CBT vs PE Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CBT
This app guides users through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) to improve sleep habits and alleviate insomnia symptoms. It teaches strategies for better sleep routines and environments, complementing professional therapy.
- Sleep education
- Positive sleep routines
- Sleep environment improvement
- Structured CBT-i program
- Integration with Apple Health and Fitbit
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CBT-i Coach is for people who are engaged in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia with a health provider, or who have experienced symptoms of insomnia and would like to improve their sleep habits. The app will guide you through the process of learning about sleep, developing positive sleep routines, and improving your sleep environment. It provides a structured program that teaches strategies proven to improve sleep and help alleviate symptoms of insomnia. CBT-i Coach is intended to augment face-to-face care with a healthcare professional. It can be used on its own, but it is not intended to replace therapy for those who need it. CBT-i Coach is based on the therapy manual, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Veterans, by Rachel Manber, Ph.D., Leah Friedman, Ph.D., Colleen Carney, Ph.D., Jack Edinger, Ph.D., Dana Epstein, Ph.D., Patricia Haynes, Ph.D., Wilfred Pigeon, Ph.D. and Allison Siebern, Ph.D. CBT-i has been shown to be efficacious for insomnia for both Veterans and civilians. CBT-i Coach was a collaborative effort between VA’s National Center for PTSD, Stanford School of Medicine, and DoD’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology. CBT-i Coach works with the Apple Health app and Fitbit.
PE Explorer
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This is a research version of PE Coach that is only for participants in approved program evaluation projects for NCPTSD. If you are NOT enrolled in a program evaluation project, please instead download the regular version of PE Coach. To unlock this app, you will need an invitation code from an approved investigator. Please contact your investigator if you need help.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: CBT at 2 against PE Explorer's —. PE Explorer's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | CBT | PE Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (13K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | — |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 217 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research |
Bugs and requests
CBT
Reported bugs
9 issues- Sleep data import broken
- Date malfunction in sleep diary
- Cannot set date past 7/23/2024
- Functionality
- Export doesn't work
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- Cannot access sleep prescription
- Alarms don't work
- Save button does not work anymore
- App stopped working after 1/1/19
Requested features
5 requests- Add cycle tracking
- Separate napping & dozing
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- 5 minute increments for time tracking
PE Explorer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CBT
No in-app purchases
PE Explorer
No in-app purchases









