CBT Apps · Review
Bloom Review
Self-therapy on video — a human face guides you through CBT sessions that respond to what you type.
Our rating
4.1 / 5
Starting price
Free trial, then ~$59.99/yr
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
iOS · Android
Developer
Gritwell / Bloom Health
Launched
2020
Our verdict
Bloom’s format is its idea: short video sessions where a real human guide walks you through CBT exercises, pausing for interactive journaling that shapes what comes next. It feels closer to a session than any worksheet app, which makes the skills stick for people who bounce off text. Library depth and analytics trail the category leaders.
This review is editorial and unsponsored — no affiliate payments influence our ratings. Selfpause makes a wellness app of its own, so where a product competes with us, we say so plainly and let you judge.
Most CBT apps are text and forms; Bloom is faces and voices. Each session pairs warm, professionally produced video guidance with interactive prompts — you type reflections mid-session and the flow incorporates them, approximating the call-and-response of real therapy.
Programs cover stress, anxiety, self-esteem, sleep, and relationships, typically in 5–15 minute daily sessions. The production quality is consistently high, and the parasocial warmth of a guide who seems to talk with you is surprisingly effective scaffolding.
It will not replace a therapist, and power users may find the catalog and tracking thinner than Sanvello’s. But as an on-ramp to CBT for people who need a human face to stay engaged, Bloom fills a real gap.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Video-guided sessions feel like guided practice, not paperwork.
- Interactive journaling woven into each session.
- High production quality and a warm, human tone.
- Short daily formats that fit real schedules.
- Good topical programs for stress, self-esteem, and sleep.
What we don’t
- Smaller exercise library than Sanvello or MindShift.
- Light analytics and tracking.
- Subscription required for nearly everything.
- Video format is harder to use in public moments.
Best for / avoid if
Best for
- →People who disengage from text-based CBT tools
- →Beginners who want a human face guiding the work
- →Short daily practice rather than long modules
- →Fans of polished, calming production
Avoid if
- →You want maximum tools per dollar — Sanvello
- →You want free — MindShift CBT
- →You need therapy, not self-help
Pricing
Free trial
$0
Sample sessions before subscribing.
Premium
~$59.99/yr
Full session library and programs.
What Bloom is
Bloom is a video-guided self-therapy app: human-led CBT sessions with interactive journaling that adapts the flow to your responses.
It is the most session-like of the self-help apps — guided practice rather than self-administered worksheets.
Why the video format earns its place
Engagement is the binding constraint of self-help, and a warm human guide on video holds attention in a way forms never will. Bloom spends its budget exactly there.
The interactive pauses matter too — typing your own answers mid-session converts watching into doing.
Video CBT sessions
Professionally produced guides lead short daily sessions across stress, anxiety, and self-esteem programs.
The format is the feature: therapy’s cadence, self-help’s price.
Interactive journaling
Mid-session prompts capture your reflections and steer the remainder.
It keeps you participant rather than audience — the difference between content and practice.
Where Bloom falls behind
Toolkit breadth. Fewer exercises and trackers than the all-in-ones.
Data. Progress tracking is thin for the analytically minded.
Free value. The trial is short and the free tier minimal.
Bloom vs. Sanvello vs. MindShift CBT
Sanvello is the broad toolkit, MindShift the free workbook, Bloom the guided session. Engagement style is the real differentiator.
If you have abandoned text-based apps, Bloom’s faces may be what keeps you practicing. If you self-motivate fine, MindShift gives you CBT for nothing.
For ongoing structure plus tracking, Sanvello remains the value benchmark.
Bottom line
Bloom is the best CBT app for people who need a human face to stay engaged — guided practice that actually feels guided. Toolkit shoppers and free-seekers have better-fitting options.
Want a daily positivity practice in your own voice? Selfpause lets you record personalized affirmations, layer them with calming music, and keep them on your lock screen.
Try Selfpause FreeAlternatives to Bloom
Sanvello
4.2Broader CBT toolkit with mood tracking.
Read our review →
MindShift CBT
4.3Faithful CBT, completely free.
Read our review →
Wysa
4.3Conversational CBT via AI chat.
Read our review →
Frequently asked questions
Is Bloom real therapy?+
No — it is video-guided self-help using CBT techniques. It feels session-like, but there is no live therapist responding to you. For therapy, see our online-therapy reviews.
How long are sessions?+
Typically 5–15 minutes daily, organized into topical programs like stress, self-esteem, and sleep.
Is Bloom free?+
There is a trial; the full library requires a subscription around $59.99/yr.
Bloom or Sanvello?+
Bloom for engagement through guided video; Sanvello for breadth of tools, tracking, and possible insurance coverage.
A note on mental health: apps and online services can support wellbeing, but they are not a substitute for professional care. If you are struggling, a licensed professional can help — and if you are in crisis, contact your local emergency number or, in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).