If you used Sober Grid, you may still be looking for something to replace it. Maybe you've just started looking for a sobriety app for the first time. Either way, there are a lot of sobriety apps now, and they don't all do the same job. This guide covers what happened to Sober Grid, plainly, and then gives you a checklist for choosing any sobriety app that fits how you actually stay sober.
What happened to Sober Grid
Sober Grid, Inc., the company behind the Sober Grid app, filed a voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on September 15, 2023 (Case No. 23-11460). The case was closed in March 2025 (PacerMonitor docket; trustee's final report notice). As of October 2026, its app is no longer listed in the US App Store.
If you relied on an app that's no longer there, losing it can feel like a real loss, and it's okay to say so. It also offers a practical lesson for whatever you use next, which we'll come back to below.
First, decide what you need the app to do
"Sobriety app" covers a lot of different tools. Most fall into a few broad types, and many combine more than one:
- Day counters and trackers. They show your sober time, milestones and sometimes money saved.
- Community apps. These offer peer support from other people in recovery, through feeds, groups or chat.
- Guided programs. Daily lessons, prompts or courses.
- AI companions. Chat-based support that's available at any hour.
- Clinical or telehealth apps. These connect you with licensed clinicians, and sometimes medication, usually for a specific substance and often through insurance.
None of these is "best." The right one depends on what keeps you sober. If you're not sure, think about what helped on your last hard night. Was it talking to someone? Seeing your count? Getting out of the house to a meeting?
A checklist for choosing a sobriety app
1. Does it cover your substance and your path?
Some apps are built only for alcohol, and some are built for moderation rather than quitting. If you're quitting opioids, cannabis, stimulants, kratom or more than one thing, check that the app was designed for that. Also check that it respects how you recover: 12-step, another mutual-support group, therapy, medication or your own way.
2. What kind of support does it actually offer?
Is it solo tracking, a community, an AI, people or a combination? If an app offers AI support, look for three things:
- It says clearly that it's an AI.
- It tells you what it is not, such as a therapist, a counselor or a source of medical advice.
- It points you back to real people and real help.
3. Are crisis resources easy to find?
On your worst night, you shouldn't have to dig through settings. A good sobriety app keeps 988 and SAMHSA's National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) easy to reach.
4. Is the pricing clear before you pay?
Look for plain answers to these questions:
- How long is the free trial?
- What does it renew at, and how often?
- How do you cancel?
On iPhone and Android, subscriptions are generally managed in your phone's store settings. An app that makes cancelling easy is respecting you.
5. Have you read the privacy policy?
Sobriety is sensitive. The Federal Trade Commission's advice for any health app applies here (FTC):
- Compare privacy protections across apps. Look for a privacy notice that explains in simple terms what the app collects and how it uses and shares your information.
- Check the settings. Defaults often encourage sharing, so choose the more protective options.
- Keep the app and your phone updated.
- Know the limits. Unlike your doctor, many health apps aren't covered by health privacy laws like HIPAA.
Then decide what you're comfortable sharing.
6. Can you take your data with you?
This is the lesson from 2023. Apps can shut down, and your sober date shouldn't live only inside one. Before you commit, check whether you can export your data or delete your account yourself. Separately, write your sober date down somewhere that's yours.
If you're switching from another app, also check whether you can bring your existing count instead of starting over.
7. Does it connect you to real life?
The best apps don't try to be your whole recovery. Look for features that push you outward: a meeting finder, a way to include the people who support you, and reminders for the meetings and appointments already on your calendar.
8. Is it honest that it isn't treatment?
An app can be a great daily support. It isn't a substitute for a doctor, counselor, meeting or sponsor, and a trustworthy app will tell you that. If you're looking for treatment, the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator and SAMHSA's helpline are good places to start.
9. Will you actually open it?
Design matters more than people admit. If an app feels cluttered, shaming or dated, you'll stop opening it. Choose one you want to look at on day 3 and on day 300.
Where Free and Sober fits
We built Free and Sober around that checklist. Here's what it will be at launch, in plain terms, so you can judge it for yourself:
- Any substance, every stage. It's for alcohol, other drugs or anything else, whether you're ready to stop, newly sober or years in. If you're already sober, you'll be able to bring your full count and the milestones you've already earned.
- A count without shame. It will show your current and total days side by side, with badges at 24 hours, 30, 60 and 90 days, and on through the years. A slip will start a new count but keep every day you built.
- The Time Capsule. On day one, you'll record a message to your future self, on video, by voice or in writing. It will stay sealed until day 30.
- Twelve AI mentors. You'll be able to talk by message any hour, or by voice or video on some plans. Each mentor says plainly that it's an AI, not a therapist or counselor, and that it doesn't give medical advice.
- Real life, built in. There will be a meeting finder by ZIP code or city, a calendar for meetings and appointments, and, on Plus and Premium, Your Corner, where you invite the people who have your back and pick what each one sees, like your milestones or your day count.
- Clear pricing. At launch, there's a 3-day free trial, then plans start at $12.99 a month, plus tax. Plans renew monthly until you cancel, and you cancel in your phone's store settings.
- Your data. You'll be able to take a copy of your data or delete your account from inside the app.
Free and Sober isn't in the app stores yet. Join the waitlist and we'll email you when it launches. (At first, it won't be open in every US state.)
Whatever you choose
The best sobriety app is the one that keeps you connected to your reasons and your people. If you're between apps right now, don't let the gap become a reason to go it alone. Text a friend, find a meeting, or call someone.
- SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information, in English and Spanish (SAMHSA).
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, any time (988 Lifeline).
Free and Sober is a wellness app, not medical care, and doesn't provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your health or about stopping a substance.