Sober Grid alternatives: social apps and quiet trackers compared

Sober Grid is a sober social network for iOS and Android, known for peer support between people in recovery. When it works, it is a lifeline: someone is always awake, and they get it. When it does not, people go looking for alternatives, either because the community was not right for them, or because they realised they do not want a community at all.

That split matters, so this list is organised around it. First, two social alternatives that keep the human connection but change the format. Then three quiet trackers for people who want to log their progress in peace. Decide which camp you are in and half the list falls away.

Full disclosure: Sobermark is our app, so we are not neutral. We have tried to keep everything below fair, and we tell you when a rival is the better fit. And since Sobermark is one of the quiet ones, if peer support is what keeps you going, one of the social apps here will genuinely serve you better.

Social alternative: Loosid

Loosid is the other big sober social network. Where Sober Grid centres on peer support in recovery, Loosid is broader: community, sober events and sober dating, pitched at the whole sober lifestyle rather than recovery specifically.

If Sober Grid felt heavy, or you are past the early days and want your sobriety to come with a social life rather than a support group, Loosid is the obvious move. If what you valued in Sober Grid was people who understand the hard nights, Loosid's lifestyle focus may feel lighter than you need. Like most networks it has free and paid elements, so check the store listing for current details.

Social alternative: I Am Sober

I Am Sober is a hugely popular sobriety counter with a community built in. You pledge each morning, review each evening, and along the way you can read and share experiences with people quitting the same thing, at the same stage as you.

It is a gentler dose of social than a full network. There is no open feed to get lost in; the community hangs off your own streak. For a lot of people leaving Sober Grid, that is the right amount of other people. It runs on iOS and Android and covers many habits, not just alcohol. Some features are subscription based at the time of writing.

Quiet tracker: Sobermark

Sobermark is a private tracker with no social features at all, by design. No feed, no forum, no accounts, no sign up; your entries stay on your phone. If your reason for leaving Sober Grid is that you want calm rather than company, this is the camp, and this is our entry in it.

You track whatever you are quitting, alcohol, smoking, vaping, weed, gambling or a custom habit, and the app shows days, money saved, time reclaimed and units avoided from your own numbers. For the moments Sober Grid handled with peers, Sobermark has craving SOS tools: a hold on breathing exercise and a ride it out timer. Bern, a friendly sun bear, keeps the tone warm, and a slip resets the counter without a word of judgment.

Limits, plainly: Android only for now, no iOS. Core tracking is free; Pro is £14.99 a year with a 7 day free trial, £2.99 a week, or £24.99 lifetime.

Quiet tracker: Sober Time

Sober Time is a long running sobriety counter for iOS and Android. It supports multiple addictions and is best known for customisable counters, so the numbers you check every day look the way you want them to. There is a community forum, but it is optional and easy to ignore, which makes Sober Time a comfortable halfway house if you are not sure you want to give up on community entirely.

If you are on iPhone and want a quiet tracker, Sober Time is one of the strongest picks on this list, since Sobermark cannot help you there yet. Check the store listing for what currently sits in the free tier.

Quiet tracker: Nomo

Nomo offers free sobriety clocks, multiple ones if you are quitting more than one thing, and was made by someone in recovery. It is mostly a quiet app, but its accountability partners feature lets you pick specific people who can see your clocks, a scaled down version of what Sober Grid does with a whole network.

That makes Nomo a good landing spot if you want to keep one or two trusted people in the loop without a feed full of strangers. It is free and runs on iOS and Android. The design is plain and functional rather than polished.

Who should pick what

Peer support is the thing keeping you sober: try Loosid for a broader sober lifestyle, or I Am Sober for community anchored to a counter. Do not pick Sobermark for this; it deliberately has none of it.

Want quiet with an escape hatch: Sober Time (optional forum) or Nomo (a couple of chosen partners). Both also cover iPhone users, which Sobermark does not yet.

Want fully private, calm, judgment free tracking on Android, with craving tools instead of a crowd: that is exactly what Sobermark is for.

Common questions

What is the most similar app to Sober Grid?

Loosid is the closest like for like, being a sober social network too, though it leans more towards lifestyle, events and dating than peer support in recovery.

Are there free alternatives?

Nomo is known for being free, and Sobermark's core tracking is free. The others have free tiers with paid extras at the time of writing; check each store listing for current pricing.

I am burnt out on feeds. Will these apps pull me back in?

Sobermark has no feed at all. Nomo and Sober Time keep social features out of the way. I Am Sober, Loosid and Sober Grid are built around other people, so if feeds drain you, stick to the quiet camp.

Does leaving a community app mean starting my count again?

No. Trackers, Sobermark included, let you set your own sober date, so your streak carries over wherever you go.