Comparison

EMDR Therapy vs Cadence

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

Head to head
About

EMDR Therapy

This app simulates EMDR therapy using advanced digital techniques. It guides users through bilateral stimulation with visual, auditory, and vibration cues to help process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. Recommended by mental health professionals, it aims to aid recovery from trauma, depression, PTSD, and anxiety.

Highlights
  • Simulates EMDR therapy techniques
  • Bilateral stimulation (visual, auditory, vibration)
  • Guided processing of distressing memories
  • Aids recovery from trauma and anxiety
  • Customizable settings for user preference
Features
Read full description

This application uses many advanced digital technics and simulates EMDR therapy. EMDR is a technique recommended by psychotherapists and Psychologists. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched psychotherapy method proven to be effective and help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences which are including depression, PTSD, panic disorders, anxiety. The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize and recommend EMDR therapy as an effective treatment. First, put on your headphones, think of a traumatic and disturbing event. Follow the ball in the EMDR tool, focus on the transition of sounds in your left and right ears, and feel the vibrations. Thus, the effect of traumatic disturbing events that will provide the data flow between the right and left brain as in REM sleep will decrease. Focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. While you bring the details of that memory to mind, This tool will guide you through a series of side-to-side eye movements, auditory (with direction), and vibrations. As you learn to process the memory and related feelings it brings up, you’ll gradually be able to reframe that memory in a more positive light. Use three types of BLS: visual, auditory (with direction), and vibrations and modify your settings to suit your preferences. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In EMDR, the person being treated recalls distressing experiences whilst doing bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movement or physical stimulation, such as tapping either side of the body. According to the theory behind the approach, traumatic and painful memories can cause post-traumatic stress when you don’t process them completely. Then, when sights, sounds, words, or smells trigger those unprocessed memories, you re-experience them. The 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) practice guideline states that EMDR "is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are the result of unprocessed memories. The treatment involves standardized procedures that include focusing simultaneously on spontaneous associations of traumatic images, thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations and bilateral stimulation that is most commonly in the form of repeated eye movements. This re-experiencing leads to the emotional distress and other symptoms recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR aims to reduce symptoms of trauma by changing how your memories are stored in your brain. In a nutshell, an EMDR therapist does this by leading you through a series of bilateral (side-to-side) eye movements as you recall traumatic or triggering experiences in small segments, until those memories no longer cause distress.

About

Cadence

This app offers guided breathwork and bilateral stimulation exercises to help users reset, refocus, and unwind. It features various visual cues, optional haptics, and panning audio to enhance the experience. Users can track their progress, journal after sessions, and log mindful minutes to Apple Health.

Highlights
  • Bilateral stimulation exercises
  • Guided breathwork sessions
  • Visual cues (Moving Dot, Light Bar, Jet Stream)
  • Optional haptics and panning audio
  • Session tracking and history
  • Journaling and practice summaries
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Cadence helps you reset, refocus, and unwind with left-right rhythm and guided breathwork. Choose a visual, start a session, and follow the cue for a short pause or a longer wind-down. Use Cadence to: * Practice with Moving Dot, Light Bar, and Jet Stream * Move from left-right rhythm into guided breathing * Add optional haptics, panning audio, and soundscapes * Track check-ins, streaks, and session history * Journal after sessions and review practice summaries * Log completed sessions to Apple Health as Mindful Minutes, if you choose Cadence works offline and does not require an account. Your sessions, notes, and preferences stay on your device unless you export them.

Screenshots

EMDR Therapy3 screens
Cadence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Cadence at 5.0 against EMDR Therapy's 4.3. Cadence also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). EMDR Therapy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (15 vs 2). On price, 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

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

Cadence holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EMDR Therapy has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMDR Therapy ships an update every 4 days, Cadence every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
EMDR Therapy versus Cadence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDR TherapyCadence
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (15 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAhmet Emre KilincPaul Govan

Customer experience

EMDR Therapy

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

Cadence

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

EMDR Therapy

No in-app purchases

None

Cadence

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EMDR Therapy free?
EMDR Therapy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cadence free?
Cadence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EMDR Therapy or Cadence?
Cadence is rated higher. EMDR Therapy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Cadence averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do EMDR Therapy or Cadence have ads?
EMDR Therapy shows ads; Cadence does not.
Which is updated more often, EMDR Therapy or Cadence?
EMDR Therapy ships an update every 4 days, and Cadence every 4 weeks. Most recently, EMDR Therapy was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cadence on October 7, 2026.

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