The best free CBT app in 2026 is MindShift CBT, which still costs nothing, has no subscription and includes thought records, a fear ladder and behavioral experiments. If you want a no-frills thought diary with no account and no ads, FreeCBT is the simplest option. If a doctor is involved in your care, two FDA-cleared prescription apps, DaylightRx for generalized anxiety and Rejoyn for depression, deliver structured CBT-based programs.
The CBT app market has changed a lot since 2024. Woebot closed its consumer app on June 30, 2025. Sanvello's website no longer resolves and its app is gone from the US App Store. Quirk, the open-source thought-record app, is no longer maintained. Anxiety Canada, the charity that built MindShift, closed in April 2025, and the app now continues under a company called 247 Labs. We checked every app below on its official site or app store listing in September 2026.
Cognitive behavioral therapy works on the links between thoughts, feelings and behavior, and a lot of that work happens between sessions: logging thoughts, testing predictions, scheduling activities. Apps are good at that part. They are not a replacement for a therapist, which we explain at the end.
1. MindShift CBT
MindShift was built by Anxiety Canada, a nonprofit, and has been one of the most recommended free anxiety apps for years. After Anxiety Canada ceased operations in April 2025, the app moved to 247 Labs Inc, which is now listed as its provider. The App Store listing still says "Always Free: No subscriptions, no hidden costs," and the app was updated in September 2026.
It includes thought records, coping statements, behavioral experiments, a fear ladder for gradual exposure, relaxation and mindfulness audio, and daily mood check-ins. There is also a community forum restricted to users 18 and older.
- Price: free, no subscription
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Provider: 247 Labs Inc (originally Anxiety Canada)
2. FreeCBT
FreeCBT is an open-source thought diary maintained by developer Evan Rosson. It continues the code of Quirk, a CBT app whose original maintainer stopped supporting it. You write down an automatic thought, tag the cognitive distortions in it and write a more balanced response, which is the classic CBT thought record.
The developer states it has zero cost, zero ads and no server-side storage: your entries stay on your device. That is a real privacy advantage, but it also means no backup if you lose your phone. It does one job and has no lessons or coaching.
- Price: free, open source (GPL)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Data: stored on device only, per the developer
3. Clarity: CBT Self Help Journal
Clarity, from Inquiry Health, is a CBT-based journal with mood and emotion tracking, guided journals, breathwork and meditation. It also includes AI-driven journaling prompts and an AI chat for reflection. The developer describes it as a self-help and educational tool rather than a therapy app.
The core app is free, and a Pro subscription unlocks more; prices on the App Store vary by plan and region. We found it listed only for Apple devices.
- Price: free with optional Pro subscription
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
- Includes AI features
4. Moodfit
Moodfit bundles a mood journal, CBT thought records for spotting patterns like overgeneralizing, a gratitude journal, breathwork, mindfulness and mental health assessments. You set daily goals and review a weekly summary, which makes it useful for behavioral activation work in depression treatment.
It has a free tier and a Premium subscription with a free trial; check current pricing in the app before subscribing.
- Price: free tier, Premium subscription
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Developer: Roble Ridge Software
5. Bearable
Bearable is a symptom and mood tracker rather than a CBT course. It earns a place here because CBT depends on noticing patterns, and Bearable is good at showing how sleep, exercise, medication, caffeine or social time line up with how you feel. Many people bring its reports to therapy sessions.
The free version is ad-free and covers custom symptoms, moods and factors with recent history. Premium adds fuller reports, correlations and unlimited history.
- Price: free, optional Premium subscription
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Type: tracker, not a guided program
6. Wysa
Wysa is an AI chatbot that walks you through CBT, DBT and mindfulness exercises in conversation. The free version includes the chatbot and some tools. The App Store lists Premium at $74.99 a year and a Premium Plus plan with human coaching, among other in-app purchases.
Wysa's own listing says it does not diagnose or give treatment advice and tells users in crisis to seek medical help. A chatbot can be a helpful prompt to use a skill, but it is not a clinician, and it will not know your history the way a therapist does.
- Price: free; Premium $74.99/year and coaching plans (App Store, Sept 2026)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Uses AI chat
7. Daylight and DaylightRx (Big Health)
Daylight is a digital CBT program for worry and anxiety with short daily lessons. The consumer version is not sold directly: the App Store listing says you need a Daylight account through your employer or health plan.
