Wysa is a user-friendly, AI chatbot-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app that teaches CBT techniques, and offers meditation, yoga, and guided journaling activities. There is both a free and premium version of the app, as well as an option for mental health coaching. The premium version cost starts at $68.99 per year, and coaching starts at $29.99 per 30-minute text-based session.
Pros & Cons of Wysa
The Wysa app is user-friendly and easy to navigate, and all of the CBT activities take around 5-10 minutes to complete. The activities and exercises are all guided by an AI chatbot, which can feel restricting and frustrating for some. While Wysa says they offer therapy, it is actually mental health coaching from either a US-based coach or a therapist licensed in India (legally, they are not able to offer therapy in the US). All coaching is done through live texting sessions, with no face-to-face sessions available.
Where to Download the Wysa App
Android users can download Wysa on the Google Play Store.
If you are an Apple user, you can download Wysa in the Apple App Store.
What Is Wysa?
Wysa describes itself as a self-management CBT tool that uses an AI Pocket Penguin Coach to help you manage anxiety, depression, stress or anger and more. The overall goal of the app is to teach you to identify how you’re feeling and recognize how these feelings directly affect your mental health.
Wysa’s in-app activities feature educational modules, called “Packs”, on everything from stress management and managing anger to how to deal with school stress and getting better sleep. Each module features various “exercises,” that you complete with the guidance of the Wysa AI bot. The little penguin asks questions, suggest mindfulness activities, or provide you with short exercise videos to get your body moving. You can view all of the modules in the free app, but you will only have access to one of the exercises in each module. In order to unlock the entire library, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium app.
If needed, you can also sign up for the “therapy” option in the Wysa app, which gives you access to a mental health coach (not a licensed therapist) as well as all of the content in the premium version. It is important to note that while Wysa calls this service therapy, it is actually coaching with either a US-based coach or a therapist located in India. Since these therapists do not live in the US they are unable to provide diagnoses or provide treatment, but they can offer you support and encouragement. Live sessions are 30 minutes weekly, and are done through instant messaging in the app.
In between live sessions, you can keep in contact with your coach by sending them messages anytime. You can usually expect a response at least once daily. After attending a live session, your coach will assign you specific tasks to complete prior to your next session. All of these tasks are always completed with the Wysa AI bot as your guide. However, the AI bot is not great at understanding replies outside of the provided handful of responses available to you in the chatroom.
An interesting thing to note about Wysa is that it does not ask you to create an account or to enter your real name or email address. Everything remains completely anonymous and all you have to share is a nickname to get started.
Wysa for Employers
Wysa for Employers is a program companies can sign up for to provide their employees with Wysa’s Self-Care premium app. Employers will also receive access to analytics and insights, co-branded content, and a mental health calendar to help plan interactive campaigns. It is important to note that the Coaching package is not included in the Wysa for Employers program and would be an extra cost to employees. For more information, you can request a demo on the Wysa website.
Who Is the Wysa App Right For?
Wysa would be a great fit for people who are interested in learning CBT techniques, those who need a little bit of support managing their anxiety and stress, and people who like to have an in-app guide.
Those Who Want to Learn CBT Techniques
Wysa is great for beginners who want to learn CBT techniques like activity scheduling or and who may be short on time. Many of the exercises can be completed within 5-10 minutes, and can easily be completed while on a break from work or school.
If You’re Experiencing Mild Anxiety or Stress
Wysa can help you build skills to self-manage your mild symptoms of anxiety and stress. Much of the advice the AI bot provides are genuinely helpful tips and the mindfulness exercises it suggests are easy for beginners.
If You Like Getting the Help of an In-App Guide
People who prefer to have an in-app guide and don’t necessarily want to talk with a real person may like Wysa. For some people, AI chatbots also provide a safe space to talk and think through their emotions without the fear of rejection or judgment.
Who May Want an Alternative to Wysa?
Wysa may be a great fit for some, but those who need therapy, those who do not like chatbots and those under the age of 18 will need to seek out an alternative.
You Prefer One-on-One Therapy
Wysa has mental health coaching with US-based coaches or therapists who are licensed and live in India. The coaches cannot diagnose you or provide you with the same level of support as a licensed therapist in your state. Above all, Wysa is a self-help app and those who need more support should seek out in-person therapy or browse through an online therapist directory, where you can narrow your search to find other therapists offering online CBT.
You Don’t Want a Chatbot
People who have used chatbots before and know they do not like them will not want to use Wysa. For some people, chatbots are more of a nuisance than a perk, and they will want to seek out a different CBT app. Apps like Happify (review) or Sanvello (review) are great alternatives to Wysa and do not have chatbots (or they are easy to avoid).
You Don’t Meet Their Age Requirements
Wysa is intended only for those 18-years and older. Teens who are interested in learning CBT techniques and skills will want to try something like the Bloom app (review) for Apple
Wysa User Reviews
The Wysa app has a 4.9-star rating from 9,500+ reviews in the Apple App Store , and a 4.8-star rating from 115,000+ reviews in the Google Play Store. While there were a lot of positive reviews of the Wysa app, a few issues were continuously brought up.
Difficulty Engaging With the Chatbot
Many of the negative reviews of Wysa stemmed from how cold and generic the chatbot responses were. Users mentioned that it doesn’t really respond to your written answers and works best when you utilize pre-populated responses.
Even those users who positively reviewed the app mentioned that the chatbot doesn’t seem to really understand what they’re asking or saying. I have to agree with both camps on this issue – I have yet to encounter an AI chatbot that can effectively simulate a real conversation.
Subscription Cost Issues
I noticed that many users were complaining about a paywall that has now been put in place. People mentioned that free content had been removed which was frustrating. This paywall seemed to cause confusion around the difference between the premium version of the app and the therapy/coaching offering.
Reports of Great Customer Service
Despite all the issues users seemed to have with Wysa’s AI chatbot and the subscriptions, people came back to mention how great the customer service was. I honestly cannot agree more with this. Throughout my own process of figuring out the app and learning what it offers, I sent several emails to Wysa and they were nothing but helpful and provided excellent answers to my questions.
How Much Does Wysa Cost?
Wysa’s free version gives you a good feel for what the premium app offers, but only gives you access to one exercise per module. The premium version unlocks all exercises and content, and costs $68.99 per year for Android users and $74.99 per year for Apple users. Coaching sessions cost $29.99 per individual 30-minute session, or you can choose a one or three month subscription for additional savings. Unfortunately, there are no free trials available at this time.
Wysa Well-Being Coaching
Wysa “Well-Being Coaching” consists of 30 minute, live text sessions with a mental health coach, and access to everything in the premium app. You can choose to have individual coaching sessions for $29.99, or sign up for a one or three month subscription which includes one session per week.
For Android users, Wysa Coaching costs:
- $29.99 per individual session
- $99.99 for a one month subscription (4 sessions per month)
- $179.99 for a three month subscription (4 sessions per month & comes with a 7 day free-trial)
For Apple users, Wysa Coaching costs:
- $29.99 per individual session
- $79.99 for a one month subscription (4 sessions per month)
- $144.99 for a three month subscription (4 sessions per month, no free-trial)
If you choose to meet with a coach, you can also send messages to your coach anytime in between sessions. Coaches will usually respond at least once a day to any messages sent outside of the live texting sessions. All of Wysa’s coaches are all mental health professionals with a master’s in clinical or counseling psychology. They are either US-based coaches or therapists who live and practice in India, which is why they can only provide coaching support to those of us in the USA.
Does Wysa Take Insurance?
No, Wysa does not accept insurance at this time.
What If I Want to Cancel Wysa?
You can cancel your account at any time through the app store. Simply go into your settings and select “Manage Subscription”, then cancel your subscription. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email Wysa at: [email protected].
Does the Wysa App Offer Refunds?
Wysa offers refunds on a case-by-case basis and you must email them at: [email protected] to make a request.
Wysa App Discounts
| Discount | Yes/No |
|---|---|
| Free App | Yes |
| Free Trial | Only for Coaching on Android |
| Student Discount | No |
| Family Plan | No |
| Military Discount | No |
| Financial Aid | No |
How to Get Started With Wysa
You can download the Wysa app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Currently, there is no option to sign up on their main website.
Step 1
To get started with the free version of Wysa, download the app from the Google Play or Apple App store.
Step 2
You will not have to create an account to use Wysa, all you have to enter is a nickname and build your “space”. You will be given a list of “challenges”, like anxiety, motivation, depression, work stress, self-esteem, and more, and these will be added to your new home screen.
Step 3
Your final step will be to choose whether you want to do the Self-Care plan or if you want to work with a Coach. To get a good feel of the app, I recommend you select the Self-Care option and then exit out of the pay screen. This will allow you to explore the free offerings and get a good feel for how the app is laid out.
Is The Wysa App Safe?
Yes, Wysa is HIPPA compliant and does not ask you to share any of your personal identifiable information with them during the sign up process.
For more information, please view Wysa’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Wysa Free App: Detailed Review
Wysa’s free app offers one exercise in each learning module (32 modules in total) for you to complete. This will give you a really good sense of how each exercise is guided by the AI bot and the free version will give you a great sense of how the app works.
Feature 1: Home Screen
On the home screen in the Wysa app, you can find the AI chat penguin and begin chatting right away. Once you chat with the AI penguin a couple of times, it will start asking you to do a mood check-in. These are very quick and ask you to adjust a smiley face and choose why you feel that way from a list of factors, like work, school, hunger, etc.
Also found on the home screen is quick access to different educational modules, which Wysa calls “packs”. There are 32 packs in total and each pack features exercises, which are guided learning lessons with the AI penguin. The learning modules are on topics like anxiety, stress, pregnancy, self-esteem, and more. In the Stress pack, for example, you can do the exercise “De-Clutter Your Mind” for free and you can use it as a diary to log your thoughts and examine if it is a negative thought that needs to be reframed.
Feature 2: Journal
The journal function in the Wysa app is not actually a diary or journal, but actually functions as a list of everything you have completed in the app. This will show you the date and time of each exercise you completed as well as the option to go back and reread what you wrote. Rereading your previous negative thoughts and seeing how you reframed them can be an impactful way for you to see your growth over time.
Wysa Premium App: Detailed Review
Wysa’s premium subscription unlocks all of the 32 learning modules, which gives you over 200 exercises to complete. These modules cover topics like productivity, beating stress, LGBTQIA+, being mindful, and wellness.
Feature 1: Self-Care Library
All of the modules, called “Packs”, can be found in the “Self-Care Library”. Depending on which learning module you want to try first, there can be as few as five exercises to complete up to 13 exercises to complete. There are even sleep stories and sleep sounds to help you fall asleep at night.
Feature 2: Well-Being Coaching
Wysa has a section called “Therapy” in the app, but you will actually be connecting with a mental health coach, which they call a “Well-Being Coach”. The cost for coaching with Wysa can be billed in three months, one month, or one session increments. A single session is 30 minutes long and costs $29.99, the other subscription costs will depend on if you have Android or Apple.
Coaching with Wysa is done in the app and through text messages only. With the coaching package, you will get one live, 30 minute, texting session per week. In between live sessions, you can message your coach anytime, as many times as you want, and can usually expect an answer at least once every 24 hours. Wysa has US-based coaches or licensed therapists that live in India, which is why they can only provide coaching to those of us in the US.
After you choose to do coaching, you will be automatically matched with a coach. Once matched, you can click on their picture and read about their education, background, and see where they live. The coach I was matched with has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and is certified in CBT techniques. Knowing that I get to work with a coach that has professional training put my mind at ease.
During the live text session I attended, my coach taught me the STOPP technique, which I had not been taught before. The STOPP technique is great for people who have anxious or negative thoughts throughout the day and it basically asks you to pause what you are doing and check your thoughts and see if you can reframe anything at that moment.
An interesting thing about coaching with Wysa is that you remain anonymous. There is never a point where you have to share your real name, email address, or any other personal information. You are also never asked to sign a privacy statement or a HIPAA agreement.
(There are no images for the coaching sessions at this time, the app has a security function which disables the phone from taking screenshots.)
How are Wysa Coaches Vetted/Credentialed?
Wysa coaches are all mental health professionals with a master’s in clinical or counseling psychology. All of their coaches are members of professional organizations like the American Psychological Association or with the British Psychological Society. Many of Wysa’s coaches are therapists, but since they live and practice in India, they can only provide coaching support to those of us in the USA. Their US-based team are coaches, but not licensed therapists.
How Does Matching With a Coach Work?
Wysa will automatically place you with a coach after you choose a date and time for your first session. You will also share any challenges you are dealing with and may want to focus on during your coaching session.
You can change coaches, but you must write to Wysa asking for this change. You can contact them at: [email protected] or [email protected].
How Has Wysa Changed?
Wysa was founded in 2016 by Jo Aggarwal. She was inspired to create Wysa out of her own experience with depression. The goal of the app, and the company, is to make mental health care accessible and available to all and to reduce the stigma around seeking help and support.
In talking to the team at Wysa, I asked them what makes Wysa a unique app and what they want customers to know. Mariam Mushtaq told me, “We understand that mental health is personal to everyone and to cater to that Wysa provides mental health support with a unique blend of AI-guided listening and professional expert support that is anonymous, available 24×7, and clinically approved.” (M. Mushtaq. Personal communication, March 23, 2022)
In a follow-up email with Wysa, they also shared that they are currently working on creating a global team of mental health coaches.
Wysa vs Woebot
Wysa and Woebot both prominently feature AI chatbots to lead you through various exercises and activities in their apps. Both apps are based on CBT techniques and also promote the notion of self-care with the AI chatbots working like mini life coaches. Both apps are a great fit for people who really like chatbots and need a little bit of guidance while they complete CBT activities.
Woebot is completely free and does not have any premium features, nor do they offer mental health coaching with a live person. Wysa, on the other hand, has a premium version, starting at $68.99, and live coaching starting at $29.99 per 30-minute session. Woebot would be a good fit for someone who is looking for a good, free CBT AI chatbot, and Wysa is a better fit for those who want to pay for a little extra support.
Final Verdict on Wysa
Wysa is a pretty good tool to help learn and maintain CBT skills and techniques. However, the AI chatbot can feel restricting at times and doesn’t always respond correctly in a conversation. While it is nice to have a guide for some of the activities in the app, it can become tiresome to deal with the AI bot every single time you want to journal.
The option to have a mental health coach is a great feature and would be even better if there was a face-to-face option available. All of the coaches for Wysa are professionals in the mental health field and receive CBT training, which makes trusting their advice easier. Despite being able to text with a live person, Wysa is missing a human element in the app. While this app is a pretty good CBT app, it could be a really amazing app if you got to have face-to-face coaching sessions.
