Comparison

EMDR Therapy vs ChillMate

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

ChillMate

Features
Read full description

ChillMate is a calm, private companion for looking after yourself, with no judgment and nothing to prove. Whether you are planning ahead, checking in with yourself, or finding your feet again afterwards, it keeps the things that matter in one private overview that never leaves your iPhone. No ads. No tracking. Nothing sold. Just a quiet space that is yours. PLAN AHEAD - Set a simple plan for the night: when to head home, how you'll get there, what you want to keep in mind, and who to call if you need them. - Note the personal limits you want to hold, and let ChillMate gently remind you. - Keep clear, neutral wellbeing information from verified, official public-health sources close by. CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF - A private overview of your last three months: check-ins, sleep, mood, and rest in one calm view. - Gentle, non-judgmental insights that show patterns as neutral signals, never a score to feel bad about. - Optional Apple Health sync for sleep, heart rate, HRV, and workouts, only for the categories you allow. STAY ON TOP OF REMINDERS - Keep track of appointments, checkups, and medication timing. - Set your own reminders and follow-ups, on your schedule. REFLECT AND RECOVER - Gentle prompts for the days that follow, and a private journal for the harder moments. - A pause tool to slow things down and give a decision a little more time. - Daily affirmations if you want a softer landing when you open the app. HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT - Panic support with breathing and grounding exercises. - An emergency card, a trusted contact, and a one-tap location message. - Safe Route to help you get home, and quick links to crisis and health support services. PRIVATE BY DESIGN - Your profile, notes, plans, and reminders are stored on your iPhone. - Add a Face ID or PIN lock, and turn on discreet notifications so lock-screen wording stays vague. - Optional encrypted backup to your own iCloud, accessible only to you. - No advertising, no analytics trackers, and your personal information is never sold or shared. ChillMate is a wellbeing and reflection tool. It does not diagnose, and it does not decide whether anything is safe. Its information is drawn from trusted public-health sources and is meant to support, not replace, a conversation with a qualified professional. If someone may be in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. Free, made with care, and built for adults.

Screenshots

EMDR Therapy3 screens
ChillMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ChillMate at none against EMDR Therapy's shown. EMDR Therapy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMDR Therapy ships an update every 4 days, ChillMate every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
EMDR Therapy versus ChillMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDR TherapyChillMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB16 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAhmet Emre KilincThijs Verstappen

In-app purchases

None

EMDR Therapy

No in-app purchases

None

ChillMate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EMDR Therapy free?
EMDR Therapy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChillMate free?
ChillMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EMDR Therapy or ChillMate have ads?
EMDR Therapy shows ads; ChillMate does not.
Which is updated more often, EMDR Therapy or ChillMate?
EMDR Therapy ships an update every 4 days, and ChillMate every 2 weeks. Most recently, EMDR Therapy was updated on September 15, 2026 and ChillMate on October 15, 2026.

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