Comparison

BoosterBuddy vs COGITO (MCT)

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

Head to head
About

BoosterBuddy

This app guides teens and young adults on a personal wellness journey. It helps manage daily habits, track appointments and medications, and encourages self-care and socialization through engaging quests and a supportive sidekick.

Highlights
  • Daily wellness check-ins
  • Coping skills guidance
  • Appointment and medication tracking
  • Task initiation support
  • Self-care routine following
  • Socialization encouragement
Features
Read full description

BoosterBuddy is a free app designed to help teens and young adults improve their mental health. Manage your personal wellness journey and earn achievements as your sidekick guides you through a series of daily quests designed to establish and sustain positive habits. •Check-in with how you are feeling each day •Use coping skills •Keep track of appointments and medications •Get started on tasks •Follow self-care routines •Increase real-life socialization As of April 30, 2021, Island Health, the entity that created the app, will no longer be able to support BoosterBuddy. With future operating system upgrades over time the app will cease to work. You are welcome to continue to use the app. For other resources to replace BoosterBuddy please visit www.HeretoHelp.bc.ca or talk with your physician or care team.

About

COGITO (MCT)

This self-help application offers daily exercises based on CBT and Metacognitive Training to improve psychological well-being. It provides specialized program packages for various issues, including gambling problems and psychotic experiences, and supports users in building regular exercise habits for lasting mental state changes.

Highlights
  • Daily self-help exercises
  • Program packages for specific issues
  • Based on CBT and Metacognitive Training
  • Customizable exercises
  • Optional daily reminders
  • Scientific study validated
Features
Read full description

COGITO is a self-help app to improve mental well-being. COGITO is your daily companion for improving your mental well-being and strengthening your self-esteem. Whether you are facing challenges or simply want to feel better day to day, COGITO supports you with simple, practical tools. It is funded by donations and remains completely free, with no ads, no hidden costs, and no data tracking. Choose from focused programs tailored to your needs, such as exercises for mood, anxiety, gambling, self-esteem, or pain. Each program includes practical, science-based exercises that you can apply immediately. Evidence based and effective COGITO is based on established psychological approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Metacognitive Training (MCT). Studies show it can reduce emotional distress and improve self-esteem (further information: see www.uke.de/cogito_app). Using COGITO consistently a few minutes a day produces real change. How it works • Choose a program that fits your current need, whether mood, anxiety, self-esteem, or another area • Complete short, focused exercises built on principles of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and other interventions • Set optional reminders to build a daily habit • Adapt exercises or create your own to make COGITO truly yours Consistency matters. Small steps repeated regularly lead to lasting change. COGITO helps you turn helpful strategies into everyday habits. Make COGITO your own personalised toolkit Important COGITO is a self-help tool and does not replace professional treatment such as psychotherapy. It is not suitable for acute crises or suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis, please seek professional help immediately. Permissions Photo Library: Add images to your exercises (optional) Camera: Add photos to your exercises (optional)

Screenshots

BoosterBuddy4 screens
COGITO (MCT)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: COGITO (MCT) at monthly against BoosterBuddy's every 14 months. COGITO (MCT) also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). BoosterBuddy's advantage is ratings volume (138 vs 5) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, 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

COGITO (MCT) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BoosterBuddy has 138 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of BoosterBuddy's written reviews are positive against 88% of COGITO (MCT)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BoosterBuddy ships an update every 14 months, COGITO (MCT) monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BoosterBuddy versus COGITO (MCT): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoosterBuddyCOGITO (MCT)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (138 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.3% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings138 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIsland HealthLara Buecker

Customer experience

BoosterBuddy

All ratings136 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews144 reviews
Positive90.3%
Neutral6.9%
Negative2.8%

COGITO (MCT)

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative5.0%

Bugs and requests

BoosterBuddy

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to remove the app from the phone
  • Coins/progress disappearing after updates
  • Notifications not working properly
  • Buddy's face/appearance issues

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to check-in and track mood multiple times per day
  • Option to customize buddy's appearance and personality
  • Inclusion of coping strategies for specific issues (e.g., eating disorders, self-harm, intrusive thoughts)
  • Integration of journaling and note-taking functionality
  • Addition of physical symptom tracking
Show 2 more
  • Passcode or login option for privacy
  • More diverse and age-appropriate content and design

COGITO (MCT)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BoosterBuddy

No in-app purchases

None

COGITO (MCT)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BoosterBuddy free?
BoosterBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is COGITO (MCT) free?
COGITO (MCT) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BoosterBuddy or COGITO (MCT)?
COGITO (MCT) is rated higher. BoosterBuddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while COGITO (MCT) averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do BoosterBuddy or COGITO (MCT) have ads?
Neither BoosterBuddy nor COGITO (MCT) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BoosterBuddy or COGITO (MCT)?
BoosterBuddy ships an update every 14 months, and COGITO (MCT) monthly. Most recently, BoosterBuddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and COGITO (MCT) on November 3, 2026.

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