Woebot Alternative 2026: What You Can Still Use After Woebot Closed
What is a good Woebot alternative in 2026?
Woebot's consumer app was retired June 30, 2025 — anyone searching for a Woebot alternative is really asking what is still open among the free CBT-style chatbots. Wysa is still running, Youper shut down on September 30, 2026, and neither is the same category of product as an AI coach. This guide covers what each option does, what it costs as of 2026-10-03, and where the gaps are, before you sign up for anything. IX Coach is AI coaching — not therapy, and not a crisis service.
If you are searching for a Woebot alternative, the reason is almost certainly that Woebot itself is gone. Woebot Health's own FAQ states it plainly: "The Woebot app was retired June 30, 2025. New accounts can no longer be created, and previous accounts can no longer be accessed." The company still exists, but its own site now describes a product for organizations — "Woebot, the behavioral health copilot for Providers" — not something you can download. This guide covers what is still available, checked on 2026-10-03, for the thing Woebot used to be: a free, self-guided CBT-style chatbot you could open on your own, plus where a coaching app like IX Coach fits and does not fit into that gap. IX Coach is AI coaching — not therapy, and not a crisis service.
Is Woebot really gone, or can I still get in?
Woebot Health's FAQ gives the dates. The consumer app was retired on June 30, 2025. The FAQ says users "had until July 15, 2025 to request copies of their conversations," and that deadline has passed. It also says account data was anonymized as of July 31, 2025, a process it describes as removing "any information that could personally identify you" — which means anonymized, not deleted.
Two other things are still live and point in a different direction, so it helps to know them before spending time on either. A Woebot listing still appears in the US App Store (seller Woebot Labs Inc, last updated December 17, 2025), but its description says you need "an access code from your provider, employer or other Woebot Health partner" and that without one you will not be able to use the app. And Woebot Health's App Support page still says the app is available to new users in the United States who are part of a study or who have an access code from a partner — wording that contradicts the FAQ's "retired." Neither page says which was updated more recently. The FAQ is the one that says "retired" outright. For anyone who used the old consumer app, the practical result is the same: there is nothing to sign back into, and no public signup flow.
Wysa: the closest thing still standing
Wysa is an AI chatbot for mental wellbeing — its App Store title is "Wysa: Mental Wellbeing AI" — and in format it is the closest live match to what Woebot's free chat was. Wysa's own FAQ says: "Talking to Wysa AI is free, including tools offered within conversations."
Wysa's FAQ is also direct about where it stops: "It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and does not provide medical advice or diagnoses. It is also not recommended for use in crisis situations, nor is it suitable for use by those with severe and enduring mental health problems." That is the kind of scope limit a scripted CBT-style tool operates under, stated in Wysa's own words rather than assumed.
Explore: cognitive behavioral therapy · dialectical behavior therapy
What does Wysa cost?
The chatbot and its in-conversation tools are free. Wysa's FAQ says it also offers a premium version "at cost" with a wider tool library, and that people who get Wysa through an organisation get premium at no cost. For individuals, Wysa's App Store description lists Premium Plus at $99.99 per month (coach plus tools) and Premium at $99.99 per year (tools only), for US customers. The same listing's in-app purchase list shows many other price points, from $4.99 to $144.99 — including "Wysa Premium (Annual) $74.99" — so the description and the list do not agree, and the amount charged may differ from the description. Check the price shown at purchase. Wysa's US App Store rating was about 4.8 from roughly 24,000 ratings on 2026-10-03.
Youper: shut down on September 30, 2026
Youper was a wellbeing AI chatbot that described itself as "not a therapist or medical device." It has shut down. Its notice page reads: "Youper discontinued its services on September 30, 2026." Its data-export page now says that all user accounts, chat histories, and personal information "are being securely and permanently deleted from our servers and backups," and it no longer offers an export. Apple's catalog returned no listing for Youper's App Store ID on 2026-10-03, and its Google Play page returned a 404 the same day.
Before the shutdown, ChoosingTherapy.com's review reported that long-time users were disappointed that features such as meditation and journaling were removed in a redesign. For a new user the question is moot: there is no Youper to sign up for.
