmind.now/privacy References: https://brightmind.now/references EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FreeCBT3 screens
BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FreeCBT at none against BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach's 3. FreeCBT also leads on ratings volume (143 vs 4). BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, review sentiment, 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

Both are free to download. BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. FreeCBT asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FreeCBT has 143 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of FreeCBT's written reviews are positive against 100% of BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FreeCBT ships an update every 9 months, BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
FreeCBT versus BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFreeCBTBrightMind CBT Self Help Coach
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (143 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews96.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings143 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB92 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperEvan RossonAlessandro Pettenuzzo

Customer experience

FreeCBT

All ratings134 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.3%

BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

FreeCBT

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Swiping from distortion page selects/deselects distortions unintentionally
  • App update deleted all past user entries
  • Keyboard covers answer input area on some screens
  • Swipe navigation doesn't work properly on certain screens
  • Inconsistent touch response during navigation

Requested features

12 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Analytics to track thoughts and patterns over time
  • Export feature to share entries with therapist or notes app
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Bottom navigation bar
Show 7 more
  • Ability to tag or categorize thoughts by topic
  • Filter and view thoughts by category
  • Evidence section with for/against columns
  • Worst case scenario section with probability assessment
  • More detailed examples for alternative thought step
  • Additional cognitive distortion options (jumping to conclusions)
  • Better help documentation and explanations

BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FreeCBT

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach

Subscriptions3
  • BrightMind Brighter$4.997 Days
  • BrightMind Brighter$9.991 Month
  • BrightMind Brighter$49.991 Year

Questions

Is FreeCBT free?
FreeCBT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach free?
BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FreeCBT or BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach?
BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach is rated higher. FreeCBT averages 4.8 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do FreeCBT or BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach have ads?
Neither FreeCBT nor BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FreeCBT or BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach?
FreeCBT ships an update every 9 months, and BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach weekly. Most recently, FreeCBT was updated on September 23, 2026 and BrightMind CBT Self Help Coach on September 7, 2026.

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