# FreeCBT vs tend. app

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FreeCBT at none against tend. app's 3. tend. app's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. tend. app sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. FreeCBT asks for nothing beyond the download.

FreeCBT ships an update every 9 months, tend. app every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FreeCBT | tend. app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (170 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freecbt/id1516063390/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **170** | — |
| Positive reviews | 96.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Evan Rosson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1516063389) | [Emily Willis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840855569) |

## What reviewers say

### FreeCBT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freecbt/id1516063390)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 💰 Completely free with no ads or subscriptions
- 🎯 Effective CBT methodology in 3-column format
- ⚡ Quick and easy to use in the moment
- 🔒 Private and secure thought tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Swipe navigation causes accidental distortion selection
- 💾 Data loss issue after app updates
- ⌨️ Keyboard covers input area while typing
- 📱 Limited cross-device synchronization
- 🎨 Missing dark mode option

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### tend. app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tend-app/id6752772691)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket CBT Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pocket CBT Pro Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Pocket CBT Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FreeCBT free?

FreeCBT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is tend. app free?

tend. app is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do FreeCBT or tend. app have ads?

Neither FreeCBT nor tend. app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FreeCBT or tend. app?

FreeCBT ships an update every 9 months, and tend. app every 3 weeks. Most recently, FreeCBT was updated on November 3, 2026 and tend. app on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*