ACT Coach vs COVID Coach Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ACT Coach
This app helps users practice Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to manage difficult thoughts and feelings. It provides exercises, tools, and tracking logs to support living a value-driven life. Developed in consultation with therapists, it's designed for individuals undergoing ACT.
- ACT exercises
- Tools for managing thoughts
- Commitment to values
- Tracking logs
- Information on ACT
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to help you live with unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses without avoiding them or being controlled by them. In ACT, you are encouraged to commit to actions so that you can live your life by your values, even in the face of these unpleasant experiences. This app was developed for Veterans, Service members, and other people who are in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in consultation with a therapist. It offers exercises, tools, information, and tracking logs so you can practice what you’re learning in your daily life. ACT Coach was created by VA’s National Center for PTSD.
COVID Coach Explorer
This app offers evidence-based strategies for managing pandemic-related stress and provides information on maintaining health and safety. It is designed for authorized users participating in a study and requires login credentials.
- Evidence-informed coping strategies
- Pandemic-related stress management
- Information on staying healthy and safe
- Authorized user access
- Requires username and password
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This app provides: - dozens of evidence-informed coping strategies for managing pandemic-related stress - extensive information about staying healthy, safe, and well COVID Coach Explorer is not intended to replace face-to-face clinical care. This app is designed specifically for those already enrolled in an authorized user experience study. The app REQUIRES a username and password to fully unlock. Please contact the developers if you are interested in learning more about COVID Coach Explorer: mobilementalhealth@va.gov
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: COVID Coach Explorer at fortnightly against ACT Coach's every 14 months. COVID Coach Explorer also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for ACT Coach against 4.6 for COVID Coach Explorer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 13 respectively.
ACT Coach ships an update every 14 months, COVID Coach Explorer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ACT Coach | COVID Coach Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (16 ratings) — better | 4.6 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 310 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research |
Customer experience
ACT Coach
COVID Coach Explorer
In-app purchases
ACT Coach
No in-app purchases
COVID Coach Explorer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ACT Coach free?
Is COVID Coach Explorer free?
Which has better reviews, ACT Coach or COVID Coach Explorer?
Do ACT Coach or COVID Coach Explorer have ads?
Which is updated more often, ACT Coach or COVID Coach Explorer?
Other comparisons
