Best Sobriety Apps 2024: Our Firsthand Experiences

I Am Sober earns our award for the Best Overall Sobriety App because of its wide range of motivational tools, peer support, and additional counseling options. Anyone struggling with any form of addiction can find help with the I Am Sober app. At registration, you can enter your specific addiction from an extensive list that includes things like drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, video games, and nicotine. This allows the app to connect you to other members with the same addiction, which is a terrific way to build a support system with those facing similar hardships. You can also add an additional addiction to monitor with the free version of I Am Sober, and up to ten addictions with I Am Sober Plus.

On the main dashboard, the “Today” tab, is where you’ll make your daily pledge to stay sober and receive suggested workbook activities, like making a list of people to call when you’re struggling or creating action plans for fighting cravings. The “Community” tab includes message boards that are categorized by milestones and addictions. For instance, if you’ve been sober from alcohol for 30 days, you’ll be connected to a message board with others who haven’t had a drink in 30 days. If you choose to upgrade to I Am Sober Plus, you can create private groups with up to 25 members to share experiences, events, and boost accountability.

If you’d like to connect with a licensed therapist in your state, I Am Sober offers a 20% discount through its app. After you click on the “Support” tab in the I Am Sober app, you’ll be able to create an account on the BetterHelp platform and the discount will be automatically applied. I Am Sober’s personalized program and options of one-on-one therapy and peer support groups make it an excellent, all-encompassing sobriety app.

For more information about what the premium version offers, you can read our in-depth review of I Am Sober.

Reframe won our award for Best Sobriety App for 1:1 Coaching Support due to its vast offerings of meetings. Users can select their coach and, depending on the availability of the coach, have a meeting on the same day. The Reframe coaches are there to help users identify goals, fight off cravings, build coping skills, and offer general support and check-ins.

The sign-up process is straightforward, and the user has access to a fully customized plan that incorporates their goals. Reframe also offers an immense amount of educational articles and activities to supplement the 1:1 coaching that is offered. The Reframe app makes it simple to track daily drink consumption and even has a “Cravings Mode” to help users with distractions and breathing techniques to stave off urges. 

To learn more about this app, check out our in-depth review of Reframe. 

WEConnect earned our award for Best Sobriety App for Peer Support because it offers specialized meetings for various populations and groups of people, such as women, the LGBTQIA+ community, those struggling with grief, and more. WEConnect also accepts some insurance plans for counseling, which can make this service more affordable to many members.

The certification process for WEConnect peer recovery support specialists varies by state, but overall, the company typically chooses specialists who have completed between 20-100 hours of peer support work, have personal recovery experience, and have training in recovery management and advocacy.

WEConnect support specialists utilize a rewards-based contingency management method in their wellness plans. Contingency management is a type of behavioral therapy that uses incentives to help members stay committed to the program. Rewards include digital gift cards to reinforce positive behavior and help members build financial stability. The WEConnect app also has a free self-care tool that encourages you to create healthy routines, which is a terrific supplement to one-on-one counseling and wellness planning.

To learn more about this app, check out our in-depth review of WeConnect.

The Sober Time app’s stand-out feature is its sober tracking clock which is displayed on a customizable home screen. Counting sober days is critical for many people in recovery, which is why Sober Time earned our award for Best Sobriety App for Habit Tracking. It can provide a sense of achievement and motivate users to stick to their sober journey. Sober Time not only shows you the days you’ve been sober, but it also includes metrics like minutes, hours, weeks, and years.

Sober Time also features tools to help you form an easily accessible support system. It has a community message board to connect with other members and share milestones, experiences, and challenges. It also includes a “Contact Sponsor” button where you can enter your sponsor’s name and phone number, and all you have to do is click the button to connect with them via phone or text.

Nobu offers users a unique experience that focuses on mental health alongside their sobriety journey. This is why it won our award for Best Sobriety + Mental Health App. Nobu is free to use and the sign-up process was very easy. The apps’ content is vast and provides many tools to help fight cravings such as breathwork, meditation, yoga, and more. Users can track their progress with goals and journal about their experiences.

Nobu also offers access to a therapy directory, though this feature froze during our review. There is also a mood tracking feature that allows users to document their emotions, which is especially relevant for those who are trying to become or remain sober.

Sober wins our award for Best Free Sobriety App because it tracks sober days, provides motivational tools, and connects you to a recovery community at no cost. While other free apps typically focus on one key feature, Sober provides multiple tools that aid those in recovery. The Sober app was developed by a Harvard-educated licensed chemical dependency and certified alcoholism and drug counselor, and this level of expertise is apparent in the app’s content.²

One element of Sober that stands out is the personalized motivational messages. The first thing you do is choose a question that applies to your sobriety journey. These questions include “Are you experiencing cravings or having relapse thoughts?”, “Do you want to fix a bad behavior?,” and “Do you want some good old spirituality?” After you select a question, the Sober app produces customized daily inspirational content. At the end of each message, there’s a “To Do” section that supplies you with tips on how to manage specific challenges.

The 12-Step Toolkit app follows the traditional 12-step programs that are offered at most Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The app gives users access to all of the prayers and readings used in an in-person 12-step program, along with the AA Big Book, which serves as a “general guidebook” for those completing a sobriety program (FN1).

The app also allows users to add their sponsors, which can be done by adding your phone number and selecting an online sponsor. Users can also become sponsors themselves and can be connected to other app users looking for accountability and support. There are also a number of stories in the 12-Step Toolkit of other alcohol users and their successes and challenges with sobriety.

LifeBac is a great option for alcohol users who are looking to add medication to their sober journey to help with cravings. The process starts with a comprehensive questionnaire on drinking habits and cravings. Then, you’re paired up with a LifeBac medical provider who conducts an intake evaluation.

If your medical provider believes you’re eligible to treat your alcohol cravings with Baclofen, the medication used to fight cravings, it will be automatically mailed to you in discreet packaging. The subscription cost does cover the price of the medication sent. Meanwhile, you’re paired with a personal coach to help you set realistic and achievable goals for curbing your drinking. LifeBac offers unlimited phone/text communication with coaches and medical providers to ensure members are on the right track with dosage and personal support.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an opioid use disorder, Bicycle Health might be a great option for anyone seeking medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Bicycle Health matches you with a medical provider online or in person in select cities. Once you complete your initial assessment, your medical provider will determine if Suboxone is the right treatment for you. Suboxone is a medication that helps relieve opioid withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.⁴

If your medical provider decides that you can benefit from Suboxone, a prescription will be sent to your local pharmacy the same day as your assessment. Patients also gain access to an online recovery support team and receive follow-up appointments as needed. Because everything Bicycle Health has to offer is available online, it makes it one of the most convenient and effective opioid use disorder treatment resources.

To learn more about how their platform works, you can check out our in-depth review of Bicycle Health.

Many people in recovery can benefit from building a local social network, which is one of the main goals of the Loosid app. When you first register with Loosid, you’ll be asked if you’re interested in meeting sober people in your community, sober dating, or both. You will then be directed to the appropriate area and can begin making friend requests and following other members. Loosid also provides “Boozeless Guides” to online events, local events, restaurants, and travel sites that support a sober lifestyle.

Loosid’s premium version costs $19.99 monthly and includes S.A.M™, Sobriety and Addiction Mentor. SAM is an AI assistant that tracks your progress and motivates you to stay sober. Loosid also allows you to pair your premium subscription to your treatment center or sponsor to connect your support system. While Loosid’s premium version does offer additional support, the basic free version can be considered a substantive sobriety tool.