Comparison

Ahfy vs SkillSteps

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

Head to head
About

Ahfy

Features
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Ahfy stands for Always Here For You. It's 11:47pm. You had a fight with a friend at lunch and you're still replaying it. Or it's Sunday morning and thinking about Monday has started. Or someone asked if you were okay and you said "I'm fine." Ahfy is built for those moments between "I'm fine" and "I need therapy." WHAT AHFY DOES Ahfy is an emotion regulation app that helps you work out what you're actually feeling, then gives you something to do about it. Three questions - what happened? what do you feel? what do you need? and Ahfy gives you to exercises built for that exact state. Tools, not lectures. IDENTIFY & PROCESS β€” when you have more than 5 minutes - Name the trigger, the emotion, and the need underneath it - Four kinds of exercise: somatic, mindfulness, journal prompt, therapist-approved - Body awareness and cognitive awareness, because emotions live in both REGULATE & SOOTHE β€” when you have less than 5 minutes - Pick your state: overwhelmed, panicked, frustrated, numb, or just need to calm down - Short guided meditation and breathing to settle your nervous system - Headphones on, eyes closed, come back to yourself DAILY CHECK-IN - Two sliders, energy and pleasantness, and Ahfy names the mood for you - Save it or regulate it, your call - Track your mood over time and notice things before they get big JOURNAL & PROGRESS - Guided journal prompts and free writing - Three-things gratitude - Streaks, past entries, and a view of your emotional patterns RESOURCE LIBRARY - Therapist-written reads on emotions, relationships and yourself - Breathwork techniques - Meditations - Self-guided, no appointment required 100+ EXERCISES ACROSS 4 CATEGORIES Somatic exercises. Mindfulness and guided meditation. Journal prompts. Therapist-approved exercises. All for you to be more aware and feel better. WHO BUILT IT Every exercise traces back to a named person or a named body of research. - The Trigger β†’ Emotion β†’ Need framework was created by a licensed therapist - Emotion identification draws on Paul Ekman's research on universal emotions - Somatic exercises are informed by Peter A. Levine's work on how the nervous system holds and releases stress - Mindfulness exercises were written by an internal clinical psychologist with 20+ years of practice - Validated by 5 high school wellbeing teams in Adelaide References to research foundations do not imply endorsement. WHAT AHFY ISN'T Not an AI chatbot generating advice. Not therapy, and not a replacement for your counsellor. And not built to keep you here forever, the goal is that you get better at regulating your emotions and need Ahfy less. GOOD FOR Exam stress. Friendship conflict. Anxiety before a meeting. Anger you can't put down. Nights your brain won't stop. Feeling numb and not knowing why. Building emotional intelligence, one check-in at a time. FOR SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES Ahfy works with high school and university wellbeing teams to teach students emotional regulation skills they can practice independently and staff get a dashboard showing student engagement trends and which emotional themes are coming up. Book a trial at ahfy.app. Founded in France in 2023 as Emotion ID, rebuilt as Ahfy, and now based in Adelaide, Australia. Live in English and French. Disclaimer: Ahfy is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The diagnosis and treatment of a clinical condition can only be undertaken by a qualified healthcare professional in person. You should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you have regarding your health or a medical condition.

About

SkillSteps

Features
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Every child deserves tools that speak their language. SkillSteps brings together everything your child needs β€” social stories, communication support, mood tracking, and calming sensory tools β€” in one beautifully simple app. No more juggling five different apps. No more losing progress between tools. Just one place where your child can learn, express, and feel safe. SOCIAL STORIES β€” BUILT IN MINUTES Create personalised social stories for any situation β€” visiting the dentist, starting a new school, handling a meltdown. Use your own photos or our icon library. Based on Carol Gray's evidence-based Social Storiesβ„’ framework, trusted by thousands of therapists and parents worldwide. COMMUNICATION BUILDER Build visual communication boards tailored to your child's vocabulary and needs. Tap pictures to speak, construct sentences, and express needs confidently. Designed for children at every communication level β€” from first words to full sentences. MOOD TRACKER β€” UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY FEEL Help your child name and track their emotions each day with simple visual check-ins. Parents get a private dashboard showing patterns over time β€” invaluable for therapy appointments and spotting triggers before they become crises. SENSORY & STIM TOOLS β€” CALM IN THEIR POCKET When the world gets too loud, SkillSteps is ready. Pop bubbles, draw freely, or focus on your breathing. These sensory tools give children a safe, acceptable way to self-regulate β€” anywhere, any time. BUILT FOR CHILDREN. DESIGNED FOR PARENTS. Children enjoy the simple, colourful experience. Parents and caregivers get full control behind the scenes β€” create content, review mood history, share stories with therapists, and track progress over time. ALSO INCLUDES β€’ Visual daily schedule builder β€’ Emotion recognition activitiesβ€’ Custom reward system β€’ Calming breathing exercises β€’ Offline mode β€” works without internet β€’ No ads. Ever. Your child's world makes more sense with SkillSteps. Free to try β€” because every family deserves access.

Screenshots

Ahfy4 screens
SkillSteps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ahfy at none against SkillSteps's 1. SkillSteps's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. SkillSteps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ahfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ahfy ships an update every 4 months, SkillSteps daily. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Ahfy versus SkillSteps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAhfySkillSteps
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsDaily β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS14.0.013.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size75 MB34 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCamille SemmelAaron Ball

In-app purchases

None

Ahfy

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SkillSteps

One-time1
  • SkillSteps Full Access$4.99

Questions

Is Ahfy free?
Ahfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SkillSteps free?
SkillSteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ahfy or SkillSteps have ads?
Neither Ahfy nor SkillSteps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ahfy or SkillSteps?
Ahfy ships an update every 4 months, and SkillSteps daily. Most recently, Ahfy was updated on October 13, 2026 and SkillSteps on October 11, 2026.

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