Comparison

Back to Safety vs MindState

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

Head to head
About

Back to Safety

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35 practices, including 8 free. New: Step Back from Worrying Thoughts and Make Room for Feelings. Two practical exercises for moments when thoughts or feelings take up your attention. Back to Safety helps you practise regulation when you feel tense, overwhelmed, depleted or disconnected. Choose an exercise that fits the moment, check in with how you feel, and discover what you want to return to. The app was created by a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Every exercise includes scientific background and sources. The practices draw on research and clinical approaches involving breathing, grounding, self-compassion and body-based attention, among others. YOUR PERSONAL FOUR-WEEK PROGRAMME With Premium, you can practise for four weeks in a way that suits you. Choose your direction, pace and preferences. A brief check-in helps you find a suggested exercise; afterwards you record how well it suited you. Your overview shows what you have done. Build a personal set of exercises without a rigid schedule to keep up with. Your regulation card brings together exercises that suit you, your own signals and sources of support. Add a supportive phrase or write your own words. Save the card as a PDF or print a pocket-sized version. JOURNAL AND PROGRESS Record sessions and notes in your Journal. Progress lets you explore your own measurements and patterns over longer periods. The expanded Premium Journal and Progress reports explain the data and can be saved, printed or shared as PDFs when you choose. Standalone exercises outside the programme can count too. PRACTISE YOUR WAY โ€ข A growing library of short and longer exercises for tension, anxiety, overwhelm, shame and moments of disconnection or exhaustion โ€ข Before-and-after check-ins using the Affect Grid and two additional sliders โ€ข Breathing visuals, spoken guidance for selected exercises, and supporting sounds or haptic cues where available โ€ข A short quiz offering starting points for exercises โ€ข In-depth articles with explanations and sources โ€ข Ambient sounds including ocean, rain, piano and calm START FOR FREE Begin with eight complete exercises, including the physiological sigh, box breathing and 5-4-3-2-1 grounding. The free version also includes a journal, mood check-ins, scientific explanations, the quiz and basic insights. No account, ads or compulsory trial. PREMIUM Premium unlocks the personal four-week programme, regulation card, full exercise library, expanded Journal and Progress reports, and full ambient library. Choose a monthly or annual subscription; the current price is always shown before purchase. Your practice records remain on your device by default. If you share a PDF, you choose the destination. The app uses the app store's purchasing services for subscriptions. See the Privacy Policy for details. Back to Safety is intended for self-help and psychoeducation. It does not provide a diagnosis or replace professional care when needed. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.ggzijsselberkel.nl/back-to-safety-privacy

About

MindState

Features
Read full description

MindState is a calm sound studio for sleep, relaxation, focus, and deeper meditation. Most sound apps hand you fixed presets. MindState lets you shape gentle, personal listening sessions around the way you actually unwind, then save them and return whenever you need them. Sleep and wind down Ease toward rest with soft evening soundscapes. Quiet tones, gentle noise, and nature sounds like rain, ocean waves, and wind fade in and out smoothly, so nothing jolts you awake. Relax and ease stress Let your mind settle after a long day. Warm tones and natural ambience such as campfire, stream, crickets, and birdsong create a softer space for breathing, journaling, stretching, or simply resting. Meditate more deeply Build spacious, steady sessions for breathwork, body scans, and quiet reflection. Layer calm tones with ambience to fade out distractions and stay present. Focus and study Settle into reading, studying, writing, or deep work with steady, repeatable sound you can keep coming back to. Made to fit you Everyone responds to sound differently. What soothes one person can feel too busy for another. MindState gives you simple control over tone, volume, layers, and length, so each session feels right for your ears and your routine. A calm, simple way to listen - Start from a library of ready-made mixes - Adjust them in a few taps, or fine-tune every detail - Set how long each session lasts - Add your own audio when you want - Schedule gentle listening routines for morning or night - Preview before you save - Share a mix with a simple QR code - Listen with headphones, or use speaker-friendly tones without them - Available in 8 languages Create a mix. Listen. Adjust it until it feels right. Save it, and come back whenever you want to rest, reset, or focus. MindState is a tool for everyday calm, not a medical product. Use it in the way that helps you feel more rested, settled, and present. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.mindstatelabs.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Back to Safety4 screens
MindState4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Back to Safety at every 11 days against MindState's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Back to Safety sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and MindState sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Back to Safety ships an update every 11 days, MindState monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Back to Safety versus MindState: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBack to SafetyMindState
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 days โ€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size196 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGGZ IJssel-Berkel B.V.MindState Labs

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Back to Safety

Subscriptions2
  • BTS Premium โ€“ Monthly$7.991 Month
  • BTS Premium Yearly$49.991 Year
3 purchases

MindState

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Campanillas de barra de chakra$3.99

Questions

Is Back to Safety free?
Back to Safety is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MindState free?
MindState is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Back to Safety or MindState have ads?
Neither Back to Safety nor MindState shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Back to Safety or MindState?
Back to Safety ships an update every 11 days, and MindState monthly. Most recently, Back to Safety was updated on October 14, 2026 and MindState on October 15, 2026.

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