Explore: behavioral activation
So what actually replaces a free CBT chatbot like Woebot?
Wysa is the closest live match in format: a free chatbot you can open without a clinician involved. Youper occupied the same category but is gone. Past those two, a few other apps sit in nearby territory, each with its own limits. MindLift's App Store title is "MindLift: CBT Mindset Coach," and its site says it is free to start with core features available without an account. Earkick is listed on the US App Store under Elomia Health, Inc. Ash describes itself as AI designed for mental health. The table below sets them next to IX Coach and to general-purpose assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude.
None of these is an AI coach in the sense IX Coach is. Wysa's FAQ describes tools offered inside conversations and in a tool library; IX Coach's sessions are open-ended conversations that draw on what you told it in earlier ones.
The live options side by side
Rows run from closest to what Woebot did — a free chat with CBT-style tools — to furthest from it. Prices are US prices checked on 2026-10-03. Where a company's own pages disagree about a price, the cell says so rather than choosing one.
| Option | What it is | Cost to start (checked 2026-10-03) | Best for | Not built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wysa | AI chatbot for mental wellbeing, with tools offered inside the conversation and a premium tier that adds a coach. | Chatbot and in-conversation tools free. App Store description lists $99.99/month with a coach or $99.99/year for tools only; its in-app list shows other prices, so check at purchase. | A free chat you can open without a clinician involved, in the format Woebot had. | Crisis situations, or severe and enduring mental health problems (Wysa's own FAQ). |
| MindLift | A CBT-style mindset app (App Store title: MindLift: CBT Mindset Coach); its site calls it a self-reflection app. | Free to start, core features need no account. Optional premium on the App Store: $4.99/month, $34.99/year, or $89.99 lifetime. | Trying CBT-style reframing with no account and little cost. | Therapy or crisis support; its site says it is neither. |
| Earkick | AI chat app, listed on the US App Store under Elomia Health, Inc. | Free trial, then a monthly or yearly subscription per its App Store listing. Its blog tagline says free, so no single price is stated here. | A chat-style wellness companion you can try before paying. | Medical advice or a crisis; its App Store text tells people in crisis to seek medical help. |
| Ash | AI described on its own site as designed for mental health. | Listed as Free on the App Store; the in-app list shows unlimited-access tiers from $9.99 to $169.99, and no single current price could be confirmed. | Talking through stress, anxiety, relationships, or a bad day (Ash's own wording). | Crisis use, diagnosis, or treatment; Ash says it is not designed for crisis. |
| IX Coach | AI coaching that draws on 20+ coaching methods, with memory across sessions. | 7-day free trial (card required up front), then $40/month. Free accounts can preview. | A stuck pattern, a decision, or an ongoing goal where being remembered from one session to the next matters. | Therapy, diagnosis, or crisis care; a free-forever tool — the trial needs a card. |
| ChatGPT or Claude | General-purpose AI assistants, not mental health products. | Free plans at $0. Paid: ChatGPT Go $8 and Plus $20 per month; Claude Pro $17/month billed annually or $20 monthly. | Talking something through at no cost when a general conversation is enough. | A product built around mental health; free-tier usage limits were not checked. |
Prices change and were checked on 2026-10-03; none of these is a substitute for a licensed professional.
Where an AI coach is a different thing, not a better version of the same thing
IX Coach is an AI coaching product, disclosed as AI and not therapy, built from one practitioner's twenty years of practice across psychological, coaching, and spiritual methods synthesized into a single coaching voice. It does not diagnose or treat a condition. Its own site describes it as remembering a user's stated goals and picking up where a prior conversation left off, rather than starting each conversation from zero — a structural difference from a tool library where each exercise is largely self-contained. It draws on 20+ coaching methods, and each has a concept page you can open and read; cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral activation are two of them. Whether continuity matters to you depends on what you actually wanted from Woebot: if the appeal was a narrow, predictable exercise you could trust to stay inside a fixed script, a generative coach is a different kind of tool and will not replicate that specific property. If the appeal was something that remembers you were even there yesterday, that is the gap continuity is built to close.
IX Coach is offered as a 7-day free trial and then $40/month (~$1.30/day) — a single flat rate rather than a per-session or per-week fee, and IX Coach's own pricing page states this directly: "IX Coach costs $40 per month, with a 7-day free trial — $0 today, then $40/month after 7 days unless you cancel during the trial." The trial asks for a card up front, and free accounts can preview the experience. Wysa and MindLift are the clearer choice if what you need is a free tool with no card: Wysa's core chatbot costs nothing at all, and MindLift's core features need no account.
Explore: future self continuity · rupture and repair · cognitive behavioral therapy · behavioral activation
How do you tell if you need a CBT chatbot, a coach, or something else?
The practical test is not which app has the best reviews — it is what you are actually carrying. A structured, repeatable exercise for catching an anxious thought or a low mood pattern is what a CBT-style chatbot like Wysa is built for, and its core is free. A crisis, or a diagnosable condition that needs a clinician's judgment and legal accountability, is outside what any of these products — Woebot in its day, Wysa, Youper while it ran, or IX Coach — are built to handle; Wysa's own FAQ names crisis situations as out of scope, and IX Coach is disclosed as coaching, not therapy, for the same reason. A stuck pattern, a decision, or an ongoing goal that benefits from being remembered and returned to over time is closer to what a coaching relationship is built for. Knowing which one you are looking for before you pick a product saves you from switching twice.
Explore: socratic method · expertise reversal effect
If you need crisis support right now
Nothing on this page — including IX Coach — is a substitute for care from a licensed professional, and none of the products compared here is a crisis service. Wysa, Ash and MindLift say so in their own words, Earkick's App Store text tells people in a crisis to seek medical help, and IX Coach is AI coaching, not a crisis service. If you are in a mental health emergency, or having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, these are the numbers to use in the United States: call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7), text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger. None of that costs anything, and none of it requires picking an app first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free alternative to Woebot? Wysa's own FAQ says talking to Wysa AI is free, including tools offered within conversations, and MindLift says it is free to start with core features available without an account. Wysa is the closest in format to what Woebot's free consumer app once offered.
Is Youper a good Woebot alternative right now? No. Youper's notice page says it discontinued its services on September 30, 2026, and its data-export page says accounts, chat histories, and personal information are being permanently deleted.
Can I still use my old Woebot account? No. Woebot Health's FAQ states previous accounts can no longer be accessed and new accounts can no longer be created, and the deadline to request copies of conversations was July 15, 2025. A US App Store listing still exists, but it requires an access code from a Woebot Health partner.
Is an AI coach the same thing as a CBT chatbot like Woebot or Wysa? No. A CBT-style chatbot offers structured tools; a coaching product like IX Coach is a continuous, generative conversation disclosed as AI and not therapy, built to remember your story across sessions rather than run a fixed script.
Is IX Coach therapy or a crisis service? No. IX Coach is AI coaching — not therapy, and not a crisis service. In the United States, call or text 988, text HOME to 741741, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
What is a good Woebot alternative in 2026?
Woebot's consumer app was retired June 30, 2025 — anyone searching for a Woebot alternative is really asking what is still open among the free CBT-style chatbots. Wysa is still running, Youper shut down on September 30, 2026, and neither is the same category of product as an AI coach. This guide covers what each option does, what it costs as of 2026-10-03, and where the gaps are, before you sign up for anything. IX Coach is AI coaching — not therapy, and not a crisis service.
Is Woebot really gone, or can I still get in?
Woebot Health's FAQ gives the dates. The consumer app was retired on June 30, 2025. The FAQ says users "had until July 15, 2025 to request copies of their conversations," and that deadline has passed. It also says account data was anonymized as of July 31, 2025, a process it describes as removing "any information that could personally identify you" — which means anonymized, not deleted. Two other things are still live and point in a different direction, so it helps to know them before spending time on either. A Woebot listing still appears in the US App Store (seller Woebot Labs Inc, last updated December 17, 2025), but its description says you need "an access code from your provider, employer or other Woebot Health partner" and that without one you will not be able to use the app. And Woebot Health's App Support page still says the app is available to new users in the United States who are part of a study or who have an access code from a partner — wording that contradicts the FAQ's "retired." Neither page says which was updated more recently. The FAQ is the one that says "retired" outright. For anyone who used the old consumer app, the practical result is the same: there is nothing to sign back into, and no public signup flow.
