Comparison

Affect vs SIMHC

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

Head to head
About

Affect

This app offers a free sober tracker and tools to reduce alcohol and drug use. For those seeking to quit, it provides a comprehensive, insurance-covered outpatient treatment program with licensed counselors and medication support.

Highlights
  • Sober tracker for alcohol and drug use
  • Outpatient addiction treatment program
  • Licensed counselor meetings
  • Medication for cravings and withdrawal
  • Financial rewards for progress
  • Support for employment and housing
Features
Read full description

Affect is a sobriety app that also offers a full treatment program for alcohol and drug addiction, covered by insurance. Use it free to drink less and control drug use, or enroll in the recovery program to quit for good without going to rehab. Affect puts a recovery program right in your pocket. Affect’s revolutionary recovery program ranks in the top 1% of all addiction treatment providers with better results than rehab clinics. Using proven neuroscientific approaches to successful behavior change, you can learn to manage, reduce, and quit alcohol, cannabis, stimulants like meth and cocaine, opioids like heroin, or pain killers and other prescription medications. Affect gives you the support you need to get sober, improve your mental health, and build healthy habits. The program is private, confidential, convenient, highly effective, and delivered entirely through your smartphone. Explore the Affect app entirely for free – no ads, no 7-day trials. Complete Challenges to build recovery skills, set goals to reduce your drinks or drug usage, and track your sobriety streak for free. There’s nothing stopping you from making progress in your recovery, starting today. The treatment program is covered by many health insurances. Check your insurance coverage privately and risk-free through the app and learn of any expected out of pocket expenses. Your employer will not be notified of your interest or enrollment in our program, even if you have insurance through your employer. For the full list of insurance plans we accept, check our website. Affect offers a truly supportive environment for you to make lasting change in your life. Sobriety is not a requirement to enroll. Affect helps people who struggle with relapses to reduce their use. Counselors work with people on their deeper issues where recovery coaches and peer communities fall short. Affect's program is also used by people who leave detox or inpatient residential rehab clinics to continue their recovery journeys and prevent relapses. Many people use the app and enroll in Affect's program to get professional support while attending 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or SMART Recovery. The app is a lifelong companion for people to maintain their sobriety. There are sober apps where you go it alone. There are rehab clinics where you go away. There is nothing else like Affect - the sobriety app that offers a full, integrated outpatient treatment program and brings it right to you. ► Use the sober tracker to monitor your drinking and drug use. Reach your goals to change your relationship to alcohol and drugs. ► Celebrate your progress in treatment with real financial rewards that reinforce good behavior. ► Meet with a licensed counselor who specializes in addiction. ► Get medications to help you manage cravings or withdrawal. ► Get support and resources to improve your life, including help finding healthcare, employment, and housing. ► Join a caring and private community that offers support and understanding at all times. Affect works better to drink less or quit drinking and drug use. Our rewards system is based on decades of research on successful behavior change, neuroscience, and technology. People decrease use by 50% in the first month. Affect's program results in outcomes that are twice as effective as traditional clinical models. Recovery isn’t painful. Affect is a licensed treatment provider, accredited by CARF International. Our research was supported by grants from The National Institute on Drug Abuse and The National Institutes of Health (see our website for more information). You can trust us with your recovery. When you are ready to reduce or stop drinking or using drugs, enrolling in Affect's revolutionary digital addiction treatment program gives you the expert help you need to truly succeed without having to go to a rehab clinic. Reward your recovery with Affect.

About

SIMHC

Features
Read full description

We are excited to introduce and offer our new SIMHC patient portal app. This is a secure app providing you access to a variety of features and services through your smart phone or computer. Our goal is to provide you with a convenient, seamless, and effortless experience in both telehealth and other communication with SIMHC staff. Here is why we think you’ll love it! Secure Telehealth Sessions – Connect with your mental health provider privately and securely in the comfort of your own space. Appointment Management – Attend or cancel appointments with ease and efficiency. Document Management – Securely review, sign and manage forms, upload with ease insurance cards and other important information. Billing and Payments – View and pay your bill directly through the app. Download the SIMHC portal app today and continue your mental health journey with ease and convenience.

Screenshots

Affect4 screens
SIMHC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: SIMHC at none against Affect's shown. SIMHC also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Affect ships an update fortnightly, SIMHC monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Affect versus SIMHC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAffectSIMHC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (486 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews
Number of ratings486 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size320 MB220 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperAffect Therapeutics, Inc.Southern Iowa Mental Health Center

Bugs and requests

Affect

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent tracking of sobriety days
  • Technical issues with the app crashing
  • Delays in processing payments/rewards

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand support for non-drug addictions
  • Improve communication and responsiveness
  • Enhance security and privacy measures
  • Provide more licensed clinical professionals

SIMHC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Affect

No in-app purchases

None

SIMHC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Affect free?
Affect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SIMHC free?
SIMHC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Affect or SIMHC have ads?
Affect shows ads; SIMHC does not.
Which is updated more often, Affect or SIMHC?
Affect ships an update fortnightly, and SIMHC monthly. Most recently, Affect was updated on September 22, 2026 and SIMHC on September 8, 2026.

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