Comparison

Calm Harm vs DBT Coach

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

Head to head
About

Calm Harm

This app offers immediate techniques to help manage urges to self-harm. It provides activities to distract, comfort, and express oneself, along with breathing exercises and journaling tools. It aims to help users ride the wave of urges until they fade.

Highlights
  • Manage self-harm urges
  • Distraction activities
  • Comforting techniques
  • Express yourself tools
  • Breathing exercises
  • Journaling and self-reflection
Features
Read full description

The urge to self-harm is like a wave. It feels the most powerful when you start wanting to do it. Join over 2 million users and learn to ride the wave with the free Calm Harm app by choosing activities from these categories: Comfort, Distract, Express Yourself, Release, and Random. There is also a breathing technique to help be mindful and stay in the moment, regulate difficult emotions and reduce tension. When you ride the wave, the urge to self-harm will fade. Calm Harm is an award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause, in collaboration with young people, using principles from the evidence-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). It is built to NHS standards and approved by ORCHA. Calm Harm provides some immediate techniques to help break the cycle of self-harm behaviours and explore underlying trigger factors; build a ‘safety net’ of helpful thoughts, behaviours and access to supportive people; and provides the opportunity to journal and self-reflect. It also provides signposts to help. The Calm Harm app is private, anonymous and safe. Reviews from Calm Harm app users: • ‘This app helps me so much. I can't thank you enough for improving my life.’ • ‘I was told by my support worker to download this, best thing I ever did!! It’s helped me a lot through the tough times and I would definitely recommend this!!!’ • ‘This app saves lives. It is a beautiful, beautiful tool. Thank you endlessly.’ Awards for Calm Harm include: • Health Tech Awards Winner ‘Best Healthcare App of the Year’ 2021 • Digital Leaders 100 Awards Winner ‘Tech for Good Initiative of the Year’ 2020 (for stem4’s app portfolio, including Calm Harm) • Third Sector Awards Winner ‘Digital Innovation of the Year’ 2019 Please note that the Calm Harm app is not a substitute for the assessment and individualised treatment by a health/mental health professional. Please also note that if you forget both your passcode and security answer, these cannot be reset as we do not create user accounts. You will need to reinstall the app, losing any previous data.

About

DBT Coach

Learn and practice Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to manage emotions, build resilience, and improve relationships. This app offers expert-created lessons, interactive exercises, and progress tracking to support personal growth and emotional well-being.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive DBT skills library
  • Interactive video lessons and animated guides
  • AI-powered personalized skills coach
  • Intuitive diary card for mood tracking
  • Progress visualization and clinician sharing
  • Guided meditations and self-reflection questionnaires
  • Crisis support hotlines
Features
Read full description

Transform Your Life with Evidence-Based Skills. Feel more in control. Build resilience. Transform overwhelming emotions into actionable skills. DBT Coach is the most comprehensive DBT app available - trusted by over 3 million users. WHY DBT COACH WORKS Real Results: Most users show measurable improvement within 90 days. Our evidence-based approach combines DBT expertise with engaging, memorable content. Learn Skills That Stick 100+ expert video lessons 60+ animated skill guides Interactive exercises that reinforce learning Effortless Progress Tracking: Your intuitive diary card makes daily tracking simple. Visualize patterns, celebrate wins, and share seamlessly with your therapist - no more weekly emails. WHAT'S INSIDE - Comprehensive, beautifully designed DBT Diary tracking which lets you control what you want to track, how much detail (context) you want to provide. Additional context lets you to see advanced analytics - your patterns, progress, risk and provides recommendations. - Ability to share in graphical format as well as the traditional (tabular) diary card format - Complete DBT Skills Library Master Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. - Each skill includes videos, exercises, and real-world guides. 1,000+ Guided Meditations World-class teachers across mindfulness, crisis management, sleep, and self-compassion themes. - Smart Analytics and Insights Discover connections between skills practice and emotional well-being with data-driven insights. - Motivation System Earn achievements, track streaks, and celebrate milestones as you build your practice. 100+ Interactive Worksheets Practice exercises linked to lessons. - Review history to see your progress. - Crisis Survival Toolkit Quick access to distress tolerance skills when you need them most. - Therapist Integration Share diary cards, exercises, and progress with your clinician in real-time through our companion platform. - Beautiful Design Dark mode, customizable tracking, and intuitive interface. WHO IT'S FOR - Dealing with stress or emotional overwhelm - In DBT therapy and need a companion tool - Committed to personal growth and wellness WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT - Comprehensive: Complete DBT curriculum coverage - Clinically rigorous: Expert-reviewed, cited in journals - Visual and engaging: Video, animation, and interaction - Therapist-connected: Seamless clinical care integration - Proven effective: Real outcomes, real data SUBSCRIPTION Free trial available $11.99/month or $59.99/6 months (save 17%) Cancel anytime in settings Auto-renews unless turned off 24 hours before period ends Payment charged to account at confirmation IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER DBT Coach is an educational and self-help wellness app. It is NOT a medical device and does NOT provide medical diagnoses, treatment plans, or prescriptions. All content is psychoeducational in nature, designed to teach general Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) coping skills. The AI coach feature is a skills coaching tool, not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This app complements - not replaces - professional therapy. For best results, use alongside a qualified mental health provider. If you are in crisis, please contact emergency services or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You deserve support that meets you where you are. Download DBT Coach and take the next step toward a life worth living. Privacy: https://www.resiliens.com/privacy Terms: https://www.resiliens.com/terms

