Spiral Up Lite vs Mindshift Recovery
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spiral Up Lite
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.
- 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
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Mindfulness distracts you from stress and anxiety Spiral Up™ releases your stress and clears away anxiety. Be more specific A friend doesn’t respond to your text and you binge eat. A car cuts you off and you explode. A colleague criticizes you and you devolve into negative self-talk. We overreact to these (admittedly unpleasant incidents) because the incidents aren’t what we’re reacting to: We’re subconsciously reacting to a traumatic event or relationship hurt from our past – romantic, platonic, or familial. That cycle can repeat itself for decades and separate you from being in control of your life. Spiral Up™ helps you break this cycle. It helps you understand why you do what you do – then do something about it. Hmm. How? Your brain is already neurologically equipped to change those reactions, and clear toxic stress chemicals. Spiral Up activates that process via a series of simple, brain-savvy “How are you?” style questions. Answering these questions (which takes 1 - 3 minutes) causes a surge of feel-good neurotransmitters. You may even feel some joy. Every moment is not joyous — many are uncomfortable, sad, boring, strenuous, etc.— but the brain rewards us for clearing stress. That’s why endorphins bubble up. This app contains those simple questions. And only those questions. There aren’t a thousand meditations or cheeky quizzes or rainforest sounds. Just the questions and the relief they elicit. Relief you deserve. Who made this? Laurel Mellin, PhD, a health psychologist, who developed Emotional Brain Training (EBT) with colleagues on the UCSF faculty in the School of Medicine. She is a NYT Bestselling author. How often should I Spiral Up? Use it whenever you have a moment of irrational panic, boredom, or feel bad for any reason. Spiraling Up 5x per day trains your brain to override your reflexive response to situational stress and anxiety. Your brain learns to spiral up spontaneously, so you feel better faster– even between uses of the app. Download our free app and start a more emotionally connected life. We overreact to these (admittedly unpleasant incidents) because the incidents aren’t what we’re reacting to: We’re subconsciously reacting to a traumatic event or relationship hurt from our past – romantic, platonic, or familial. That cycle can repeat itself for decades and separate you from being in control of your life. Spiral Up™ helps you break this cycle. It helps you understand why you do what you do – then do something about it. Read the terms and conditions here: http://wwwspiralup.com/terms-and-conditions Read the privacy policy here: https://wwwspiralup.com/privacy-policy
Mindshift Recovery
This app helps users overcome various addictions and bad habits, including substances, social media, and gambling. It utilizes an evidence-based, neuroscience approach to understand and change habitual behaviors. Features include science-backed lessons, craving management tools, live support, and community connection.
- Science-backed lessons on addiction
- Craving management and behavior change
- Daily live Zoom support calls
- Supportive online community
- Progress tracking and insights
- Daily motivation and practical tools
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Break free from alcohol & substances, food, social media, smoking, porn, gambling, and more. Mindshift Recovery's evidence-based based approach teaches you how to work with your brain rather than trying to control it - and losing. Developed by renowned addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Jud Brewer, our free, clinically-proven method is both easy and effective. KEY FEATURES • Science-backed lessons on why we get addicted in the first place • Step by step process for managing cravings and changing behavior • Daily live Zoom calls to connect, learn, and get help • Supportive online community of people on similar journeys • Progress tracking and personalized insights • Daily motivation and practical tools THE MINDSHIFT METHOD Our unique three-step approach combines cutting-edge neuroscience with proven behavioral techniques to address addiction directly: 1. Map your habitual patterns and understand your mind 2. Discover what truly drives your behaviors (and reduce the shame and stigma you feel about them!) 3. Develop better alternatives that stick Recover yourself — your journey to lasting change starts here. Download now and take the first step toward a healthier, more empowered you. Developed by Mindshift Recovery, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Note: This app is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you're experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Mindshift Recovery at 199 against Spiral Up Lite's 19. Mindshift Recovery also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). Spiral Up Lite's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Spiral Up Lite against 4.9 for Mindshift Recovery. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mindshift Recovery has 199 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 83% and 83% positive.
Spiral Up Lite ships an update every 2 months, Mindshift Recovery every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Spiral Up Lite | Mindshift Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (19 ratings) | 4.9 (199 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 199 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 109 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Institute for Health Solutions | Mindshift Recovery |
Customer experience
Spiral Up Lite
Mindshift Recovery
In-app purchases
Spiral Up Lite
No in-app purchases
Mindshift Recovery
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Spiral Up Lite free?
Is Mindshift Recovery free?
Which has better reviews, Spiral Up Lite or Mindshift Recovery?
Do Spiral Up Lite or Mindshift Recovery have ads?
Which is updated more often, Spiral Up Lite or Mindshift Recovery?
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