Comparison

Relax with A. Johnson vs Coping Coach by VA

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

Head to head
About

Relax with A. Johnson

This app offers guided meditations, mindfulness sessions, and breathing exercises to help users relax, de-stress, and improve mental well-being. Discover techniques for anxiety, insomnia, and self-care, empowering you to handle challenges and prioritize your health.

Highlights
  • Guided meditations
  • Mindfulness sessions
  • Breathing exercises
  • Stress and anxiety relief
  • Sleep improvement
  • Self-care tools
Features
Read full description

The pace of life and change can be overwhelming. We all need to slow down sometimes, to relax, to unwind - yet after a hectic day at work, a terrible commute, or a nightmare shopping trip it may seem impossible. 
 It can be difficult to switch-off and be completely relaxed yet being able to destress and fully relax is vital for our health. Play the Relax App and feel the world slow down whilst you enjoy the mental health benefits: 
 • Discover relaxation techniques. • Find the perfect way to unwind and de-stress. • Find out about therapeutic settings for ME, pain control, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder etc. • Feel empowered to deal with challenges and tough situations. • Prioritise self-care and have more time for yourself and the people around you. Destress, improve your mindset, sleep better, grow your confidence and be healthier with guided meditations, mindfulness sessions and positive messages – and much more. Mindfulness expert, coach and therapist Andrew Johnson has been helping people deal with life’s challenges with guided relaxations, meditations, self-care tools and breathing exercises for many years. His best-selling range of mindfulness apps have a variety of content to help you, whether you are looking for ways to reduce stress and anxiety, lose weight, improve your health & confidence, learn relaxation techniques, etc. Key features: • Short meditations you can do anywhere: at work, commuting, at home, walking. • Inspirational sessions to help you tackle life’s challenges, to be calm and find clarity. • Mindfulness stories and talks to help you build better, healthy habits. Meditations to help you feel inspired and find motivated to eat well, workout and stay healthy both in body and mind. Relaxation techniques and tools to help you sleep better every night, to wake feeling energised and refreshed. Breathing exercises and calming meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and stress relief. Meditation sessions to stop anxiety in its tracks and release stress. How do I get more? Start your day mindfully, keep feeling positive and be inspired throughout the day with a range of guided meditations to help during tough or stressful moments. Boost your energy with a Power Nap, stay focussed to Beat Procrastination, and then drift off using a Deep Sleep meditation for a restful night. Think of Andrew as your personal mindfulness coach, always there to help when you need him most. Search for Andrew Johnson to unlock more daily mindfulness and guided meditation sessions.

About

Coping Coach by VA

This app offers tools and resources to help users build resilience, manage stress, and improve well-being during challenging times. It provides customized support for coping, staying healthy, and navigating life changes like parenting or working from home. Users can track their mood and access additional help.

Highlights
  • Build resilience
  • Manage stress
  • Increase well-being
  • Coping resources
  • Mood tracking
  • Progress visualization
Features
Read full description

Life can be overwhelming, and we all face moments of stress, uncertainty, and change. Coping Coach is designed to help you build resilience, manage stress, and increase your well-being whenever you need it most. The app is free, secure, and connects you to important resources for coping and adapting through life's challenges. Customized tools are available to help you cope with stress, stay well, and stay connected whether you're navigating daily pressures, caregiving responsibilities, or major life transitions. You can track your mood, visualize your progress, and find resources to seek additional help and support. No account or password is required and user data is not collected. Coping Coach was made by the mobile mental health team of the National Center for PTSD, Dissemination & Training Division.

Screenshots

Relax with A. Johnson3 screens
Coping Coach by VA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Coping Coach by VA at 4.8 against Relax with A. Johnson's 3.9. Coping Coach by VA also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 32). Relax with A. Johnson's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Coping Coach by VA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Coping Coach by VA has 1.5K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Relax with A. Johnson's written reviews are positive against 88% of Coping Coach by VA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Relax with A. Johnson ships an update every 5 months, Coping Coach by VA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Relax with A. Johnson versus Coping Coach by VA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRelax with A. JohnsonCoping Coach by VA
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (32 ratings)4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings321.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB197 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperUniversal Relaxation LtdUS Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Customer experience

Relax with A. Johnson

All ratings31 ratings
Positive74.2%
Neutral6.5%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative13.6%

Coping Coach by VA

All ratings1,542 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral8.3%
Negative4.2%

User reviews

Relax with A. Johnson

From 32 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Soothing and relaxing voice
  • 🌙 Helps with sleep and relaxation
  • 👍 Effective meditation technique

Room to improve

  • 🗑️ Stripped of functionality compared to previous version
  • 💰 Paid content now behind subscription
  • 🔄 Inability to access previously purchased content

Coping Coach by VA

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🛟 Helpful for mental health
  • 💯 Effective coping strategies
  • 🆓 Free and ad-free
  • 🎯 Tracks progress well

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Not compatible with iPhone
  • 🌐 Limited offline functionality

Bugs and requests

Relax with A. Johnson

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or becomes unavailable
  • Compatibility issues with new devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Bring back old app functionality
  • Allow customization of sessions
  • Maintain access to previously purchased content

Coping Coach by VA

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Login issues on some devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • COVID-19 screening feature
  • More customization options

In-app purchases

None

Relax with A. Johnson

No in-app purchases

None

Coping Coach by VA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Relax with A. Johnson free?
Relax with A. Johnson is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Coping Coach by VA free?
Coping Coach by VA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Relax with A. Johnson or Coping Coach by VA?
Coping Coach by VA is rated higher. Relax with A. Johnson averages 3.9 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Coping Coach by VA averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Relax with A. Johnson or Coping Coach by VA have ads?
Neither Relax with A. Johnson nor Coping Coach by VA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Relax with A. Johnson or Coping Coach by VA?
Relax with A. Johnson ships an update every 5 months, and Coping Coach by VA every 2 months. Most recently, Relax with A. Johnson was updated on November 1, 2026 and Coping Coach by VA on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons