Best Quit Drinking Apps

If you’re someone who would like to enjoy a margarita every so often without going overboard, or if you aim to stop drinking completely, you’ll likely come across apps to stop drinking on the quest for digital resources.

In the last five years, the creation and use of quit drinking apps has surged, with many experts supporting the addition as part of a toolkit to drink less. After all, these apps offer 24/7 support. They are accessible, and can bridge connections with others and offer coping skills. 

Sometimes, opening up an app can provide comfort and resources in a pinch when someone has a craving, making it helpful to have on hand. 

But when you open the App Store and are met with a laundry list of options, how do you know which stop drinking app reviews to listen to? 

It depends on an app’s cost, features, messaging, community support, and what aligns best with your goals. We asked experts to weigh in on how to choose the best quit drinking app. 

Reframe, I Am Sober & Sunnyside Apps

Three apps that seem to dominate the digital drinking reduction space are Reframe, I Am Sober, and the Sunnyside app. Each has different tones and functions. 

App Cost Comparison

I Am Sober Cost

I Am Sober offers both free and paid versions. At time of writing, the paid version, Sober Plus, is usually $119.88 annually, but it’s currently discounted to $39.99. The subscription version offers additional content, and the ability to track more than one addiction. 

Reframe Cost

At time of writing, Reframe has only one option, which is $99.99 a year, but you can choose to add online coaching for additional fees based on frequency, and whether you’d like a coach to be available via text, video, and audio messages, a coaching video call, or both. Reframe offers a free seven-day trial. 

Sunnyside Cost

At time of writing, Sunnyside operates on a tiered subscription model: basic plans are 12 dollars per month and 36 dollars per month for premium plans, with coaching access via Zoom. It offers a free 15-day trial. 

Approach

I Am Sober Approach

I Am Sober has an abstinence-oriented approach. Its primary focus is helping users quit drinking (or other addictions) and stick to sobriety. The app uses milestone tracking and emphasizes committing to daily pledges. 

The messaging is rooted in encouragement and accountability, but can feel binary. This rigidity may work well for people with a firm goal to stop drinking completely, but might not resonate with those whose goal is moderation. 

Reframe Approach

Reframe uses neuroscience in its foundation. It doesn’t require users to quit outright, and supports a range of goals, from mindful drinking to abstinence. The tone is grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Daily exercises aim to “rewire” drinking patterns over time. 

The language is therapeutic and nonjudgmental. Reframe’s core message is that changing your relationship with alcohol is a process, and there are plenty of tools to help shift your brain’s reward pathways. 

Sunnyside Approach

Sunnyside is perhaps the most moderation-friendly app of the three. Its messaging is geared toward people who want to cut back, not necessarily quit. It uses text nudges and customized weekly planning to help users reduce alcohol intake in a structured but forgiving way. 

The messaging is upbeat, approachable, and focused on behavioral goals like “drink less this week” rather than achieving sobriety milestones. Sunnyside tends to avoid traditional addiction-focused language, which may make it more appealing to social or casual drinkers. 

I Am Sober App Features 

Daily Tracking & Tools 

Simple day-counter, daily pledges, milestone badges, and streak stats.

Community

Active feed with high engagement.

Coaching

No coaching options, but users get 20% off BetterHelp sessions. 

I Am Sober PROs 

Allows multiple addictions or habits to be tracked simultaneously with Sober Plus subscription; free version is highly accessible. Daily pledge reminder and sober tracker are useful features for many. 

I Am Sober CONs 

Not focused on moderation goals, and no personalized coaching options.

Reframe App Features 

Tracking & Tools 

Structured CBT-based reading, motivation, and journaling each day. Comprehensive app toolkit with mindfulness and education. 

Community

Active feed with ability to comment on posts and DM users. 

Coaching

Multiple coaching options offered at an additional fee. 

Reframe PROs 

Daily check-in and robust resources to change habits. 

Reframe CONs 

Coaching is an additional fee; some reviewers note that the subscription cost could be a barrier.

Sunnyside App Features 

Daily Tracking & Tools 

Weekly goal setting with daily nudges and drink logging.

Community

Daily prompt to respond to in the community feed; the app also highlights posts to comment on that require extra TLC. 

Coaching

Text-based coaching included in the basic version, Zoom coaching included in premium. 

Sunnyside PROs 

Simple to navigate, clear visuals identifying drink tracking metrics, welcoming to moderation goals. 

Sunnyside CONs 

Compared to other apps, Sunnyside focuses more on tracking and coaching than on deeper psychological tools.

How To Choose The Best App For You

When choosing an app, first consider your goal, whether it’s sobriety or moderation. Some apps have messaging more catered to one or the other. 

What an app chooses to focus on says a lot. “Too many abstinence-based resources focus heavily on sober streaks,” explains Dr. Sylvie Stacy, on behalf of Sober.com. 

Even with a goal of abstinence, this focus can backfire and lead to shame if someone has a slip up and feels they have lost all progress because an app restarts. “I’d rather see the focus shift toward more meaningful metrics like changes in weekly drinking totals or how someone feels physically and emotionally over time,” Stacy says. 

Adam Vibe Gunton, CEO of Recovered on Purpose thinks that apps that facilitate the ability to relate with others are crucial. “If the app doesn’t lead people to community or connection, it’s incomplete. Sobriety isn’t meant to be done alone,” Gunton says. 

When it comes to these three drinking apps, it really depends on what an individual is seeking. “Reframe is one of the most comprehensive options out there. It has an educational backbone, daily exercises, and even coaching support. It helps users understand the ‘why’ behind their habits and provides fundamental tools to help them shift,” explains Dr. Pamela Tambini, Physician and Medical Director at Engage Wellness.

For those with a goal of abstinence and a preference toward a streamlined app, many choose I Am Sober. “I Am Sober is more straightforward, but its community and daily pledges give people a sense of routine and support,” Tambini says. 

Meanwhile, some users may not be looking to quit drinking entirely but instead want to build healthier habits. “Sunnyside is great for those who are not necessarily aiming for complete sobriety but want to be more mindful. It helps people moderate their drinking in a non-judgmental way and maintains a very positive tone,” Tambini says. 

Naltrexone & Drinking Reduction Apps

At Oar Health, we are firm believers that many resources can lead to recovery. Whether you’re someone who tries a few drinking reduction apps as an onramp to further treatment, or as part of a personalized toolkit including naltrexone, which can help curb cravings, the most important piece is that you feel empowered in your recovery and have tools to use when you need them. 

“Apps can be a helpful tool, but they work best when they are part of a bigger support system. This might include therapy, medical guidance, peer support, or a combination of all of the above,” Tambini says. 

When it comes to quit drinking apps, there’s no universal best option. The effectiveness of these apps depends on whether someone prefers accountability, education, peer support, or coaching, and whether they’re cutting down or quitting altogether. 

Are You Drinking Too Much?

Is drinking affecting your job? Is alcohol harming your health or relationships? Does your drinking worry you? Ever tried to drink less but failed?

If any of this sounds familiar, Oar Health might be right for you. Oar Health offers medication FDA-approved for the treatment of alcohol problems. A daily pill to drink less or quit.

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