Reframe vs Try Dry: which app to cut back on alcohol
Both are built for drinking less, not only for stopping. One is a paid program, the other a free charity app. Here is how they differ.
Reframe and Try Dry both help you cut back, in different ways. Try Dry is free with no ads, funded by Alcohol Change UK, and works as a drinking diary: units, calories, money, planned drinks and goals [1]. Reframe is a paid 160-day education program with tracking, a community and optional coaching, from $13.99 a month after a 7-day trial [2]. Try Dry if you want to track and you know what to do; Reframe if you want to be taught. Both are on Android [3] [4].
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Head to head
| Reframe | Try Dry | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | 160-day education program with tracking [2] | Drinking diary with goals, units, calories and money [1] |
| Made by | Glucobit Inc. [2] | Alcohol Research UK, funded by Alcohol Change UK [1] |
| Cost | Free to download with a 7-day trial. Reframe Access is $13.99 a month or $79.99 a year; other listed plans run up to $119.99 a year [2] | Free, with no ads and no in-app purchases listed [1] |
| Extra support | Private community, optional 1:1 coaching [2] | Free coaching email programme [1] |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple Vision [2]. Android, as "Reframe: Cut Back on Alcohol" [4] | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision [1]. Android, as "Try Dry: Dry January® & beyond" [3] |
| Store rating | 4.7 from 45K App Store ratings [2]. 4.5 from about 5.9K Google Play reviews [4] | 4.8 from 2.9K App Store ratings [1]. 4.7 from about 4.3K Google Play reviews [3] |
| Privacy | App Store label: identifiers used to track you [2]. Google Play: no data shared with third parties [4] | App Store label: contact info linked to you [1]. Google Play: no data shared with third parties [3] |
The differences that matter
Diary or course
Try Dry asks you to log what you drink, plan your drinking days and watch the totals [1]. Reframe gives you a lesson a day, meditations and games, with tracking alongside [2]. A diary shows you the pattern. A course tries to change how you think about it.
Cost over a year
Try Dry costs nothing [1]. Reframe Access is listed at $79.99 a year, with other plans up to $119.99 [2]. If money is tight, start with the free app and see whether you miss the lessons.
Units and drinks
Try Dry counts UK units of 8 g of alcohol [5]. US guidance uses standard drinks of 14 g [6]. Either works if you are consistent, but be aware the numbers are not interchangeable. Our guide on how much is too much for women explains both.
Is there evidence for either?
We found no published trial of either app. The largest trial of a cut-back app tested a different one, UCL’s Drink Less, and found it "may be effective" for motivated drinkers [7].
If you decide to stop instead
Cutting back sometimes turns into a decision to stop. If that happens, a day counter can be simpler than a diary. Sober Girl, our app, is free to start on Android and counts your days, money and hours, with a Craving SOS for hard moments. See also alcohol-free days.
How to switch from another app without losing your count
- Write down your sober date from another app before you change anything. Your day count is just that date, so any tracker can pick it up.
- Note your weekly spend so the money-saved figure carries over.
- Export anything you want to keep. Journal entries and notes do not move between apps, so copy the ones that matter.
- Cancel the subscription in the store, not by deleting the app. Google Play says uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription [8]. On iPhone, cancel in Settings under your Apple Account [9].
- Set the same date in the new app. In Sober Girl, go to Settings, then "Sober since", and pick the day.
Is Sober Girl right for you?
- use an Android phone (the iPhone app is coming soon)
- want a private tracker, with your journal kept on your device
- want a day counter, money saved and a daily check-in in one calm place
- want a Craving SOS with a breathing exercise and a 10-minute timer
- want to start free and add Plus only if you need the journal, insights or milestone cards
- need it on an iPhone today (the App Store version is coming soon)
- want a community feed, live coaching or an AI chat
- want a structured multi-week education program
- need medical help for heavy drinking or withdrawal. An app is not treatment, so see the safety notes above
Frequently asked questions
Is Reframe or Try Dry better for cutting back?
Try Dry is better if you want a free drinking diary with goals. Reframe is better if you want daily lessons and coaching and are willing to pay.
Is Try Dry really free?
Yes. Its listing says there are no upfront costs, no hidden costs and no ads. It is funded by the charity Alcohol Change UK.
Is there evidence that cut-back apps work?
A large UK trial of a different app, Drink Less, found it may be effective for motivated drinkers. We found no trial of Reframe or Try Dry.
Are Reframe and Try Dry on Android?
Yes. Reframe is "Reframe: Cut Back on Alcohol" and Try Dry is "Try Dry: Dry January® & beyond" on Google Play.
Sources
- TRY DRY: The Dry January App on the App Store (US). Apple App Store listing, retrieved 6 October 2026, re-checked 10 October 2026.
- Reframe: Drink Less & Thrive on the App Store (US). Apple App Store listing, retrieved 6 October 2026, re-checked 10 October 2026.
- Try Dry: Dry January® & beyond on Google Play. Google Play listing (US), retrieved 10 October 2026.
- Reframe: Cut Back on Alcohol on Google Play. Google Play listing (US), retrieved 10 October 2026.
- Alcohol units. NHS (UK), last reviewed 27 August 2024. UK guidance, which uses UK alcohol units. US guidance uses standard drinks of 14 g of alcohol.
- What Is A Standard Drink?. NIAAA.
- Effectiveness of a smartphone app (Drink Less) versus usual digital care for reducing alcohol consumption among increasing-and-higher-risk adult drinkers in the UK: a two-arm, parallel-group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Oldham M, Beard E, Loebenberg G, et al. eClinicalMedicine 2024;70:102534. This tested the UCL Drink Less app, not any other app on this page.
- Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play. Google Play Help.
- Cancel a subscription from Apple. Apple Support.
How we write these. Every figure above links to the source it came from, and we label self-reported and observational results as such. Where we could not find a source we trust, the page says so instead of filling the gap. Sober Girl is made by ShipAI Lab and this is not medical advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026. If you spot an error, email us at integrateopenai@gmail.com.
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Sober Girl is a private sobriety tracker for women, on Android now and coming soon to iPhone: day counter, money saved, craving SOS and a tree that grows with you. Free to start.