Comparison

12 Steps Companion vs Tenth Step

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

Head to head
About

12 Steps Companion

This app provides a modernized digital version of the Big Book for Alcoholics Anonymous members. It features a sobriety calculator, notes, contact database, and a powerful search function to aid in recovery.

Highlights
  • Modernized Big Book reader
  • Dark mode and adjustable font size
  • Enhanced sobriety calculator with widgets
  • AA contacts database with integrated maps
  • Powerful search and concordance tool
  • Collection of prayers and promises
  • Note-taking and sharing capabilities
Features
Read full description

First developed in 2008, 12 Steps Companion was the world’s first recovery app. It is a reader, sobriety tracker, and recovery toolkit. The reader covers the first 164 pages of Alcoholics Anonymous, plus more than 60 personal stories, the original forewords, and the appendices from the First and Second Editions. Dark mode, highlighting, adjustable type, a concordance search, and a built-in dictionary are included. Also available: 12 Steps Speakers, for talks recorded by members around the world. KEY FEATURES UNIVERSAL • Built for iPhone and iPad • Cloud-themed design and a quiet, discrete home-screen icon SOBRIETY CALCULATOR & WIDGETS • Sobriety length on the launch screen • Home-screen widgets with years, months, days, and hours THE READER • Dark mode • Highlight and unhighlight text • Adjustable font size • Full-screen reading in portrait or landscape • First 164 pages, plus 60+ stories from the 1st and 2nd editions • Original forewords and appendices • Page numbers and quick page jump • Tap any word to define it • Collapsible index • Return to a bookmark from any note SEARCH • Full concordance • Results highlighted in place PRAYERS & PROMISES • Morning and night prayers • Prayers from the Twelve Steps • Prayer of St. Francis • Promises collected from the text NOTES • Highlight a passage and attach a note • Share via Messages, Mail, and other apps • App attribution is added when you share CONTACTS • U.S. central offices, areas, districts, and answering services • Tap to call, email, or open a website • Maps and directions • Add your own contacts SUPPORT Questions or feedback: www.deanhuff.com Only stories from the 1st and 2nd editions are included • This app is available to U.S. customers only Not affiliated with AA World Services, Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous and The Big Book are registered trademarks of AA World Services, Inc. Please support A.A. by purchasing a printed copy from your local central office.

About

Tenth Step

Features
Read full description

Tenth Step is a private daily reflection tool designed to help you stay current through a simple end-of-day inventory. Quickly review your day, note anything that caused tension or imbalance, and track any follow-up actions. The app keeps your process simple, structured, and consistent. Features: • Daily inventory with simple prompts • Optional detail fields for clarity • Action tracking for follow-through • Review past entries to identify patterns No accounts. No tracking. No data collection. All entries are stored locally on your device.

Screenshots

12 Steps Companion4 screens
Tenth Step4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tenth Step at Free against 12 Steps Companion's $2.99. Tenth Step also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). 12 Steps Companion's advantage is chart position (#3 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, 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

Tenth Step is free to download; 12 Steps Companion costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

12 Steps Companion ships an update every 2 months, Tenth Step weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
12 Steps Companion versus Tenth Step: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter12 Steps CompanionTenth Step
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (144 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings144 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#3 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB2 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDean HuffSTEVEN MARC GORLIN

Bugs and requests

12 Steps Companion

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Search feature kicks user off the app
  • App crashes after using search feature
  • Lost bookmarks after deleting and reinstalling
  • Lost all data after deleting and reinstalling
  • Sobriety counter is off by a day or more
Show 12 more
  • Page numbers do not correspond to the printed Big Book
  • Table of contents does not list page numbers
  • Highlighting a passage sometimes deletes it
  • App not working in newer iOS versions
  • Sobriety date changes by mistake when changing time zones
  • Notes do not save or travel between devices
  • Text resizing not working
  • Calculator not calculating correctly
  • App does not save sobriety date on new installations
  • Search by page number not working
  • Typographical errors in the text
  • Incorrect wording in the 5th Tradition

Requested features

27 requests
  • Add newer editions of AA literature
  • Include specific missing stories (e.g., acceptance prayer, resentment prayer, Dr. Paul's story, Acceptance is the Answer)
  • Update preamble and conference-approved material
  • Include the 12x12 text
  • Add the AA World Service Manual
Show 22 more
  • Add the Concepts
  • Add push notifications for morning/evening prompts
  • Add page numbers to the index
  • Make page numbers match the printed Big Book
  • Allow text resizing/font adjustment
  • Improve notes functionality (saving, syncing, visibility)
  • Add different highlight colors
  • Allow notes within the text (e.g., word definitions)
  • Add the Preface and Forewords from newer editions
  • Update the app for current OS versions
  • Allow annotation of text with notes
  • Enable multitasking feature or disable splash screen
  • Add contacts for areas, intergroups, and hotlines
  • Include other appendices, specifically the Traditions appendix
  • Add Dr. Paul's story from the third edition
  • Add the 12x12 book
  • Add the 24 book
  • Improve the sobriety calculator accuracy and appearance
  • Allow multiple, named bookmarks
  • Add highlighting feature
  • Landscape book reading
  • Central office contacts linked to apps

Tenth Step

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

12 Steps Companion

No in-app purchases

None

Tenth Step

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 12 Steps Companion free?
12 Steps Companion costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tenth Step free?
Tenth Step is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 12 Steps Companion or Tenth Step have ads?
Neither 12 Steps Companion nor Tenth Step shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 12 Steps Companion or Tenth Step?
12 Steps Companion ships an update every 2 months, and Tenth Step weekly. Most recently, 12 Steps Companion was updated on October 21, 2026 and Tenth Step on October 5, 2026.

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