DaylightRx is the prescription version. The FDA cleared it in September 2024 as the first digital treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, for adults 22 and older as an adjunct to usual care, delivered as a 90-day program. You need a licensed provider to order it.
- Access: employer or health plan (Daylight); prescription (DaylightRx)
- DaylightRx: FDA-cleared, adults 22+
- Maker: Big Health
Visit Daylight and DaylightRx (Big Health) (opens in a new tab)
8. Rejoyn (Otsuka)
Rejoyn is an FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutic for major depressive disorder symptoms, for adults 22 and older who are taking antidepressant medication, as an add-on to clinician-managed care. The six-week program combines CBT-based lessons with an emotional faces memory exercise and reminders.
The app is free to download but needs a prescription to unlock. Rejoyn's website offers a route to an online consultation if your own provider cannot prescribe it. Cost depends on how you obtain the prescription and your coverage.
- Access: prescription only
- Eligibility: adults 22+ with MDD on an antidepressant
- Program: 6 weeks
- Platforms: iOS, Android
How we chose
We included apps that teach or support core CBT tasks (thought records, exposure, behavioral activation, mood and activity tracking), that are available to people in the US, and that were live on the App Store or Google Play in September 2026. We checked price model and platforms on the official site or store listing. We did not include apps that only play meditations or sleep sounds. Sleep apps built on CBT for insomnia have their own list: Best CBT-I Apps for Insomnia.
Apps we dropped because they are gone
These were once common recommendations. We checked each one in September 2026.
- Woebot: the direct-to-consumer app shut down on June 30, 2025; the company moved to partner-only access.
- Sanvello: sanvello.com no longer resolves and the app is no longer listed in the US App Store.
- Quirk: no longer maintained; its code lives on as FreeCBT, listed above.
- MoodKit (Thriveport): its App Store page now returns "not found."
An app is not therapy
A CBT app can teach you to catch a distorted thought and practice a more balanced one. What it cannot do is figure out why the same thought keeps winning, notice when avoidance is quietly running your week, adjust an exposure plan when it is too easy or too hard, or recognize when something other than CBT is needed. That is what a trained therapist does, and it is why most apps describe themselves as self-help or as an add-on to care.
Apps work best as homework. Many clients bring thought records or mood logs from an app into session, which gives the therapist real data to work with. If you are curious what that looks like, our CBT therapy page and what to expect in a first CBT session explain the process, and our guide to CBT therapists in Denver compares local options.
Apps are also not a crisis service. If you are thinking about suicide or feel unsafe, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line, text HELLO to 741741, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
A note on privacy
Mental health apps collect sensitive information. Before you start, read the privacy policy, check whether entries are stored on your phone or on the company's servers, and see whether the app shares data with advertisers. Apps obtained through an employer may have different terms from the consumer version.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free CBT app?
MindShift CBT is free with no subscription and covers thought records, exposure and relaxation. FreeCBT is a free, open-source thought diary that stores entries only on your device.
Is Woebot still available?
Not to the public. Woebot shut down its consumer app on June 30, 2025, and now works only through partner organizations.
Are there FDA-cleared CBT apps?
Yes. DaylightRx (generalized anxiety disorder) and Rejoyn (major depressive disorder, alongside an antidepressant) are FDA-cleared prescription apps for adults 22 and older.
Can a CBT app replace a therapist?
No. Apps are useful for practice between sessions, but they cannot assess you, tailor treatment or respond in a crisis. Most describe themselves as self-help or an add-on to care.
Related reading
- CBT Therapy in Denver
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Denver
- How to Prepare for Your First CBT Session in Denver
- Anxiety Treatment in Denver
- Best CBT Therapists in Denver (2026)
- Best CBT-I Apps for Insomnia (2026)
Talk to someone
Mountainside Behavioral Health offers DBT and CBT for adolescents, adults, couples and families in Greenwood Village and by telehealth across Colorado. Consultations are free, and we will tell you if another provider is a better fit. Call (720) 762-4619 or request a consultation.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line (free, confidential, 24/7). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources (13)
- App Store: MindShift CBT (247 Labs Inc)
- Anxiety Canada closure notice
- FreeCBT official site
- Quirk repository (no longer maintained)
- App Store: Clarity CBT Self Help Journal
- Moodfit official site
- Bearable official site
- App Store: Wysa
- App Store: Daylight (Big Health)
- Big Health: US FDA grants clearance for DaylightRx
- App Store: Rejoyn
- Rejoyn official site
- STAT: Why Woebot shut down