BoosterBuddy vs COGITO (MCT)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Daily wellness check-ins
- Coping skills guidance
- Appointment and medication tracking
- Task initiation support
- Self-care routine following
- Socialization encouragement
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- Daily self-help exercises
- Program packages for specific issues
- Based on CBT and Metacognitive Training
- Customizable exercises
- Optional daily reminders
- Scientific study validated
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
BoosterBuddy ships an update every 14 months, COGITO (MCT) monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BoosterBuddy | COGITO (MCT) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (138 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.3% of reviews — better | 87.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 138 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 152 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Island Health | Lara Buecker |
Customer experience
BoosterBuddy
COGITO (MCT)
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 moreShow fewer
- 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
BoosterBuddy
No in-app purchases
COGITO (MCT)
No in-app purchases









