If you are working on overcoming your OCD, you are probably already well aware that it is a LOT of hard work. As an anxiety and OCD therapist, I wanted to put together a list of digital resources that could support you through this process. Here are 3 OCD apps (2 of which are free) and 1 free website that you may find helpful in your journey.
Please Note: All of these OCD apps were tested on an Android device in June of 2023. Therefore, you may experience some differences in features or functionality if you are using the app on an Apple device or the app has been updated since this article was published.
OCD Apps
Liberate: My OCD Fighter
“Liberate: My OCD Fighter brings to you an easy way to conquer your anxieties from the comfort of home.”
Availability
- Android: Liberate: My OCD Fighter
- Apple: ✖
Account Requirements
- Nickname
- Email address
- Can create a password for privacy, but this is optional
Cost
- Completely free (no ads or premium options)
Rating
- 4.4 ★s, 92 reviews on Google Play Store
What “Liberate: My OCD Fighter” Offers
- Information about:
- OCD
- CBT
- ERP
- Medication
- Goal setting
- Ideas for resisting compulsions
- A tip of the day
- An emotion check-in
- You can track your moods and take note of “good” or “bad” experiences that are affecting your mood
- Track your compulsions over time
- A digital diary
- Create a “Safety Plan”
- Make a list of your obsessions and compulsions
- Create a list of goals for yourself
- Exercises to explore your OCD-related thoughts
- Create a “Fear Ladder” of your triggers
- Track exposures as you do them and over time
- Create exposure scripts in the app to listen to
- Note: While this is a listed feature, during my time using the app I could not actually get the app to record a script
- Set daily reminders for using the tools
- Send your therapist weekly progress reports
What I Liked
- Lots of tools and information
- Ability to track compulsions easily on app home screen
- Personalized experience
- Cute interface
- The app was created by someone who has OCD and has been through OCD treatment (so they get it!)
- Completely free
What I Didn’t Like
- I’m somewhat confused by what the app means by an “OCD Attack.”
- Is this a panic attack, a sudden spike in OCD symptoms, or some other kind of mental health emergency? The definition was unclear.
- Tracking exposures is somewhat simplistic and does not allow for much customization
- Clicking on the “Helpline” called a shopping center in another country…
- Somewhat glitchy (but still usable)
- Not available on Apple
Bottom Line
- If you have an Android device, “Liberate: My OCD Fighter” offers numerous helpful tools for challenging your OCD and tracking your progress (if you can put up with some glitches) all for the low, low price of FREE.
OCD.app – Anxiety, Mood & Sleep
“Daily CBT exercises to improve your obsessions, mood & build motivation (GG OCD).”
Availability
- Android: OCD.app Anxiety, Mood & Sleep
- Apple: OCD.app – Anxiety Mood & Sleep
Account Requirements
- Nickname
- Age
- Gender
Cost
- 7-day free trial
- $80/year, $50/3 months, or $10/week, after that on Google Play Store
- $79/year, $50/2 months, $20/month, $10/week, or $200 after that on Apple App Store
Rating
- 3.9 ★s – 268 reviews on Google Play Store
- 4.7 ★s – 2.8K reviews on Apple Store
What “OCD.app” Offers
- Mood check-in
- Track your mood over time
- Teaches you about various concepts by having you practice “embracing” or “discarding” helpful or unhelpful thoughts or concepts by swiping them down or up
- Save helpful reminders (like “I trust my skills”) to a toolbox
- See which reminders others in the community found most helpful
- Set daily reminders
- Offers a choice of 6 different visual themes
- Materials are also offered in Italian, Spanish, or Hebrew
- Can choose “modules” relevant to you, including
- OCD (general)
- ROCD
- Perfectionism
- Anxiety
- Health anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- Anger
- Body image
- Sleep
- Confidence
- Tinnitus
What I Liked
- Engaging
- Simple to use
- Addresses many different potential concerns (OCD, depression, etc.)
- Promotes a healthier mindset
- Personalized experience
- Nice visuals
What I Didn’t Like
- The voice that reads the thoughts is very mechanical (although there is an option to turn this off)
- The app gives you notifications about things you’re learning as you use the app
- The timeline takes a while to load
- May not be helpful for everyone as this apps focusing purely on your way of thinking about things, and many people with OCD benefit more from changing the way they do things
- Somewhat pricey after free trial
Bottom Line
- “OCD.app – Anxiety, Mood & Sleep” offers an engaging tool for shifting your mindset and finding a kinder, more helpful way of thinking about issues related to multiple different concerns, including anxiety and OCD, as long as you don’t mind paying for it.
NOCD: OCD Therapy and Tools
“NOCD helps people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) manage the condition.”
