Abby vs Woebot:
And What Happened to Woebot
You cannot actually choose Woebot anymore. Woebot Health shut down its consumer app in 2025 to focus on enterprise and clinical products, so people searching for it today are really searching for an alternative. Woebot was a structured CBT skills chatbot. Abby is an open conversation companion that remembers your story, designed with licensed therapists, with free matching to a human therapist. Neither was ever therapy.
Woebot deserves a respectful mention
Woebot was one of the pioneers. Built by clinical psychologists at Stanford, it delivered cognitive behavioral therapy skills through short scripted check-ins, and it took research seriously in a category that often does not. In 2025, Woebot Health retired the consumer app to focus on healthcare partnerships, which is why the app store listing you may be looking for is gone.
If Woebot was your daily check-in, or you read about it and went looking, the real question is what to use now. The answer depends on what you wanted from it.
Structured lessons vs open conversation
Woebot's model was structure: short guided exercises teaching you to catch distorted thoughts, delivered the same way for everyone. It was closer to an interactive workbook than a conversation.
Abby's model is conversation. You bring the actual thing, the text you keep rereading, the decision you keep circling, and she meets you in it. She remembers what you told her last week, notices patterns across conversations, and checks in before the hard day you mentioned. Structure shows up where it helps, but the conversation is shaped around you rather than a script.
Side by side
| Abby | Woebot (consumer app) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available on iOS, Android, and web | Discontinued in 2025 |
| Model | Open conversation that remembers your story | Scripted CBT exercises and check-ins |
| Clinical input | Designed with licensed therapists, Ethics & Safety Board | Built by clinical psychologists |
| Path to human care | Free licensed therapist matching | Referral resources |
| Was it therapy? | No | No |
What to look for in a Woebot alternative
Woebot's best qualities were honesty and clinical seriousness. Whatever you choose next, keep those as the bar:
- It should not call itself a therapist. Woebot never did. Neither does Abby. Anything that does is disqualifying itself.
- Clinicians in the design. Ask who built it and who oversees it. Abby is designed with licensed therapists and guided by an Ethics & Safety Board.
- A real path to human care. Abby matches you with a licensed therapist for free when that is what you need.
- Crisis clarity. In crisis, the answer is 988 or 911, and the app should say so immediately.
For the bigger picture on what these tools can and cannot do, see What Is AI Therapy? An Honest Guide.
Common questions
Is Woebot still available?
The consumer app was discontinued in 2025. Woebot Health continues to work with healthcare organizations, but individuals can no longer download the app.
Is Abby a good Woebot alternative?
If you wanted a private, clinically informed space to work through your days, yes, that is what Abby is built for, with open conversation instead of scripts. If you specifically wanted structured CBT lessons, Abby is more conversational, and a licensed therapist trained in CBT is the gold standard.
Was Woebot therapy? Is Abby?
Neither. Both are software. Therapy is clinical care from a licensed professional, and Abby can match you with one for free.
Looking for where to land after Woebot? Your first conversation with Abby is free.
Testen Sie Abby kostenlosAbby is not a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and is not a substitute for professional care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Woebot is a trademark of its owner; details about third party products reflect publicly available information and may change.
