# 12 Steps vs AA 12 Step Toolkit

The clearest difference is monetization model: 12 Steps at free with in-app purchases against AA 12 Step Toolkit's subscription. 12 Steps also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (81% vs 63%). AA 12 Step Toolkit's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 12 Steps sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and AA 12 Step Toolkit sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for 12 Steps against 4.8 for AA 12 Step Toolkit. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 3.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of 12 Steps's written reviews are positive against 63% of AA 12 Step Toolkit's.

12 Steps ships an update every 5 days, AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 12 Steps | AA 12 Step Toolkit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-tools-for-recovery/id990308161/reviews)** | [4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-12-step-toolkit/id1452072215/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 3.6K |
| Positive reviews | **81.0% of reviews** | 63.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 61 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Product Growth LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704221883) | [Tushar Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/901932809) |

## What reviewers say

### 12 Steps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-tools-for-recovery/id990308161)

Access essential 12-step literature, audio resources, and a supportive community for recovery. Track your sobriety, find meetings, and connect with others on their journey.

**Highlights:** Complete 12-step literature and audio, Daily reflections and prayers, Sobriety tracker with milestones, Live meeting finder (phone, Zoom), Active sober community support, Speaker talks and podcasts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| One Year Ad-free | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| One Year Ad-free | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for recovery
- 🙏 Helpful prayers and resources
- 📱 Portable and convenient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💯 Fantastic for newcomers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 📖 Outdated book edition
- 💤 Doesn't save reading progress
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate pages
- 🔊 Low-quality speaker tapes

**Reported bugs**

- Login/signup issues
- Sobriety date calculator not working
- Page formatting and scrolling problems
- Frequent crashes and app instability

**Requested features**

- Add 12 Steps and 12 Traditions text
- Implement bookmarking and highlighting
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Add daily meditations and reflections
- Implement push notifications for reminders


### AA 12 Step Toolkit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-12-step-toolkit/id1452072215)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly Subscription | $15.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| 3 Months Sponsee Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 Months Unlock For 1 Sponsee | $15.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year Unlock For 1 Sponsee | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Helpful for recovery
- 👍 Great reference tool
- 🚀 Integral part of recovery
- 👍 Useful for journaling and working steps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Technical issues (app crashes/closes)
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Too many ads/intrusive ads
- 🐛 App not working/crashing

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 12 Steps free?

12 Steps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is AA 12 Step Toolkit free?

AA 12 Step Toolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 12 Steps or AA 12 Step Toolkit?

12 Steps is rated higher. 12 Steps averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while AA 12 Step Toolkit averages 4.8 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do 12 Steps or AA 12 Step Toolkit have ads?

12 Steps shows ads; AA 12 Step Toolkit does not.

### Which is updated more often, 12 Steps or AA 12 Step Toolkit?

12 Steps ships an update every 5 days, and AA 12 Step Toolkit every 2 months. Most recently, 12 Steps was updated on November 10, 2026 and AA 12 Step Toolkit on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*