# Sober January vs Mindful Drinking

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mindful Drinking at every 3 months against Sober January's every 11 months. Sober January's advantage is ratings volume (575 vs 55) and review sentiment (69% vs 60%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sober January sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Mindful Drinking sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Sober January against 4.7 for Mindful Drinking. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sober January has 575 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Sober January's written reviews are positive against 60% of Mindful Drinking's.

Sober January ships an update every 11 months, Mindful Drinking every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sober January | Mindful Drinking |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (575 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sober-january-dry-day-tracker/id1660642475/reviews)** | [4.7 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-drinking/id6446930722/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **575** | 55 |
| Positive reviews | **69.2% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 23 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 15.3 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Clarity Applications](https://appshunter.io/developer/1646120472) | [Mihaly Setalo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1636107512) |

## What reviewers say

### Sober January

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sober-january-dry-day-tracker/id1660642475)

Embark on an alcohol-free challenge to start the new year. This app acts as your personal coach, offering daily motivation, reminders, and highlighting the benefits of a dry month. Track your progress and celebrate your streaks throughout the challenge.

**Highlights:** Alcohol-free challenge, Daily motivation, Helpful reminders, Benefit highlights, Progress tracking, Statistics and streaks

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Free to use
- 👍 Encouraging and motivating
- 👍 Helps with wellbeing and sleep
- 👍 Satisfying daily check-offs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😐 Dull and not very encouraging
- 😐 Boring with little motivation
- 🐛 Content sometimes cut off mid-sentence

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Text cut off mid-sentence

**Requested features**

- 💡 All-year-round version of the app
- 💡 More ways to view progress (e.g., graphs, stats)


### Mindful Drinking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-drinking/id6446930722)

Monitor your alcohol consumption and its impact on your mood. Accurately log drink sizes and alcohol content to understand your habits, manage calories and expenses, and compare your intake with low-risk guidelines.

**Highlights:** Track drinks and mood, Accurate alcohol content and serving size logging, Monitor daily calories and expenses, Compare consumption with low-risk guidelines, Plan sober days, Daily reminders

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium  Access | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime Access | Free | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sober January free?

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

### Is Mindful Drinking free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sober January or Mindful Drinking?

Sober January is rated higher. Sober January averages 4.8 out of 5 from 575 ratings, while Mindful Drinking averages 4.7 from 55 ratings.

### Do Sober January or Mindful Drinking have ads?

Neither Sober January nor Mindful Drinking shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sober January or Mindful Drinking?

Sober January ships an update every 11 months, and Mindful Drinking every 3 months. Most recently, Sober January was updated on October 27, 2026 and Mindful Drinking on October 27, 2026.

---

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