What does Wysa cost?
The chatbot and its in-conversation tools are free. Wysa's FAQ says it also offers a premium version "at cost" with a wider tool library, and that people who get Wysa through an organisation get premium at no cost. For individuals, Wysa's App Store description lists Premium Plus at $99.99 per month (coach plus tools) and Premium at $99.99 per year (tools only), for US customers. The same listing's in-app purchase list shows many other price points, from $4.99 to $144.99 — including "Wysa Premium (Annual) $74.99" — so the description and the list do not agree, and the amount charged may differ from the description. Check the price shown at purchase. Wysa's US App Store rating was about 4.8 from roughly 24,000 ratings on 2026-10-03.
So what actually replaces a free CBT chatbot like Woebot?
Wysa is the closest live match in format: a free chatbot you can open without a clinician involved. Youper occupied the same category but is gone. Past those two, a few other apps sit in nearby territory, each with its own limits. MindLift's App Store title is "MindLift: CBT Mindset Coach," and its site says it is free to start with core features available without an account. Earkick is listed on the US App Store under Elomia Health, Inc. Ash describes itself as AI designed for mental health. The table below sets them next to IX Coach and to general-purpose assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude. None of these is an AI coach in the sense IX Coach is. Wysa's FAQ describes tools offered inside conversations and in a tool library; IX Coach's sessions are open-ended conversations that draw on what you told it in earlier ones.
How do you tell if you need a CBT chatbot, a coach, or something else?
The practical test is not which app has the best reviews — it is what you are actually carrying. A structured, repeatable exercise for catching an anxious thought or a low mood pattern is what a CBT-style chatbot like Wysa is built for, and its core is free. A crisis, or a diagnosable condition that needs a clinician's judgment and legal accountability, is outside what any of these products — Woebot in its day, Wysa, Youper while it ran, or IX Coach — are built to handle; Wysa's own FAQ names crisis situations as out of scope, and IX Coach is disclosed as coaching, not therapy, for the same reason. A stuck pattern, a decision, or an ongoing goal that benefits from being remembered and returned to over time is closer to what a coaching relationship is built for. Knowing which one you are looking for before you pick a product saves you from switching twice.
Is there a free alternative to Woebot?
Wysa's own FAQ says talking to Wysa AI is free, including tools offered within conversations, and MindLift says it is free to start with core features available without an account. Wysa is the closest in format to what Woebot's free consumer app once offered.
Is Youper a good Woebot alternative right now?
No. Youper's notice page says it discontinued its services on September 30, 2026, and its data-export page says accounts, chat histories, and personal information are being permanently deleted.
Can I still use my old Woebot account?
No. Woebot Health's FAQ states previous accounts can no longer be accessed and new accounts can no longer be created, and the deadline to request copies of conversations was July 15, 2025. A US App Store listing still exists, but it requires an access code from a Woebot Health partner.
Is an AI coach the same thing as a CBT chatbot like Woebot or Wysa?
No. A CBT-style chatbot offers structured tools; a coaching product like IX Coach is a continuous, generative conversation disclosed as AI and not therapy, built to remember your story across sessions rather than run a fixed script.
Is IX Coach therapy or a crisis service?
No. IX Coach is AI coaching — not therapy, and not a crisis service. In the United States, call or text 988, text HOME to 741741, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Research
- Woebot Health, (2025), Woebot Health FAQ — app retirement notice, woebothealth.com — Primary source for the retirement statement (June 30, 2025), the July 15, 2025 conversation-copy deadline, and the July 31, 2025 anonymization date.
- Woebot Health, (2026), Woebot Health home page, woebothealth.com — Source for the company's current chat-based AI wellness positioning; the provider-facing wording quoted in the opening comes from its App Support page index (next entry).
- Woebot Health, (2026), Woebot Health App Support, woebothealth.com — Source for the provider-facing page title ("Woebot, the behavioral health copilot for Providers") and for the study/access-code wording that contradicts the FAQ's "retired" statement.
