# CBT vs mySleepButton

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CBT at none against mySleepButton's 14. CBT also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 212). mySleepButton's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 47%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. mySleepButton sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. CBT asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for CBT against 4.5 for mySleepButton. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CBT has 13K ratings behind it against 212, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of CBT's written reviews are positive against 73% of mySleepButton's.

CBT ships an update every 7 months, mySleepButton every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CBT | mySleepButton |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbt-i-coach/id655918660/reviews)** | [4.5 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysleepbutton/id740251957/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 212 |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **72.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 217 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)](https://appshunter.io/developer/430646305) | [CogSci Apps Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/740251960) |

## What reviewers say

### CBT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbt-i-coach/id655918660)

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.

**Highlights:** Sleep education, Positive sleep routines, Sleep environment improvement, Structured CBT-i program, Integration with Apple Health and Fitbit

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Thank you
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Excellent resource
- 👍 Valuable for treating insomnia

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Zero direction
- 🐛 Worthless
- 🐛 Compatibility issues
- 🐛 Not a sleep journal
- 🐛 Completely dysfunctional

**Reported bugs**

- Sleep data import broken
- Date malfunction in sleep diary
- Cannot set date past 7/23/2024
- Functionality
- Export doesn't work

**Requested features**

- Add cycle tracking
- Separate napping & dozing
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- 5 minute increments for time tracking


### mySleepButton

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysleepbutton/id740251957)

This app uses a "cognitive shuffle" technique to help users fall asleep by distracting their minds with imagery. It offers guided meditations and can be used with audio devices for a screen-free experience.

**Highlights:** Cognitive shuffle technique, Guided imagery for sleep, Affective body scan meditation, Configurable meditation pack, Audio playback on external devices, Siri shortcuts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Disable iAd | $0.99 | one-time |
| Album d'items simples | $3.99 | one-time |
| 単語パック | $3.99 | one-time |
| 简单事物专辑 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Simple-Things Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Drawing Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scenes Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Album d'items à dessiner | $5.99 | one-time |
| Simple-Things Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Album d'items simples | $6.99 | one-time |
| Scenes Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Body Scan Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Kids Pack (4+) | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 No fuss, just works
- 👍 Effective for insomnia
- 👍 Puts me to sleep quickly
- 👍 Helps shut down racing thoughts
- 👍 Better than sleeping pills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio quality issues (crackling, clicking)
- 🔧 Requires in-app purchases to unlock full functionality
- 🔧 Repetitive content in free version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after iOS updates
- Purchased content not restoring properly

**Requested features**

- More diverse content and voices
- Randomized word/scene order
- Support for additional languages
- Apple Watch app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CBT free?

CBT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is mySleepButton free?

mySleepButton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CBT or mySleepButton?

CBT is rated higher. CBT averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while mySleepButton averages 4.5 from 212 ratings.

### Do CBT or mySleepButton have ads?

Neither CBT nor mySleepButton shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CBT or mySleepButton?

CBT ships an update every 7 months, and mySleepButton every 5 months. Most recently, CBT was updated on October 26, 2026 and mySleepButton on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*