Anxiety Apps

There are thousands of mental health apps, and store listings rarely give enough to choose among them. The five below are (as of this writing) free, with no subscription and no paid tier, and each comes from a named organization rather than an anonymous developer.

We have used one of them directly and have said which. For the others we can describe what they contain, not how well they work. None is a substitute for therapy.

Healthy Minds Program

Healthy Minds Program is published by Humin, the nonprofit formerly known as Healthy Minds Innovations, which grew out of work at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The app pairs guided meditation with short, podcast-style lessons organized around four areas: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. Its emphasis falls on building a sustained practice and understanding the reasoning behind it, rather than on relief in the moment.

Note: This is the one app on this list we have used directly. We found it substantive and well constructed, particularly for a free app.

MindShift CBT

MindShift CBT is built around cognitive behavioral therapy and addresses anxiety specifically rather than general wellness.

It includes thought journals, coping cards, belief experiments, and fear ladders for approaching avoided situations in gradual steps, along with relaxation and mindfulness audio.

It is published by 247 Labs, a software company rather than a nonprofit or health agency, and it is the only app listed here that requires an account.

Insomnia Coach

Insomnia Coach is a self-guided app from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD, based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

It provides a five-week training plan, a sleep diary, personalized feedback, and tools for changing the habits that sustain insomnia. Although developed by the VA, it is available to the general public.

It should not be confused with CBT-i Coach, a separate VA app intended for use alongside CBT-I treatment with a clinician. Insomnia Coach is the self-guided version.

PTSD Coach

PTSD Coach is published by the VA's National Center for PTSD and the Defense Health Agency, for learning about and managing symptoms that can follow trauma.

It provides information about PTSD and its treatment, symptom tracking, self-assessments, coping tools, and links to support. Veteran status is not required, and family members may use it to learn more about PTSD.

It is not intended to diagnose PTSD or to replace professional care.

Mindfulness Coach

Mindfulness Coach is also published by the VA's National Center for PTSD. Neither a PTSD diagnosis nor veteran status is required to use it.

It offers a graduated, self-guided introduction to mindfulness, with guided exercises, reminders, goal setting, and practice tracking. It may suit those who prefer a structured course to an extensive library of meditations.

A note on apps and anxiety

An app can be useful for learning skills, maintaining a practice, or making sense of what happens during an anxious episode. It can also become one more thing you are supposed to be doing perfectly.

You do not need an app to get better at dealing with anxiety. If one helps, use it. If it starts to feel like another obligation, you can set it aside.

*Last reviewed: September 2026.*