- Apple App Store, (2026), Woebot — App Store catalog entry (US), itunes.apple.com — Source for the Woebot Labs Inc listing still existing, its December 17, 2025 update date, and its access-code requirement.
- Wysa, (2026), Wysa FAQ — scope disclaimer and free/premium statement, wysa.com — Source for Wysa's own scope language, the statement that talking to Wysa AI is free, and the premium-at-cost and organisation-access wording.
- Apple App Store, (2026), Wysa: Mental Wellbeing AI — App Store catalog entry (US), itunes.apple.com — Source for the app title, the roughly 4.8 rating from about 24,000 ratings, and the $99.99/month and $99.99/year description text. The listing's in-app purchase list shows many other price points ($4.99 to $144.99), reported on this page rather than resolved.
- Youper, Inc., (2026), Youper service notice, youper.ai/notice — Primary source for "Youper discontinued its services on September 30, 2026" and for Youper describing itself as not a therapist or medical device.
- Youper, Inc., (2026), Youper data export page, start.youper.ai — Primary source for the statement that accounts, chat histories, and personal information are being permanently deleted.
- Apple App Store, (2026), Youper — App Store catalog lookup (US), itunes.apple.com — Returned zero results on 2026-10-03.
- ChoosingTherapy.com, (2026), Youper App Review, choosingtherapy.com — Secondary source (fetched live 2026-10-03) for long-time users' disappointment that features such as meditation and journaling were removed.
- MindLift, (2026), MindLift home page, mindliftapp.app — Source for free to start with core features available without an account, and for MindLift saying it is not a crisis service and not a clinical tool or therapy replacement.
- Apple App Store, (2026), MindLift: CBT Mindset Coach — App Store listing (US), apps.apple.com — Source for the app title and in-app prices of $4.99 (1 month), $34.99 (1 year) and $89.99 (lifetime).
- Apple App Store, (2026), Earkick - Self Care AI Coach — App Store catalog entry (US), itunes.apple.com — Source for the Elomia Health, Inc. publisher, the free-trial-then-subscription wording, and the advice to seek medical help in a crisis.
- Earkick, (2026), Earkick blog home page, blog.earkick.com — Source for the tagline calling Earkick free, which conflicts with the App Store's trial-then-subscription wording; that is why no single Earkick price is stated.
- Slingshot AI, (2026), Ash home page, talktoash.com — Source for Ash's description of itself as AI designed for mental health and its statement that it is not designed to be used in crisis.
- Apple App Store, (2026), Ash - AI for Mental Health — App Store listing (US), apps.apple.com — Source for the Free listed price and the mixed unlimited-access in-app tiers from $9.99 to $169.99.
- OpenAI, (2026), ChatGPT plans and pricing, learn.chatgpt.com — Source for the Free $0, Go $8 and Plus $20 per month figures.
- Anthropic, (2026), Claude pricing, claude.com — Source for Claude Free $0 and Pro at $17/month with an annual subscription or $20 monthly.
- IX Coach, (2026), IX Coach pricing, ixcoach.com/pricing — Primary source for the 7-day free trial, $40/month price, card-up-front trial, and free accounts previewing the experience.
Practice this with IX Coach
Keep reading
- Woebot vs Wysa (2026): Why This Comparison Isn't Really a Contest Anymore
Is Woebot or Wysa better, and is Woebot even still around?
- Wysa vs Woebot for Anxiety (2026): One of These Apps No Longer Exists
Which is better for anxiety, Wysa or Woebot?
- Woebot vs Youper (2026): Both CBT Chatbots Have Shut Down or Are Shutting Down
Which is better, Woebot or Youper?
- Is Woebot Free? What It Actually Costs in 2026
Is Woebot free, and how much does it cost?
- Best Mental Health App 2026: How to Choose Between Therapy, Meditation, and AI Coaching
What is the best mental health app in 2026?
- AI Life Coach Reddit: 2026 Reviews, Apps & What Works
What are the best AI life coach apps according to Reddit in 2026?
- Youper Alternative: What to Use Now That It Has Shut Down
What is a good Youper alternative now that Youper has shut down?
- Rosebud Alternative: What to Use After the Free Plan Ended
What is a good alternative to Rosebud now that its free plan has ended?