Best Sanvello Alternatives in 2026 (Free CBT Picks First)

Sanvello is no longer available to individuals. The best Sanvello alternatives in 2026: free-first CBT apps and a mood tracker, with honest pros and cons.

MindLift TeamPublished · Updated
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Key takeaways
  • Sanvello is no longer available to individual users — the consumer app left the App Store and Google Play in 2024
  • On-demand CBT: MindLift (our own app) — reframe the thought in 60 seconds, free to start
  • Best guided AI-CBT chat: Wysa
  • Best AI chat with mood tracking: Youper
  • Best free structured CBT toolkit: MindShift CBT (now published by 247 Labs)
  • Best free mood tracker: How We Feel, from a nonprofit
Part of: CBT

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The Bottom Line

Sanvello is no longer available to individual users: the consumer app was removed from the App Store and Google Play in 2024 and folded into AbleTo SelfCare+, which is members-only. The best replacement depends on what you used it for. For free, in-the-moment CBT, MindLift reframes the anxious thought in about 60 seconds, free to start. For a guided chat format, Wysa or Youper; for a free structured toolkit, MindShift CBT; and for mood tracking, How We Feel.

Sanvello used to bundle CBT courses, mood tracking, and guided programs into one app. It is no longer available to individual users: the consumer app was removed from the App Store and Google Play in 2024 and folded into AbleTo SelfCare+, which you can only use as a member through some employers and health plans. If you used Sanvello on your own, you need a replacement. This roundup ranks the best options by what you actually used it for. If it's the thought itself, our guide to reframing negative thoughts is a good starting point.

1

MindLift

Best free, on-demand CBT — for the moment, not a course

CBT Reframing
No Subscription to Start
Overthinking
Anxiety

Sanvello taught CBT through structured, multi-week programs. MindLift assumes you don't want a course right now — you want to use the technique. You type the exact thought bothering you and get a CBT-based reframe, a calmer and truer version, in about 60 seconds. The core reframing tool, the thing that matters most, is free to start.

Type a thought, get a CBT-based reframe in ~60 seconds
On-demand rescue, not a multi-week program
Core CBT tool free to start — premium available
Names the thinking trap driving the anxiety
Reframe, not toxic positivity — kinder and believable

A four-week CBT course is great — until you're mid-spiral at 11pm. That's the moment MindLift is built for.

MindLift Team

What changed with Sanvello, and how MindLift compares: see our MindLift vs Sanvello page.

Try MindLift — Free to Start

The other Sanvello alternatives worth knowing

2

Wysa

Best guided AI-CBT chat

Wysa is an AI chat companion grounded in CBT and mindfulness, with optional paid access to human coaches. A good fit if you liked Sanvello's guidance but prefer a conversational format over structured modules.

3

Youper

Best AI chat with mood tracking

Youper pairs an AI chat that walks you through CBT-style exercises with mood tracking over time — closest to what Sanvello offered, guided support plus tracking, in a chat-first package.

4

MindShift CBT

Best free structured CBT toolkit

Originally developed with Anxiety Canada and now published by 247 Labs, MindShift CBT offers free, structured CBT tools — thought journals, coping cards, and anxiety modules. The closest free stand-in for Sanvello's course-based approach.

5

How We Feel

Best free mood tracker

If mood tracking was the Sanvello feature you valued most, How We Feel is a free mood journal from The How We Feel Project, a nonprofit, conceived with Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence. You check in on how you feel, spot patterns over time, and get short coping videos. It's on iOS and Android, and it's a journal, not a CBT course, so pair it with an on-demand CBT tool for the reframing side.

How to choose your Sanvello alternative

Three panels matching a Sanvello alternative to what you actually used: mood tracking points to an app with a one-tap daily check-in and weekly chart, CBT tools point to in-the-moment thought reframing like MindLift, and guided programs point to a structured course app with in-the-moment support beside it
Match the replacement to the piece of Sanvello you actually used.
  • You want CBT in the moment, free. MindLift.
  • You want a guided chat format. Wysa or Youper.
  • You want a free structured course. MindShift CBT.
  • You mainly want mood tracking. How We Feel, or Daylio if you prefer a tap-based diary.

Comparing the whole field? See our best mental health apps of 2026 roundup, or try MindLift on iOS and Android — free to start.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Sanvello?

For free, on-demand CBT, MindLift is the most direct alternative — its core reframing tool is free to start. MindShift CBT, originally developed with Anxiety Canada and now published by 247 Labs, is a free structured self-help toolkit. If you mainly used Sanvello for mood tracking, How We Feel is a free mood journal from a nonprofit.

Is Sanvello still available?

Not to individual users. The consumer Sanvello app was removed from the App Store and Google Play in 2024 and folded into AbleTo SelfCare+, which is members-only and reached through some employers and health plans. If you do not have access through one of those, you need a different app.

Is MindLift a good Sanvello alternative?

Yes, if you used Sanvello for its CBT tools and want CBT you can use immediately. Both are grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy. Sanvello taught CBT through structured courses and tracked mood over time; MindLift applies CBT directly to the specific thought bothering you and returns a reframe in about 60 seconds — free to start.

What replaces Sanvello for mood tracking?

MindLift is focused on reframing, not tracking. If mood tracking was the feature you valued in Sanvello, How We Feel is a free mood journal from a nonprofit, on iOS and Android. Daylio is another option: a tap-based mood diary, free to download with paid premium features. Pair either with an on-demand CBT tool like MindLift for the reframing side.

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Sources (3)
Sources
  1. Moberg, C., Niles, A., & Beermann, D. (2019). Guided self-help works: Randomized waitlist controlled trial of Pacifica, a mobile app integrating cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness for stress, anxiety, and depression. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(6), e12556. — DOI (opens in a new tab)
  2. Inkster, B., Sarda, S., & Subramanian, V. (2018). An empathy-driven, conversational artificial intelligence agent (Wysa) for digital mental well-being: Real-world data evaluation mixed-methods study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 6(11), e12106. — DOI (opens in a new tab)
  3. Mehta, A., Niles, A. N., Vargas, J. H., Marafon, T., Couto, D. D., & Gross, J. J. (2021). Acceptability and effectiveness of artificial intelligence therapy for anxiety and depression (Youper): Longitudinal observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(6), e26771. — DOI (opens in a new tab)
MindLift content is informed by published research in cognitive behavioral therapy and psychology. This content is educational and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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