The Self Compassion App vs Practice Self
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Self Compassion App
This app offers scientifically-validated practices from Compassion Focused Therapy to help users feel happier, calmer, and more connected. It provides over 50 tools, including guided meditations, breathing exercises, and journaling prompts, to manage stress, anxiety, and self-criticism.
- Compassion Focused Therapy practices
- Guided meditations and mindfulness audio
- Breathing tools for present moment awareness
- Journaling for positivity habits
- Reflective exercises for difficult emotions
- Progress tracking surveys
- Sleep stories and yoga videos
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The Self-Compassion App is for you if you want to feel happier, calmer & more connected. Whether you get caught up in cycles of stress and anxiety, regularly give yourself a hard time or struggle to relax and enjoy the moment – this app can help. The app includes scientifically-validated practices from Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), with 50+ tools to help you when life gets hard. Be guided by Drs Chris Irons and Elaine Beaumont – leading authorities on self-compassion, who collectively have 40+ years of experience as therapists and have helped tens of thousands of people. This app has undergone a nationwide study, with participants showing significant reductions in stress, anxiety, self criticism, and increases in wellbeing. Anyone can develop self-compassion and enjoy all its benefits – we look forward to showing you how. Why self-compassion? We are often our own harshest critic, talking to ourselves in ways that we would never do our close friends. Given that we spend more time with ourselves than anyone else, isn’t it strange that many of us don’t treat ourselves with the same level of kindness, care and support as we do our close friends? Now is your time to start. With evidence based ideas and exercises from CFT, this app will teach you how to cultivate compassion for yourself and others. Through the course, you’ll learn how to strike a balance between self improvement & self acceptance: teaching you how to have a realistic but kind view of difficulties that arise in life, and giving you the confidence you need to achieve your goals in life, work and relationships. A toolkit for managing the ups and downs of life. Reduce anxiety, stress & depression Improve mood & wellbeing Reduce feelings of shame & low self-esteem Better understand yourself Increase your confidence Improve your productivity Appreciate the good in every day Develop your relationships Feel calm & grounded Be kinder to yourself And more... There’s something for everyone: Visual breathing tools to bring you back to the present Sleep stories & meditations HIIT and yoga videos to get you moving Mindfulness audio guides Cutting-edge tools to measure & improve your heart rate variability Journaling to create habits of positivity Step-by-step reflective exercises to help you manage difficult emotions Surveys to measure your progress And more! About Chris Irons & Elaine Beaumont Dr Chris Irons and Dr Elaine Beaumont are leading therapists and researchers in the field of CFT and compassionate mind training. They have written extensively about the topic, publishing the best seller The Compassionate Mind Workbook: A Step by Step Guide to Cultivating your Compassionate self. Join our community We’re so excited to see you all loving the app – we’re passionate about the benefits of self-compassion and feel very lucky to be able to share the joys of it with others. "I've had a problem with low self-esteem, always thinking that I'm not good enough and this app has helped me immensely." Stacey Hodkinson "It's been really helpful and made me much more aware of my negative thought patterns ... I'm feeling more confident and more courageous." Patricia Quinn "It's almost like 28 therapy sessions, but with tools to support you when you need." Dan Stone We know how tricky it can be on your own to turn advice into action. That’s why we’ve created this app – to guide you into applying the best insights from CFT to your own life in daily, actionable steps so that you can create meaningful change. We know therapy isn’t an option for everyone – our mission is to create an app that is more effective than a book, and more accessible than therapy. Terms of use https://www.psyt.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Practice Self
This app offers guided practices, meditations, and live sessions to cultivate self-compassion, reduce stress, and build emotional resilience. It provides tools for mindful living and stronger connections, suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners.
- Guided meditations and mindfulness exercises
- Visualization techniques for self-compassion
- Live sessions with certified teachers
- Expert-led content library
- Quick breathwork exercises
- Community connection features
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The Practice Self-Compassion App: Your Path to Happiness, Calmness, and Connection Transform your life with the Practice Mindful Self-Compassion - Practice MSC App, your trusted companion for mindfulness, emotional resilience, and self-care. Whether you're new to mindfulness or looking to deepen your practice, this app provides the tools to help you embrace life with warmth, confidence, and balance. The Practice MSC App is free to download with a selection of introductory content. Full access to all programs, guided meditations, live teacher sessions, audio practices, and our complete library requires a Premium auto-renewing subscription: • Monthly: A$2.99 • Annual: A$29.99 What is Mindful Self-Compassion? Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is a proven practice combining mindfulness and self-compassion to help you develop a kinder, more supportive relationship with yourself. Backed by research, it empowers you to reduce stress, navigate difficult emotions, and create deeper connections with yourself and others. Features Designed for Your Journey The Practice Self-Compassion App is crafted by experts from the Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC). Free features let you explore the practice; Premium subscribers unlock the full library. Free • Introductory meditations and mindfulness exercises to get you started • Quick breathwork tools for moments of stress • Daily reminders and journaling prompts Premium (subscription required) • Full library of guided meditations and mindfulness exercises • Visualisation techniques for self-compassion and resilience • Live, real-time sessions with certified MSC teachers • Hybrid courses combining online learning with in-person experiences • Expert-led content tailored to your journey • Community access and teacher Q&A • Complete audio library and on-the-go toolkit What Makes the Practice MSC App Unique? Unlike general mindfulness apps, the Practice MSC App focuses specifically on self-compassion, a transformative practice that reshapes your inner dialogue and strengthens your emotional foundation. With content rooted in science and delivered by qualified experts, this app offers unparalleled depth and guidance. • Inclusive Content: Suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. • Expertise You Can Trust: Created by renowned MSC teachers with decades of experience. • Community Connection: Foster relationships through live events and group courses (Premium). Proven Benefits of Mindful Self-Compassion Studies show that self-compassion: • Reduces stress and anxiety • Enhances emotional well-being and resilience • Strengthens relationships through empathy and understanding Subscription Details The Practice MSC App offers an auto-renewing subscription with two options: • Monthly Premium — A$ 2.99 per month • Annual Premium — A$ 29.99 per year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time by going to your Apple ID account settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Contact and Support Have questions? Reach out to support@practiceselfcompassion.app. We prioritise subscriber support and typically respond within hours or by the next business day. Privacy Policy: https://practiceselfcompassion.app/privacy-policy-ios Terms of Use: https://practiceselfcompassion.app/terms-conditions-ios
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Self Compassion App at 94% against Practice Self's 33%. The Self Compassion App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (243 vs 17). Practice Self's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. The Self Compassion App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $56.99 per year and Practice Self sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Self Compassion App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Self Compassion App has 243 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of The Self Compassion App's written reviews are positive against 33% of Practice Self's.
The Self Compassion App ships an update monthly, Practice Self weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Self Compassion App | Practice Self |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (243 ratings) — better | 4.2 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 243 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 476 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PSYT | Interconnected Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
The Self Compassion App
Practice Self
Bugs and requests
The Self Compassion App
Reported bugs
2 issues- Abrupt ending of audio sessions
- Occasional issues with sound and connectivity
Requested features
3 requests- Quarterly payment plan option
- Improved synchronization across devices
- Simpler version with fewer features
Practice Self
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Self Compassion App
- Self-Compassion Premium7 Days trial$56.991 Year
- Self-Compassion App Premium3 Days trial$56.991 Year
Practice Self
- Monthly Premium Subscription1 Month trial$1.991 Month
- Annual Premium Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is The Self Compassion App free?
Is Practice Self free?
Which has better reviews, The Self Compassion App or Practice Self?
Do The Self Compassion App or Practice Self have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Self Compassion App or Practice Self?
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