Comparison

CBT for Beginners vs Samatha

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

Head to head
About

CBT for Beginners

This app offers a structured, science-based approach to managing anxiety and overthinking. It guides users through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to improve emotional regulation and develop healthier thinking patterns. Features include thought analysis, mood tracking, and personalized daily plans.

Highlights
  • Structured thought processing
  • Emotional progress tracking
  • Science-based CBT techniques
  • Personalized daily plan
  • AI-generated suggestions
  • Expert articles on mental wellness
Features
Read full description

CBT Therapy: Mental Health Journal is a structured, science-based tool designed to help you reduce overthinking, manage anxiety, and develop healthier thinking patterns. Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the app guides you through proven techniques that support emotional regulation, clearer thinking, and long-term mental wellness. This journal is built for users who want a practical, evidence-based approach to understanding and improving their thoughts, emotions, and daily reactions. What the app offers Clear and organized thought processing Write freely or use structured CBT prompts to analyze situations, challenge distortions, reframe negative thoughts, and build more balanced perspectives. Tracking emotional progress Monitor your mood, thought patterns, progress indicators, and long-term trends. Understand how your mindset changes over time. Science-based CBT techniques Access a library of practical tools, including thought reframing, anxiety reduction exercises, grounding strategies, stress-management techniques, and cognitive restructuring. Personalized daily plan Follow a structured, goal-oriented plan built around your needs, whether you aim to reduce overthinking, manage anxiety, improve self-awareness, or strengthen emotional resilience. AI-generated suggestions Receive personalized, context-aware recommendations based on your journal entries. AI provides practical next steps rooted in CBT principles. Expert articles and educational content Explore clear, accessible explanations of CBT, emotional regulation, stress, anxiety, cognitive distortions, and thought management. This app is not a medical device and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or therapy. *EULA*: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VOv3UmT0DFJfL1vxY3gHq0W8C_umJ9v8tKzQ1H8MafE/edit?usp=sharing Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yWoYqTDPyGKYWc_IySIl6N3jdS6v5j1_HnjfMU3ScL4/edit?usp=sharing

About

Samatha

Features
Read full description

Samatha is a quiet instrument for practitioners of The Mind Illuminated (TMI), the meditation manual by Culadasa (John Yates, PhD). It is not a content library. It is the tool you reach for twice a day: a sit timer with a hand-tuned singing bowl, an honest check-in, and the traditional ten-stage painting — alive, interactive, and centered on where YOU are. THE SIT • Wall-clock timer (survives locks and calls), gentle start and end bowls • Mindfulness bells: halfway, every 5 minutes, or random — the honest startle test for subtle dullness • Six-point preparation and four-step transition, straight from the practice • Your last note to yourself, shown exactly when it helps: before you sit • Live Activity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • A sit can never be lost — killed app, reboot: everything is restored THE HONEST STAGE LOGIC • After each sit, check what you actually experienced — each observation votes • A sit's lived stage is the median of its votes; in doubt, the lower one • The app NEVER promotes you. After three consecutive diagnosed sits above your stage, it points you to the book's mastery criteria — you confirm, honestly • Going back a stage after a pause is one tap. That's not failure, that's practice THE PATH • The traditional ten-stage elephant painting, fully interactive • Every stage: what to practice, what to avoid, the signs you're there, obstacles and graduated antidotes, mastery criteria • A safety card for destabilizing experiences — because a serious tool carries the book's guardrails, not just its techniques YOUR JOURNAL • Every sit, monthly sections, full CSV export anytime • Automatic, private iCloud backup — your data never touches our servers (there are none) Free. No ads. No account. No tracking. Independent app, not affiliated with Dharma Treasure or the authors. Original text throughout.

Screenshots

CBT for Beginners4 screens
Samatha4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: CBT for Beginners at 3 against Samatha's 1. CBT for Beginners also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CBT for Beginners versus Samatha: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBT for BeginnersSamatha
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (23 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB8 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDmytro HrechkoAlexis Girard

In-app purchases

None

CBT for Beginners

No in-app purchases

None

Samatha

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CBT for Beginners free?
CBT for Beginners is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Samatha free?
Samatha is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CBT for Beginners or Samatha have ads?
Neither CBT for Beginners nor Samatha shows ads.

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