# MoodTools review (2026): is the free plan enough?

> Free depression self-help app with a CBT thought diary

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA.

MoodTools is a self-help app for people with low mood or depression, available on iOS and Android. It includes a thought diary based on cognitive therapy, an activities log that tracks mood before and after, a PHQ-9 questionnaire to track symptom severity, a suicide safety plan and links to information and videos. All core features are free; an optional Pro Mode adds export, cloud sync and passcode protection.

- **Category:** Journaling Apps
- **Made by:** Inquiry Health LLC
- **Website:** https://moodtools.org
- **Runs on:** iOS, Android
- **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a general diary, as it is built around depression self-help.
- **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026

## Pricing

As of Nov 12, 2026, MoodTools has a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99 per month (Pro Mode, US App Store).

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** All core features are free: thought diary, activities, safety plan, information, PHQ-9 test and videos.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moodtools-depression-aid/id1012822112 on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MoodTools before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Yearly Pro Mode costs less than monthly** (Annual discount): The US App Store lists Pro Mode at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year; twelve monthly payments would total $59.88. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moodtools-depression-aid/id1012822112

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- People who want a free CBT-style thought diary
- Tracking depression symptoms with PHQ-9 over time

## Worth knowing

- 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.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. MoodTools is a self-help app for low mood with a thought diary, activity log, PHQ-9 test and safety plan, all free on iOS and Android. Export, cloud sync and a passcode need Pro, and it is a depression tool, not a general diary.

- **Value for money: A.** The 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: B.** The thought diary, activities, PHQ-9 test, safety plan and videos are all free, but export, cloud sync and a passcode are paid.
- **Features: C.** It 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: B.** 4.8 from about 310 App Store ratings, under the 1,000 needed for an A.
- **Platforms and integrations: C.** iPhone and Android only. There is no web or computer app and no integrations are listed.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MoodTools's own pages on 12 November 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

## Where it stands among journaling apps

- MoodTools's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 22 of the 39 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 10.
- It stands best on value for money (A, above 29 of 39) and worst on features (C, above 1).
- Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $3.99 for the category: 17 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
- On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/journaling

## Keep it, or make your own?

**You could make this.** A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos. What MoodTools does at its core is daily notes and mood tracking, and that is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well. You would give up one thing, listed below, and little else. It costs $59.88 a year. An AI app builder starts at about $20 a month on our listings, and you only need it while you build.

- You could make: Daily notes and mood tracking: an app builder makes these well.
- You could not: A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

**Tags:** Daily notes, Mood tracking

## Alternatives

- [Moodfit](https://toolgpa.com/tools/moodfit): Mood journal and CBT tools built around daily goals. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/moodfit-vs-moodtools)
- [How We Feel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/how-we-feel): Free emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/how-we-feel-vs-moodtools)
- [Daylio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/daylio): Mood tracker and micro-diary you fill in with a couple of taps. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/daylio-vs-moodtools)
- [Bearable](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bearable): Symptom and mood tracker that links health to daily habits. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bearable-vs-moodtools)
- [Clearful](https://toolgpa.com/tools/clearful): Guided journal with 400+ prompts and templates on every device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/clearful-vs-moodtools)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026:

- https://moodtools.org/
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moodtools-depression-aid/id1012822112

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/moodtools
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).