Comparison

AA 4th Step vs AA 12 Step Toolkit

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

Head to head
About

AA 4th Step

Securely record your 4th Step Inventory on your iPhone. This app offers a convenient way to complete your inventory, with options to type or speak answers, and securely email or print your results. It's designed for members to manage their inventory privately and efficiently.

Highlights
  • 100% Vault Secure storage
  • Type or speak answers
  • Resentment, Fear, and Sexual Conduct Inventories
  • Prompt lists for memory jogging
  • Secure PDF email/print options
  • Daily reminder notifications
  • Auto-lock and secure data deletion
Features
Read full description

The free “Vault” app was created by members for members as a means to enter their 4th Step Inventory information in a secure and convenient way. When complete, you can print out your inventory for use with your 5th Step. Features - 100% Vault Secure - Complete your inventory by column or row - Has Resentment, Fear, and Sexual Conduct Inventories to complete - Type or speak your answers - Easy check-box answers for “Parts of Self Affected” - Prompt lists for jogging your memory for People, Principals, and Institutions. - Prompt lists and check boxes for common Principals,Institutions and Fears - 4th Step term’s definitions in Help section - “Set Daily Reminder” option using your iphones push notifications - Email inventories to yourself or sponsor securely in PDF format - Print them out in horizontal spreadsheet style for easy reading and organization - Hand write in any inventory information you want to in empty rows. - “Delete All” safety feature securely wipes the info from your phone when completed - App "auto-locks" Vault whenever app is closed or whenever iphone is left idle. - All data is secured on the iphone itself. Nothing is stored in "the cloud" where it could be hacked. The Vault 4th Step Inventory App allows you to enter your inventory information in a logical step by step way, then saves the information in an inventory spreadsheet that is laid out much like many of the 4th Step guides that you can find on the internet (like Joe and Charlie’s). The difference is that the Vault app lets you work on your 4th step anywhere, anytime that you are free and in a safe place, NOT just when you are free at your home with your notebook. It is Vault Code protected at all times, so whether it is on your nightstand or at the coffee shop, NO ONE can access your inventory but you. We decided (through much discussion) to minimize all instructions on HOW to do a 4th Step. As alcoholics, we had no shortage of opinions on what each of us believed were the best instructions. We decided to use the original text from the Big Book for the actual questions for you to answer, instead of rewording them as we saw some of the 4th Step "guides" do. Your sponsor may want you to write out (with pen and paper) your 4th step. If that is the case, you may still utilize the app to collect your inventory information, then after printing it out, copy it over by hand. This app is not AA reviewed or approved. AA does not endorse or approve anything or anyone. All quotes are from the 1st edition of the Big Book. This app was created by members for members. Thanks to their generous support this app is FREE to anyone world-wide. Remember: Our primary purpose is to stay sober, and help another alcoholic. Thanks, Twelve Step Apps www.12StepApps.org

About

AA 12 Step Toolkit

This app provides a comprehensive set of tools for individuals in recovery, offering guidance, inventories, readings, and practical utilities based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. It includes features for sponsorship, step work, sobriety tracking, and personal reflections, all within a secure and easy-to-use interface.

Highlights
  • In-app sponsorship with messaging
  • Full Big Book text and step guides
  • Sobriety time calculator and statistics
  • Moral inventory and daily practice tools
  • Readings and prayers
  • Gratitude lists and personal notes
  • PIN, Face ID, and Touch ID security
Features
Read full description