Availability
- Android: NOCD: OCD Therapy and Tools
- Apple: NOCD: OCD Therapy and Tools
Account Requirements
- Username
- Email address
Cost
- Completely free (no premium options)
- Is centered around having you sign up for online therapy through NOCD
- This is not free, although NOCD does accept many insurances
Rating
- 4.1 ★s – 939 reviews on Google Play Store
- 4.8 ★s – 8K reviews on Apple App Store
What the “NOCD” App Offers
- Information about:
- OCD
- How ERP treatment works
- Can connect with an OCD therapist and use the app to message them
- Can identify your obsessions, compulsions, triggers, and possible exposure situations by picking from a list or writing in your own
- Provides information about how to stop doing compulsions in audio or written form
- Can access an “SOS” feature for audios/videos to support you through a difficult OCD moment, based on what specific OCD theme you are struggling with
- Can do exposure exercises in the app and it will check in with you regarding your distress level every 2 minutes and then give a graph summary at the end
- Can create and save materials in the app for exposures, including:
- Audio recordings
- Written scripts
- Images
- Videos
- Links
- Can play audio recordings on loop for exposure purposes
- Can track progress for specific exposures
- Has a community board where you can connect with other individuals with OCD
- Can specify specific types of communities you would like to interact with (young adults, older adults, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, etc.)
- Can specify what OCD themes you struggle with
- Can turn off posts tagged with a trigger warning
What I Liked
- Personalized experience
- Useful for implementing and tracking exposures
- Totally free
What I Didn’t Like
- The app is really more designed for individuals who are looking for therapy through NOCD rather than a self-help tool
- Adding exposure exercises/triggers to your hierarchy could be more streamlined
- Can’t control audio contents from lock screen or notifications menu
- The community board is not well monitored and may or may not be that helpful depending on what you are looking for
- They have discontinued the free support groups that they used to have (these may only be available to those receiving therapy from NOCD)
Bottom Line
- The NOCD app has useful tools for setting up and tracking exposures for individuals who are already in therapy for their OCD or are looking to receive therapy through NOCD.
Other Digital Resources
OCD Challenge Website
Availability
- Android: ✖
- Apple: ✖
- Website: OCD Challenge
Account Requirements
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Phone number
- City and state
- Username
Cost
- Free (no ads or premium options)
Rating
- N/A
What the “OCD Challenge” Website Offers
- Information about:
- What OCD is and is not
- Who has OCD
- Treatment for OCD
- Assessments for:
- Your OCD symptoms
- Your stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Motivation
- Purpose
- Self-compassion
- Videos about various topics, including:
- How to challenge your OCD
- Different OCD themes
- How to build a hierarchy
- How ERP works
- Identify your triggers, obsessions, and compulsions
- Build awareness around your OCD through tracking
- Create a hierarchy of triggers to help work through your OCD
- Track how often you have practiced exposures with each trigger over time
What I Liked
- Lots of helpful information
- Provides a structure for moving through OCD treatment
- Completely free
What I Didn’t Like
- If you did not identify with any of the obsessions listed it would not let you move forward to the next step
- If a certain type of OCD did not apply to you, you still have to mark an answer for each question (can’t skip the section)
- You can’t choose to move to the next level of exposure when you want to (have to complete them in order)
Bottom Line
- If you don’t mind putting in all of your personal information, this is a great free resource for those that would like to overcome their OCD and do not have access to more costly resources such as therapy.
Final Thoughts about these OCD Apps and Digital Resources
If you are looking for an OCD app to support you in overcoming your OCD, the “Liberate: My OCD Fighter” app is probably your best bet, although it is only available on Android devices and no longer seems to have developer support.
Both the “OCD.app” and “NOCD” apps are useful tools to supplement your OCD therapy, although OCD.app becomes somewhat pricey after the free trial.
“OCD Challenge” is a great website for those who have access to limited resources and are looking for an all-around digital tool to help them overcome their OCD.
Overall, I would say that there is definitely room for the development of additional digital resources or OCD apps for individuals who are looking for help with their OCD, although the existing resources are definitely worth checking out.
As a reminder, this blog post is not intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. This article is meant to provide you with some helpful information about digital resources for OCD, including OCD apps. If you are struggling with your mental health, I encourage you to consider reaching out for additional support, professional or otherwise.
-Kristel Roper, LMFT, LPCC
Kristel Roper is a licensed psychotherapist offering therapy services to individuals in the Sacramento area. She specializes in therapy for anxiety and OCD and especially enjoys working with young women as they navigate the challenges of relationships, college, career, and beyond. If you have a question for Kristel or are interested in therapy for yourself or your loved one, feel free to reach out.
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