How We Feel vs MoodTools (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, How We Feel grades higher than MoodTools: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
How We Feel grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MoodTools
Free depression self-help app with a CBT thought diary
Which one is for you
Pick How We Feel if
- Fits if you want a mood journal with no subscription and no in-app purchases
- Works for therapy clients who want to note feelings between sessions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to journal on a tablet or computer, as it's phones only
- Not for you if you need another language, as it's in English and Spanish only
- Too light for anyone after a long-form diary, since every entry starts from a mood check-in
- Watch out: the iPhone app needs iOS 17 or later, and the vendor says it's no replacement for therapy
Pick MoodTools if
- Fits if you want a free thought diary and mood log for low mood
- Works for people who want to track PHQ-9 scores over time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a general diary, as it is built around depression self-help
- Tight if you want a passcode, backup or export, because Pro adds all three
- Skip it if you want a web or desktop version, since it runs on phones only
- Watch out: Pro is $4.99 a month, and the Google Play prices were not read
- Watch out: the vendor says it is not a replacement for treatment
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHow We FeelVery good | 2.8GPAMoodToolsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with no in-app purchases on the US App Store and no paid plan at all, where journaling apps here sit around $4.17 a month in the middle. A nonprofit runs it on donations, so there's nothing to weigh up. | AThe core app is free, and Pro is $29.99 a year, about $2.50 a month, against $3.33 where the cheaper quarter of journaling apps starts. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free: check-ins, journal notes and photos, pattern charts, the video strategies and sharing with friends. No account is needed and nothing is held back, so there's no cap to meet. | BThe thought diary, activities, PHQ-9 test, safety plan and videos are all free, but export, cloud sync and a passcode are paid. |
| Features | CIt does the emotion check-in fully, with a grid of feeling words, tags, a written entry, photos, a body sensation map, an Analyze tab and short videos on steadying yourself. But that's a smaller job than keeping a journal, and it's in English and Spanish only. | CIt does the thought diary and mood-tracking job for low mood fully, but it is a narrower job than a general journal and has no photos or free-form entries on record. |
| Ease of use | A4.87 from about 29,900 App Store ratings. A check-in is picking a word off a grid, there's no account to set up, and some strategy videos run a minute. | B4.8 from about 310 App Store ratings, under the 1,000 needed for an A. |
| Platforms and integrations | CPhones only: the App Store listing says iPhone, alongside the Android app, on iOS 17 or later, with no iPad, Mac or web version. On iPhone it reads sleep and exercise from Apple Health and can sync to iCloud. | CiPhone and Android only. There is no web or computer app and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | a free check-in on how you really feel | low-mood self-help with a thought diary |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: How We Feel and MoodTools. How we grade
Price against what you get
How We Feel has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MoodTools starts at $4.99 a month and scores 2.3.
How We Feel scores higher and starts $4.99 a month lower. Of the other journaling apps on the chart, none scores higher than How We Feel for less, and 16 score higher than MoodTools for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| How We Feel | MoodTools | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 per month (Pro Mode, US App Store) |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and funded by donations. The US App Store listing shows a price of Free with no in-app purchases, and no account is needed. | All core features are free: thought diary, activities, safety plan, information, PHQ-9 test and videos. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The How We Feel Project, Inc. | Inquiry Health LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
How We Feel
- Phone only: the App Store listing says it is only for iPhone, alongside the Android app; no iPad, Mac or web version is listed.
- The App Store listing gives English and Spanish as the only languages.
- The iPhone app requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- The vendor describes it as a wellbeing journal, not a replacement for therapy or professional care.
MoodTools
- The vendor says the app is not a replacement for treatment or medical intervention.
- Export, cloud sync and passcode protection need the paid Pro Mode.
- Pro Mode prices were read from the US App Store listing; the Google Play prices were not read.
- It is a depression self-help tool rather than a general-purpose diary.
Key features
How We Feel
- Mood Meter check-ins
- Each check-in starts with choosing a word for how you feel from a color-coded grid of emotions split into quadrants, which is meant to build a more precise emotional vocabulary.
- Tags, journal notes and photos
- A check-in can carry tags, a written journal entry, photos and a body sensation map, so the situation around a feeling is kept with it.
- Pattern analysis
- An Analyze tab and a weekly review chart check-ins over time. On iPhone the app reads sleep, exercise and other health trends through HealthKit to set beside them.
- Video regulation strategies
- Step-by-step videos, some as short as a minute, are grouped under four themes: Change Your Thinking, Move Your Body, Be Mindful and Reach Out.
- Sharing with friends
- The Friends feature shares how you feel in real time with people you choose. Check-ins stay private unless you decide to share them.
- On-device data
- Data stays on the device unless you opt in to send an anonymized copy of your check-ins for research. The iOS app can sync to iCloud, and no account is required.
MoodTools
- Thought diary
- Analyze thoughts and spot negative or distorted thinking patterns, based on cognitive therapy.
- Activities
- Pick energizing activities and track mood before and after, based on behavioral activation.
- Depression test
- Take the PHQ-9 questionnaire and track symptom severity over time.
- Safety plan
- Build a suicide safety plan with emergency resources to use in a crisis.
- Information and videos
- Self-help guidelines, links to resources and curated videos such as guided meditations.
- Pro Mode
- Optional subscription that adds export, cloud sync and passcode protection.
Plans
How We Feel
Free$0
Every feature: emotion check-ins, journal notes and photos, pattern charts, video strategies and sharing with friends.
MoodTools
Free$0
Thought diary, activities, safety plan, PHQ-9 test, information and videos.
Pro Mode Monthly$4.99
per month
Adds export, cloud sync and passcode protection; auto-renewing.
Pro Mode Yearly$29.99
per year
The same Pro Mode features billed yearly; auto-renewing.
Ways to pay less
How We Feel
No public discounts listed.
MoodTools
- Annual discount
Yearly Pro Mode costs less than monthly
The US App Store lists Pro Mode at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year; twelve monthly payments would total $59.88.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, How We Feel or MoodTools?
As of Nov 12, 2026, How We Feel is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.99 a month for MoodTools. How We Feel is free, and MoodTools starts at $4.99 per month (Pro Mode, US App Store).
Which has a free plan, How We Feel or MoodTools?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both How We Feel and MoodTools have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.