SoberTool vs Sobermark: recovery programme or private tracker?
Short answer: Pick SoberTool (now listed as Sober) if you want daily readings and counsellor-style guidance, with a free version to try, especially if recovery programme language helps you. Pick Sobermark if you want a quiet, private counter with concrete numbers and craving tools instead of a curriculum. If you want people around you, I Am Sober suits that better than either.
SoberTool and Sobermark both help people stay stopped, but they come at the problem from very different directions. SoberTool was developed with an addiction counsellor and reads like a companion to recovery itself: daily readings, encouragement rooted in recovery thinking, and help aimed at the moments cravings hit. Sobermark is a tracker. It counts your days, shows what you have saved, and stays out of the way.
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 here that happens quickly: if you want guidance, daily words to hold on to, and something with the flavour of a recovery programme, SoberTool is the better fit. If you want a private, quiet counter with no programme content at all, that is Sobermark's whole reason for existing.
A counsellor's companion versus a plain counter
SoberTool's character comes from its author. It was developed with an addiction counsellor, and the stores now list it as Sober, and its best known feature is the daily reading: a short piece each day to steady you, in the tradition of recovery literature. It also offers help when a craving strikes, walking you through the moment rather than just timing it. If you have been to meetings, or the language of recovery already means something to you, SoberTool will feel familiar in a good way. It is free to download, with ads and a paid Premium tier.
Sobermark carries no programme. There are no readings, no steps, no recovery framework of any kind. It gives you a day counter, milestones and badges, and Bern, a friendly blue bear who offers steady encouragement without attaching it to any philosophy. Some people find programme language motivating. Others find it puts them off opening the app at all. Sobermark is for the second group.
What you actually do in each app
A day with SoberTool tends to start with the reading, and the app is there again when cravings arrive, offering something to read and think through in the moment. The habit it builds is reflective: a few minutes of input each day.
A day with Sobermark is quieter. You glance at your counter, maybe log a mood in the journal, and get on with your life. The app turns your own numbers into money saved, time reclaimed and units avoided, so progress shows up in pounds and hours rather than sentiments. When a craving does hit, Sobermark has its own SOS tools: a hold-on breathing exercise and a ride-it-out timer that keeps you company until the wave passes. And on the good days there are shareable progress cards, for when you want to show someone how far you have come.
If you slip, Sobermark resets the counter and says nothing unkind. No streak shaming is a design rule, not an accident. SoberTool, to its credit, also comes from a tradition that treats relapse with compassion rather than judgment.
Privacy and cost
Sobermark asks for no account and no sign up. Your entries never leave your phone, and there are no feeds, forums or community features by design. It gives every new user a 3 day free trial, then costs £17.99 a year, or you can pay weekly, and Google Play also has a one-off lifetime option.
SoberTool is free to download, with ads and a paid Premium tier, which is still a genuine point in its favour. For its account requirements, data handling and any current extras, check its store listing rather than taking our word for it. We would rather undersell a rival than misdescribe one.
Side by side
| SoberTool | Sobermark | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Developed with an addiction counsellor | One developer in the UK |
| Approach | Daily readings, recovery-programme flavour | Private tracker, no programme content |
| Craving help | In-the-moment guidance | Breathing exercise and ride-it-out timer |
| Stats | Day counting and savings; check listing for detail | Money saved, time reclaimed, units avoided |
| Habits covered | Rooted in alcohol recovery | Alcohol, smoking, vaping, weed, gambling or custom |
| Account needed | Check current listing | No account, data stays on your phone |
| Price | Free to download, ads, paid Premium | Free core; Pro £17.99/year or weekly, plus a one-off lifetime option on Google Play |
What the evidence says
- Relapse rates for substance use disorders are 40% to 60%, similar to illnesses like asthma and high blood pressure, according to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. A slip is common, not a verdict.
- The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says “urges to drink are short-lived, predictable, and controllable”, and advises riding one out because “it will soon crest like an ocean wave and pass” (Rethinking Drinking).
- In the US, 27.9 million people aged 12 and older had alcohol use disorder in the past year, according to NIAAA figures from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Who should pick what
Pick SoberTool if you want more than counting: a daily reading to anchor the morning, a counsellor's voice in your pocket, and the feel of a recovery programme at low or no cost. It is free, so trying it risks nothing. If the language of recovery helps you, this is honestly the better app for you.
Pick Sobermark if programme content is exactly what you do not want. Some people quit best with a quiet, private counter, concrete numbers, and a warm mascot instead of a curriculum. Sobermark also covers habits beyond alcohol, from vaping to gambling to anything custom, in one place.
Pick something else entirely if you want people around you: I Am Sober's community and daily pledges suit that far better than either app here.
Common questions
Is Sobermark a recovery programme?
No, and it does not pretend to be. It is a tracker with craving tools, a journal and stats. If you want structured recovery content, SoberTool or a real-world programme will serve you better.
Which app is better for habits other than drinking?
Sobermark is built for any habit you are quitting: alcohol, smoking, vaping, weed, gambling or a custom one. SoberTool's roots are in alcohol recovery, though its craving help travels well.
Do the apps cost anything?
SoberTool is free to download, with ads and a paid Premium tier. Sobermark gives every new user a 3 day free trial, then costs £17.99 a year, or you can pay weekly, and Google Play also has a one-off lifetime option.
Can I use both?
Yes, and some people do: SoberTool for the daily reading, Sobermark for the private counter and stats. They do not conflict.
No app is medical advice or a substitute for professional help. If stopping could affect your health, or things feel too heavy, speak to a doctor. Free, confidential helplines for every country are listed at findahelpline.com.
Try Sobermark
A private counter with no programme, no account and no judgment, just steady progress.
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