Comparison

ReliefLink vs A Friend Asks

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

Head to head
About

ReliefLink

This app offers confidential mental health support, including personalized profiles, mood tracking, safety planning, and coping exercises. It also features a map locator for mental health facilities and emergency contact options.

Highlights
  • Personalized mental health profile
  • Mood and thought tracking
  • Safety plan creation
  • Coping methods and relaxation exercises
  • Map locator for mental health facilities
  • Emergency contact options
Features
Read full description

*ReliefLink is an innovative free app developed specifically for suicide prevention and more generally for improving your mental health that brings confidential and supportive help right to the palm of your hand! ReliefLink enables you to create a personalized profile that includes pertinent information such as your mental health professional’s contact info, insurance coverage, and current medications. Track your mood and thoughts daily, create a safety plan, make a list of reminders (e.g. appointments, take medication, etc.) and check out the unique coping methods such as voice-recorded mindfulness and relaxation exercises or simply enjoy relaxing music! Need to find mental health help near you, especially in a crisis? Use the Map Locator to find the closest hospitals or other mental health treatment facilities. You can also find help through the therapist and support group links. **Use the Emergency button to view options such as Call 911, Helpline, Counselor, and more. And for encouraging messages or up-to-date mental health news from the ReliefLink Team, follow us on Twitter @relieflink! The ReliefLink App was developed for the purpose of entry into the SAMHSA Suicide Prevention: Continuity of Care and Follow-Up Mobile App Challenge in August 2013. The app won 1st place in the contest in September 2013 and was presented at the White House. *This is app is a supplemental tool to help the user manage his/her daily mental health, monitor suicidal feelings and thoughts, and offer options for seeking help. It should not be used in place of professional mental health or medical help. **The ReliefLink team urges anyone having a medical emergency to call 911 immediately.

About

A Friend Asks

Learn how to recognize and respond to a friend who may be considering suicide. Access warning signs, helpful actions, and immediate contact information for support.

Highlights
  • Recognize suicide warning signs
  • Learn do's and don'ts
  • Access National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • Support for friends and self
Features
Read full description

Would you know how to respond if you recognized your friend may be thinking about suicide? Here you will have access to the warning signs, do’s and don’ts, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a click away. Don’t be afraid to ask for help…for a friend or yourself.

Screenshots

ReliefLink4 screens
A Friend Asks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: A Friend Asks at 4.5 against ReliefLink's 3.8. A Friend Asks also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%). ReliefLink's advantage is update cadence (every 13 months vs every 27 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

A Friend Asks holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of ReliefLink's written reviews are positive against 100% of A Friend Asks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ReliefLink ships an update every 13 months, A Friend Asks every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on July 29, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ReliefLink versus A Friend Asks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReliefLinkA Friend Asks
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (9 ratings)4.5 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 13 months — betterEvery 27 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB22 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperEmory UniversityThe Jason Foundation, Inc.

Customer experience

ReliefLink

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative10.0%

A Friend Asks

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ReliefLink

No in-app purchases

None

A Friend Asks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ReliefLink free?
ReliefLink is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is A Friend Asks free?
A Friend Asks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ReliefLink or A Friend Asks?
A Friend Asks is rated higher. ReliefLink averages 3.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while A Friend Asks averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.
Do ReliefLink or A Friend Asks have ads?
Neither ReliefLink nor A Friend Asks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ReliefLink or A Friend Asks?
ReliefLink ships an update every 13 months, and A Friend Asks every 27 months. Most recently, ReliefLink was updated on July 29, 2026 and A Friend Asks on June 1, 2026.

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