# The Self Compassion App vs Spiral Up Lite

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spiral Up Lite at none against The Self Compassion App's 2. Spiral Up Lite also leads on ads (none vs shown). The Self Compassion App's advantage is ratings volume (243 vs 19) and review sentiment (94% vs 83%). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Self Compassion App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $56.99 per year. Spiral Up Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for The Self Compassion App against 4.8 for Spiral Up Lite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Self Compassion App has 243 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of The Self Compassion App's written reviews are positive against 83% of Spiral Up Lite's.

The Self Compassion App ships an update monthly, Spiral Up Lite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Self Compassion App | Spiral Up Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (243 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-self-compassion-app/id1553464180/reviews)** | [4.8 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spiral-up-lite/id1631613402/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **243** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **94.1% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 476 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSYT](https://appshunter.io/developer/941205339) | [Institute for Health Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/499811135) |

## What reviewers say

### The Self Compassion App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-self-compassion-app/id1553464180)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self-Compassion Premium | $56.99 | per year |
| Self-Compassion App Premium | $56.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful self-help app
- 🚀 Great variety of tools and resources
- 💡 Excellent for developing self-compassion
- 🤗 Calming and supportive voices
- 📚 Informative and well-structured content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🔍 Overwhelming amount of features
- 🔁 Difficulty canceling subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Abrupt ending of audio sessions
- Occasional issues with sound and connectivity

**Requested features**

- Quarterly payment plan option
- Improved synchronization across devices
- Simpler version with fewer features


### Spiral Up Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spiral-up-lite/id1631613402)

This app helps you break cycles of stress and anxiety by understanding your reactions to past traumas. It uses simple, brain-savvy questions to activate your brain's natural ability to clear toxic stress and improve emotional well-being.

**Highlights:** Stress and anxiety reduction, Understand emotional reactions, Break negative cycles, Brain-savvy questioning technique, Quick daily use (1-3 minutes), Developed by a health psychologist

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Self Compassion App free?

The Self Compassion App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Spiral Up Lite free?

Spiral Up Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Self Compassion App or Spiral Up Lite?

The Self Compassion App is rated higher. The Self Compassion App averages 4.8 out of 5 from 243 ratings, while Spiral Up Lite averages 4.8 from 19 ratings.

### Do The Self Compassion App or Spiral Up Lite have ads?

The Self Compassion App shows ads; Spiral Up Lite does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Self Compassion App or Spiral Up Lite?

The Self Compassion App ships an update monthly, and Spiral Up Lite every 2 months. Most recently, The Self Compassion App was updated on October 16, 2026 and Spiral Up Lite on October 13, 2026.

---

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