# Safety Plan vs Virtual Hope Box (new)

The clearest difference is rating: Safety Plan at 4.9 against Virtual Hope Box (new)'s 4.4. Safety Plan also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). Virtual Hope Box (new)'s advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 22 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Safety Plan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Safety Plan's written reviews are positive against 71% of Virtual Hope Box (new)'s.

Safety Plan ships an update every 22 months, Virtual Hope Box (new) every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Safety Plan | Virtual Hope Box (new) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safety-plan/id1663044514/reviews)** | [4.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-hope-box-new/id6477622019/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 90 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)](https://appshunter.io/developer/430646305) | [Defense Health Agency](https://appshunter.io/developer/1264687017) |

## What reviewers say

### Safety Plan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safety-plan/id1663044514)

This app guides users through creating a personalized safety plan to manage suicidal thoughts and self-harm urges. It offers tools for crisis moments, mood tracking, and access to support resources for individuals and their loved ones.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step safety plan creation, Shareable safety plans, Crisis intervention tools, Mood tracking, Access to crisis support, Informational resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Virtual Hope Box (new)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-hope-box-new/id6477622019)

This app provides tools to help users cope with difficult emotions, relax, and engage in positive thinking. It allows for personalized content creation with loved ones and therapists, offering distraction techniques and guided exercises.

**Highlights:** Multimedia content storage, Personalized coping cards, Positive activity planning, Distraction tools, Guided relaxation exercises, Controlled breathing techniques

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Safety Plan free?

Safety Plan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Virtual Hope Box (new) free?

Virtual Hope Box (new) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Safety Plan or Virtual Hope Box (new)?

Safety Plan is rated higher. Safety Plan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Virtual Hope Box (new) averages 4.4 from 10 ratings.

### Do Safety Plan or Virtual Hope Box (new) have ads?

Neither Safety Plan nor Virtual Hope Box (new) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Safety Plan or Virtual Hope Box (new)?

Safety Plan ships an update every 22 months, and Virtual Hope Box (new) every 4 months. Most recently, Safety Plan was updated on August 28, 2026 and Virtual Hope Box (new) on September 14, 2026.

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