12 Step Toolkit – Everything AA Members Need for Daily Recovery 12 Step Toolkit is a complete set of recovery tools designed to support your journey—day by day, step by step. Built around the principles found in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, this app combines guidance, inventories, readings, and practical utilities to help you stay connected to your programme. Whether you are new to recovery or continuing your journey, 12 Step Toolkit keeps everything you need in one secure, easy-to-use place. KEY FEATURES IN-APP SPONSORSHIP • Connect with thousands of sponsors and sponsees worldwide • Find a sponsor • Add sponsees • Secure, instant in-app messaging BIG BOOK & STEP WORK • Full 164 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous • 70+ additional stories from early editions • Step-by-step guides on how to work all 12 Steps • Dedicated sections for completing your own step work RECOVERY CALCULATOR • Track your clean or sober time with detailed statistics, averages, and milestones INVENTORIES & DAILY PRACTICES • Comprehensive Step 4 moral inventory • Step 10 spot-check tool • Interactive “On Awakening” inventory • Nightly review with reminders • Hourly mindfulness and consciousness reminders READINGS & PRAYERS Readings included: • AA Preamble • How It Works • The 12 Traditions • Promises (pp. 83–84) • Just For Today • On Awakening • On Retiring • A Vision For You Prayers included: • Serenity Prayer (standard and extended) • 3rd Step Prayer • 7th Step Prayer • 11th Step Prayer • The Lord’s Prayer GRATITUDE, NOTES & SHARING • Create gratitude lists • Write personal notes and reflections • Share inventories, lists, and notes using standard iOS sharing tools PRIVACY & SECURITY • PIN lock • Face ID and Touch ID support • Local-only storage for your step work, inventories, and notes WORK ALL 12 STEPS – RIGHT INSIDE THE APP Step 1: Track your sobriety time with accurate calculations Step 2: Reflect and acknowledge acceptance Step 3: Record your decision and milestone Step 4: Complete a detailed moral inventory Step 5: Share your Step 4 with a sponsor or trusted person Steps 6 & 7: Record readiness and willingness for change Step 8: Build your amends list Step 9: Track your amends as you make them Step 10: Maintain daily awareness with spot-check inventories Step 11: Complete your nightly review Step 12: Continue carrying the message Everything is guided, organised, and easy to update. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING & TERMS • Annual subscription: $39.99/year • Quarterly subscription: $15.99 • Subscriptions provide unlimited, ad-free access to all premium features • One-time purchases are available for enhanced in-app connections Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscription in Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, is forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Terms of Use: https://www.12steptoolkit.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.12steptoolkit.com/privacy IMPORTANT NOTICE This app is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Alcoholics Anonymous, AAWS, or any other 12-Step fellowship. “A.A.” and “Alcoholics Anonymous” are trademarks of A

Screenshots

AA 4th Step4 screens
AA 12 Step Toolkit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AA 12 Step Toolkit at Free against AA 4th Step's $2.99. AA 12 Step Toolkit also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 103). AA 4th Step's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and review sentiment (79% vs 63%). On ads and device support 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

AA 12 Step Toolkit is free to download; AA 4th Step costs $2.99 up front. AA 12 Step Toolkit sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. AA 4th Step asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AA 12 Step Toolkit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AA 12 Step Toolkit has 3.6K ratings behind it against 103, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of AA 4th Step's written reviews are positive against 63% of AA 12 Step Toolkit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AA 4th Step ships an update monthly, AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
AA 4th Step versus AA 12 Step Toolkit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAA 4th StepAA 12 Step Toolkit
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (103 ratings)4.8 (3.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews — better63.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1033.6K — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB49 MB
Age rating12+17+
Developer12 Step Apps LLCTushar Bhagat

Customer experience

AA 4th Step

All ratings103 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral4.9%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral8.8%
Negative11.8%

AA 12 Step Toolkit

All ratings3,627 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive63.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative28.9%

Bugs and requests

AA 4th Step

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AA 12 Step Toolkit

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to add sobriety date
  • Hourly reminders not working properly
  • Login/sync issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to change time zone
  • Improve sharing/connectivity features
  • Reduce ads/make free version more usable

In-app purchases

None

AA 4th Step

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

AA 12 Step Toolkit

Subscriptions6
  • Weekly Subscription$1.497 Days
  • Quarterly2 variants$9.993 Months
  • Quarterly Subscription$15.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Annual$19.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
One-time5
  • 3 Months Sponsee Upgrade$9.99
  • 3 Months Unlock For 1 Sponsee$15.99
  • 1 Year Sponsee Upgrade$19.99
Show 2 more
  • 1 Year Unlock For 1 Sponsee$39.99
  • Lifetime Access$99.99

Questions

Is AA 4th Step free?
AA 4th Step costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AA 12 Step Toolkit free?
AA 12 Step Toolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AA 4th Step or AA 12 Step Toolkit?
AA 12 Step Toolkit is rated higher. AA 4th Step averages 4.5 out of 5 from 103 ratings, while AA 12 Step Toolkit averages 4.8 from 3.6K ratings.
Do AA 4th Step or AA 12 Step Toolkit have ads?
Neither AA 4th Step nor AA 12 Step Toolkit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AA 4th Step or AA 12 Step Toolkit?
AA 4th Step ships an update monthly, and AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. Most recently, AA 4th Step was updated on September 28, 2026 and AA 12 Step Toolkit on October 2, 2026.

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