Ember vs Otto
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ember
This app offers a private, compassionate companion to help you stop drinking and stay sober. It provides immediate support during cravings with guided conversations and coping tools, without judgment or shame.
- Private craving support
- Guided coping tools
- Compassionate reset after drinking
- Sober time tracking
- Money and time saved tracker
- Milestone achievements
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Ember helps you stop drinking and stay sober — not with another day-counter, but with a warm companion who sits with you through the hard moments. When a craving hits, Ember is right there: a calm, private coach for the 2am kind of night a streak counter can't reach. KEEP YOUR FLAME LIT Your sober time is a single flame you tend. It breathes while you're lit, dims to a coal when a craving hits, and relights the moment you get through it. Your day count is simply how long it's stayed burning. A COACH FOR THE MOMENT THE URGE HITS Tap "I'm having an urge" any time, day or night. Ember sits with you through it — a short, grounded conversation plus one coping tool that fits the moment: an urge-surf timer, breathing, play-the-tape, or your own reasons for stopping. The urge passes. The flame relights. PRIVATE BY DESIGN — NO FEED, NO ACCOUNT No public community. No feed to doom-scroll. No sign-up. Your recovery is yours: everything stays on your device, and you can start in the first five seconds. Trust is the whole point. A RESET WITHOUT SHAME If you drink, Ember never shames you. The flame gently goes out, and we relight it — that's all this ever is. Your history and journal are always kept. No lost streaks, no punishment. SEE WHAT SOBRIETY GIVES BACK Watch your sober days, the money you've saved, and the time you've reclaimed add up. Reach milestones — 1 day, 1 week, 30, 60, 90 — with a warm flare, and share a flame card if you want to. BUILT FOR ALCOHOL, ON PURPOSE Ember is for stopping drinking and staying sober — not moderation, not "drink less," not a twelve-step program. One focused job, done with care. A GENTLE NOTE ON SAFETY If you drink heavily, please talk to a doctor before stopping — alcohol withdrawal can be serious. Ember is a companion, not medical treatment, and it will always point you toward real help, including 988 and SAMHSA, in a crisis. EMBER PRO Everything you need to get sober is free forever: the flame, your counter, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, the craving coach, core coping tools, daily reflections tuned to your triggers, milestones, and the compassionate reset. Ember Pro unlocks unlimited coaching, an Apple Watch flame, Face ID lock, and iCloud backup — yearly with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time purchase for lifetime. Monthly is also available. The price shows before you buy. Keep your flame lit. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ember.aiappnation.com/privacy Ember Pro is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. The lifetime option is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
Otto
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Otto is the friendly otter who feels every drink with you — and helps you drink less. Quitting or cutting back on alcohol is hard, but you don't have to do it alone. Otto reacts in real time as you log drinks, giving you an instant, honest, and surprisingly sweet mirror for your choices. No lectures, no judgment — just a companion who's rooting for you. Log a drink in one tap. Beer, wine, cocktails, shots, or seltzers — pick it and you're done. Otto shifts through five expressive states as your estimated blood alcohol rises, so you always have a friendly visual cue for how you're doing. See your live BAC estimate. Using the Widmark formula and your personal body stats, Otto shows an estimated blood alcohol level that decays over time, plus a sober countdown. This is an informational estimate only — never use it to decide whether it's safe to drive. Build streaks that actually mean something. Track alcohol-free days, chase your best streak, and watch your calendar fill with mini-Otto faces and mint dots for every clean day. Progress you can actually see. Watch your savings add up. Otto compares your drinking against your personal baseline to show real money saved and drinks avoided — proof that cutting back pays off, literally. Set it up your way. A quick, judgment-free onboarding lets you choose your goal — quit entirely or just cut back — along with your weekly limit, body stats, and drink cost, so everything Otto shows you is personal to you. Your data stays yours. No accounts, no cloud, no one watching. Everything lives privately on your device. Whether you're aiming for one dry week or a whole new relationship with alcohol, Otto is the small, encouraging nudge that makes the journey feel lighter. Download Otto and start your streak today. Terms of Use (Apple Licensed EULA): https://8bca3gx225but1dzm74ej-web.rork.live/terms Privacy Policy: https://8bca3gx225but1dzm74ej-web.rork.live/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ember at 4.5 against Otto's 3.0. Ember also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Otto sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Ember holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Ember ships an update fortnightly, Otto every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Ember | Otto |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PLAYRIOT LLC | Sharepeace, LLC |
In-app purchases
Ember
- Ember Pro — Monthly$7.991 Month
- Ember Pro — Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Ember Lifetime$79.99
Otto
- Pro monthly$9.991 Month
- Pro yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year








