Quit vaping apps compared, honestly (including ours)
There are a lot of quit apps, and most comparison pages are written by one of them. So is this one: we make Unhooked. We've tried to make it useful anyway, which means naming the free options first, quoting the research where it exists, and saying plainly when it doesn't.
How we did this: everything about other apps comes from their App Store listings or published research, checked in November 2026. Prices and features change, so check the listing before you pay. We left out star ratings and download counts, which are easy to game and don't tell you much. If we got something wrong, email support@unhooked.today and we'll fix it.
- Quick picks
- What the research says about quit apps
- The apps, one by one
- How to choose
- You don't need an app
- Common questions
Quick picks
| If you want... | Start with |
|---|---|
| Free help with the strongest evidence for vaping | EX Program (text program, formerly This is Quitting) |
| A free app from a public-health agency | quitSTART (US) or My QuitBuddy (Australia) |
| A free, community-first app | Jones |
| To quit alongside a friend | Quit Vaping |
| To cut down by counting puffs first | Puff Count |
| Something in your pocket for the moment a craving hits, and you're fine paying | Unhooked (ours) |
What the research says about quit apps
Less than you'd hope. A Cochrane review of ways to quit vaping found low-certainty evidence that text-message programs help young people quit, and low-certainty evidence for the prescription medicine varenicline. Evidence for most other approaches, apps included, is thin or missing.
For smoking, the picture is similar. The Smoke Free app is one of very few tested in a large trial, and simply offering it didn't improve quit rates. Only about a quarter of the people offered it downloaded it. The takeaway isn't "apps don't work." It's that an app only helps if you actually use it at the moments that matter, and that no app's marketing (ours included) is a substitute for a trial.
The apps, one by one
Free options first, then paid. Everything except EX Program is an iPhone app; check Google Play for Android versions.
EX Program (formerly This is Quitting)
- Made by
- Truth Initiative (US nonprofit) with Mayo Clinic
- Cost
- Free
- Format
- Text-message program plus a web quit plan and online community
- Good fit for
- Anyone in the US who wants free, evidence-backed support for vaping, pouches or smoking, especially young adults
- Evidence
- Its text program (then called This is Quitting) was tested in a randomized trial in young adults who vape: 24.1% quit at 7 months vs 18.6% with minimal support (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2021). Text programs are the best-supported option in the Cochrane review of quitting vaping, though the certainty is low.
quitSTART
- Made by
- US National Cancer Institute (Smokefree.gov; built by ICF)
- Cost
- Free
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- A no-cost tracker with tips, challenges and slip support, focused on smoking
- Evidence
- Content comes from NCI's Smokefree.gov program. We didn't find a published randomized trial of the app itself.
My QuitBuddy
- Made by
- Australian Government Department of Health
- Cost
- Free
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- Craving distractions and a personalised plan for smoking or vaping, with a community feed
- Evidence
- Government-built. We didn't find a published randomized trial of the current app.
Jones
- Made by
- Hc Jones, Inc.
- Cost
- Free (its listing says no paywalls or subscriptions)
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- A social, community-first quit for vaping, smoking or pouches
- Evidence
- We didn't find a published trial.
Smoke Free
- Made by
- 23 Ltd
- Cost
- Free download, optional paid upgrades
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- Smokers who want a feature-rich tracker built around many behavior-change techniques
- Evidence
- One of the few apps tested in a large randomized trial (3,143 smokers): offering the app made no detectable difference to 6-month quit rates overall (6.8% vs 7.0%). Among the quarter who actually downloaded it, quit rates were higher, but that comparison isn't randomized.
Kwit
- Made by
- KWIT
- Cost
- Free download, optional paid upgrades
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- People who like gamified progress and stats
- Evidence
- We didn't find a published randomized trial.
Quit Vaping
- Made by
- Jonathan Kopp
- Cost
- Free download, optional paid upgrades
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- Quitting with a friend: buddy system, community forum and lots of trackers
- Evidence
- We didn't find a published trial.
