PTSD Coach vs self EMDR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PTSD Coach
This app offers educational resources and self-help tools for individuals experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It includes a self-assessment, information on professional care, and customizable tools for managing daily stress, such as relaxation techniques and anger management.
- PTSD education
- Self-assessment tool
- Professional care information
- Stress management tools
- Customizable features
- Relaxation skills
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PTSD Coach was designed for those who have, or may have, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This app provides you with education about PTSD, information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help you manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD. Tools range from relaxation skills and positive self-talk to anger management and other common self-help strategies. You can customize tools based on your preferences and can integrate your own contacts, photos, and music. This app can be used by people who are in treatment as well as those who are not. PTSD Coach was created by VA’s National Center for PTSD and DoD’s National Center for Telehealth & Technology.
self EMDR
This application provides auditory and visual stimulation to aid in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. It is designed to create effects that support the therapeutic process. Users should consult a healthcare professional before use.
- Auditory stimulation effects
- Visual stimulation effects
- Supports EMDR therapy process
- Consultation advisories
- Health warning resources
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. (Ref. *1) It is a therapeutic method that uses bilateral stimulation, often through guided eye movement, sound, or tapping. Self EMDR provides a simple, self-paced visual and audio stimulation tool. You control the movement, speed, appearance, and sound yourself. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MEDICAL DISCLAIMER This app is not a replacement for professional therapy. Please consult a doctor or therapist before using EMDR-style stimulation, especially if you have trauma symptoms, epilepsy, dissociation, severe anxiety, or other medical or psychological concerns. This app offers a function that creates auditory and visual effects for stimulation. Under certain circumstances, this stimulation may be contraindicated for you. (Ref. *2) Please consultat your doctor/therapist and read our health warning on https://selfemdr.app/intro.html before use. (Ref. *3) In addition, here are some sources you might want to consider: *1 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_Movement_Desensitization_and_Reprocessing/ *2 https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-908 *3 https://www.castlecraig.co.uk/therapy/dangers-of-emdr/ 4. https://emdrhealing.com/safe-place-for-your-emdr-session-here-are-some-script-examples/ 5. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ 6. https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/ 7. https://www.therapie.de/psyche/info/therapie/emdr/anwendungsgebiete/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PTSD Coach at Free against self EMDR's $2.99. PTSD Coach also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 1). self EMDR's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 11 months) and chart position (#200 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
PTSD Coach is free to download; self EMDR costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PTSD Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PTSD Coach has 4.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of PTSD Coach's written reviews are positive against 75% of self EMDR's.
PTSD Coach ships an update every 11 months, self EMDR every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PTSD Coach | self EMDR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (4.3K ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.1% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #200 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | Christian Ahrweiler |
Customer experience
PTSD Coach
self EMDR
Bugs and requests
PTSD Coach
Reported bugs
2 issues- History data being deleted after updates
- Symptom assessment reminders not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Multi-language support
- Ability to customize or add personal content
- Integration with mental health professionals
- Expanded resources for non-veteran PTSD
- Improved symptom tracking and data visualization
self EMDR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PTSD Coach
No in-app purchases
self EMDR
No in-app purchases