Screenshots

Calm Harm4 screens
DBT Coach1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DBT Coach at Free against Calm Harm's $1.99. DBT Coach also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Calm Harm's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, 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

DBT Coach is free to download; Calm Harm costs $1.99 up front. DBT Coach sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Calm Harm asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DBT Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 682 and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Calm Harm's written reviews are positive against 69% of DBT Coach's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calm Harm ships an update every 4 months, DBT Coach fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Calm Harm versus DBT Coach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalm HarmDBT Coach
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (682 ratings)4.6 (1.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews — better68.7% of reviews
Number of ratings6821.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#19 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB139 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperStem4Resiliens Inc.

Customer experience

Calm Harm

All ratings681 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews244 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral5.3%
Negative14.3%

DBT Coach

All ratings1,729 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews323 reviews
Positive68.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative21.7%

User reviews

Calm Harm

From 682 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for self-harm, anxiety, and mental health issues
  • 🚀 Free app with no ads or in-app purchases
  • 💡 Wide range of activities and coping techniques
  • 👍 Customizable themes and mascots
  • 👍 Tracks progress and urge patterns

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Login/password issues, unable to reset or recover account
  • 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data usage
  • 👎 Some activities require physical resources not always available
  • 👎 Repetitive or boring activities for some users
  • 👎 Doesn't work for all users, not a substitute for professional help

DBT Coach

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent interface and packed with skills and tools
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🌟 Helpful for managing BPD, anxiety, and depression
  • 📚 Comprehensive DBT content and lessons
  • 💻 Seamless integration with therapist's app

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription, especially for those with limited means
  • 🔒 Paywall blocks access to important features like crisis support
  • 🐛 Frequent bugs, crashes, and login issues
  • 🔄 Constantly logging users out, requiring re-authentication
  • 📝 Editing and customization options are limited

Bugs and requests

Calm Harm

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezing or crashing on certain devices
  • Inconsistent or buggy behavior of certain features
  • Layout and UI issues on newer smartphone models
  • Syncing or data loss problems when switching devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more in-app activities and distractions
  • Implement dark mode or customizable themes
  • Allow users to edit or delete journal entries
  • Add support for Apple Watch or other wearables
  • Provide more language options and localization
Show 1 more
  • Integrate with other mental health apps or services

DBT Coach

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Diary card entries not saving properly
  • Inability to log food or physical activity
  • Apple Health integration not working
  • Certain meditations and lessons not functioning
  • Inconsistent performance and unexpected crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow more customization of diary card and tracked items
  • Improve stability and reduce bugs
  • Offer more affordable subscription options
  • Add ability to share diary entries with multiple providers
  • Improve navigation and make the app more user-friendly

In-app purchases

None

Calm Harm

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

DBT Coach

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Family Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
  • Six Month Subscription3 Days trial$59.996 Months

Questions

Is Calm Harm free?
Calm Harm costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DBT Coach free?
DBT Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Calm Harm or DBT Coach?
DBT Coach is rated higher. Calm Harm averages 4.4 out of 5 from 682 ratings, while DBT Coach averages 4.6 from 1.7K ratings.
Do Calm Harm or DBT Coach have ads?
Neither Calm Harm nor DBT Coach shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Calm Harm or DBT Coach?
Calm Harm ships an update every 4 months, and DBT Coach fortnightly. Most recently, Calm Harm was updated on October 29, 2026 and DBT Coach on October 29, 2026.

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