Puff Count
- Made by
- Rodger Studio
- Cost
- Free download, paid features
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- Cutting down by counting puffs, with daily limits and mg tracking
- Evidence
- We didn't find a published trial.
QuitSure
- Made by
- Rapidkart Online Private Limited
- Cost
- Free download, paid program
- Format
- App
- Good fit for
- People who want a structured mindset program completed before quit day
- Evidence
- We didn't find a published randomized trial.
Unhooked (ours)
- Made by
- Unhooked (solo developer)
- Cost
- Subscription after a 3-day free trial: $7.99/week, $14.99/month or $49.99/year
- Format
- App (iPhone and iPad)
- Good fit for
- Help in the moment a craving hits: a panic button, an AI coach, an if-then plan from your own triggers, and slips that don't wipe your record. Covers vapes, pouches and cigarettes.
- Evidence
- Unhooked hasn't been tested in a trial. Its tools are built on techniques with research behind them (if-then planning, urge surfing), which is not the same thing.
If Unhooked sounds like your kind of tool
Try it free for three days. If it's not in your corner, cancel before the trial ends and pay nothing. And if a free option above fits you better, use that. Quitting is the point.
How to choose
- Start free. EX Program and quitSTART cost nothing and are run by public-health organizations. Pay for something only if the free options don't fit how you work.
- Pick for your hardest moment. If you mostly fail at 11pm when a craving hits, you want something built for that moment. If you fail because nobody's watching, pick something social.
- Check that it covers your product. Many apps are built for cigarettes. If you vape or use pouches, make sure the app tracks what you actually use.
- Watch how it handles slips. An app that wipes you back to zero after one slip can make it harder to keep going. Look for one that treats a slip as information. (Our guide to slips explains why.)
- Read the paywall before you're attached. Know the price and when a trial converts. Any reputable app shows this clearly.
You don't need an app
Everything that makes a quit app useful can be done with a notes app and one person who's on your side: pick a quit date, write an if-then plan for your top three triggers, learn to ride out a craving, and know what to do if you slip. A free quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW in the US) gives you a real human coach. Apps make that easier to stick with. They don't replace it.
Common questions
What is the best app to quit vaping?
It depends on what you need. For free help with the most evidence, the EX Program text program from Truth Initiative (formerly This is Quitting) performed well in a randomized trial. quitSTART is a free government app. Paid apps add features like coaching or structured programs; check the price and trial terms first.
Are quit vaping apps free?
Some are. EX Program, quitSTART and My QuitBuddy are free and run by public-health organizations, and Jones says it has no paywalls. Others are free to download with paid upgrades, or require a subscription, like Unhooked.
Do quit smoking and vaping apps actually work?
The evidence is limited. Text-message programs have the best support for quitting vaping. In one large trial, offering the Smoke Free app did not improve quit rates overall, though people who downloaded it did better. An app helps most if you use it at the moments that matter.
Is there a free app to quit Zyn or nicotine pouches?
Jones says it supports pouches and is free. Most government apps focus on smoking and vaping. Unhooked supports pouches as a product but is a paid subscription after a 3-day trial.
Is Unhooked better than the free apps?
Not necessarily. Unhooked has not been tested in a trial. It is built for the moment a craving hits, with a panic button, an AI coach and an if-then plan from your own triggers. If a free option fits how you work, use it.
Keep reading
Sources
- This is Quitting / EX Program text program trial: Graham AL et al., JAMA Internal Medicine (2021) · program: exprogram.com · Truth Initiative on the rebrand
- Interventions for quitting vaping: Butler AR et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2025)
- Smoke Free app trial: Jackson SE et al., Journal of Medical Internet Research (2024)
- App details: each app's US App Store listing, checked November 4, 2026
We make Unhooked, so we have a stake in this comparison. Nothing here is sponsored, and no other app paid to be included or excluded. Educational, not medical advice. For free coaching in the US, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.