Comparison

MindDiary vs Don't Spiral

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

Head to head
About

MindDiary

Features
Read full description

I believe that overcoming depression involves achieving small goals and objectively reflecting on your emotions by journaling. That’s why I created this app. This app helps you gently record your emotions throughout the day and set small goals to foster a sense of accomplishment. Understand yourself better and take steps toward a positive transformation. This app is designed for everyone who experiences feelings of sadness, just like me. By expressing your emotions in writing and growing through small achievements, you’ll gradually discover a changing, more hopeful version of yourself. Let this app support your small but meaningful beginnings.

About

Don't Spiral

This app offers immediate support during moments of intense anxiety and relationship doubt. It provides guided conversations and breathing exercises to help users navigate difficult emotions and prevent impulsive actions, remembering past interactions for personalized support.

Highlights
  • Real-time conversational support
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Personalized AI companion
  • Remembers past conversations
  • Crisis resources access
  • Privacy-focused data handling
Features
Read full description

It's 2am. Your partner hasn't texted back. Your mind is already three steps ahead — they're losing interest, something's wrong, maybe it's over. You know this feeling. The spiral. Don't Spiral is the app for right now. Not tomorrow's therapy appointment. Not a 30-day program. Right now — when you're about to send that text you'll regret, when the fight just ended and your hands are shaking, when you're lying awake building a case against someone who's sleeping peacefully next to you. BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING YOU CAN'T UNDO Tell the app what's happening — spiraling, post-fight, anxious, uncertain, processing, or celebrating a win. Based on your intensity, Don't Spiral starts a real conversation designed for exactly what you're going through. If you can barely think, guided breathing exercises bring you down before you even start talking. When you're ready, the conversation meets you where you are — like a frank friend who happens to know a lot about why your brain does this. BUILT FOR THE ACUTE MOMENT This isn't a daily journaling app. It's not a CBT worksheet. Don't Spiral exists for the moments that actually cause damage — the ones between therapy sessions where you need someone right now: - About to send that text? Talk it through first. Seriously. - Fight just happened? Process the aftermath before it snowballs - Dreading a hard conversation? Rehearse it without spiraling - Stuck in the same loop? Figure out why this pattern keeps showing up - Going through a breakup? Get honest support without judgment - Questioning everything? Work through doubt without full-blown panic IT ACTUALLY REMEMBERS YOUR STORY Most AI forgets you exist between sessions. Don't Spiral doesn't. It remembers your partner's name, recurring patterns, what you've worked through before. Every conversation builds on the last one — because "start from scratch every time" is useless when you're mid-crisis at 3am. Personalize your AI companion with a name, communication style, and cultural background so it actually feels like talking to someone who gets you. A FRIEND, NOT A THERAPIST BOT Every few messages, it checks in: "Am I getting this right?" If not, you redirect. After meaningful conversations, it follows up to ask what actually happened — did you send the text? Did the conversation go okay? No miss-you notifications. No streaks. No guilt trips for not opening the app. Don't Spiral is here when you need it and leaves you alone when you don't. When things feel truly overwhelming, crisis resources are one tap away. YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS What you share here is deeply personal — and we treat it that way. - Chat messages are not stored. Conversations are processed in real time and not retained after your session ends. - Only conversation text is sent to the AI — no personal identifiers like your email, name, or account ID. - Our AI provider (Anthropic) operates under a zero-retention policy. Your messages are never stored or used to train AI models. - All connections are TLS-encrypted. Data is hosted on GDPR-compliant EU servers. - We don't sell your data. We don't share it with third parties. - Delete your account anytime from Settings — all data is permanently removed. FEATURES - AI support for relationship anxiety, overthinking, and emotional spirals - Guided breathing for acute panic and distress - 8 session types: spiraling, post-fight, conversation prep, pattern reflection, breakup, doubt - Personalized AI that remembers your relationship context - Outcome tracking — follows up to see what actually happened - Crisis detection with instant access to professional resources - Dark mode for late-night sessions Don't Spiral is not a replacement for professional therapy. It's for the moments between — when you need support right now and can't wait for your next appointment. Privacy Policy: https://dontspiral.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://dontspiral.app/terms.html

Screenshots

MindDiary4 screens
Don't Spiral4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MindDiary at none against Don't Spiral's 4. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Don't Spiral sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. MindDiary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MindDiary versus Don't Spiral: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindDiaryDon't Spiral
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—9 — better
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB61 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTAEHUN KUBurkhart Digital LLC

In-app purchases

None

MindDiary

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Don't Spiral

One-time4
  • 5 Conversations$3.99
  • Welcome Pack — 10 Conversations$4.99
  • 15 Conversations$9.99
Show 1 more
  • 50 Conversations$29.99

Questions

Is MindDiary free?
MindDiary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Don't Spiral free?
Don't Spiral is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MindDiary or Don't Spiral have ads?
Neither MindDiary nor Don't Spiral shows ads.

Other comparisons