Wysa Review 2026: Free vs Premium, Coaching, Evidence

Wysa is an AI chatbot app for everyday stress, low mood and anxiety, built around exercises inspired by CBT, DBT and mindfulness. Talking to the AI is free. On the US App Store, Premium tools are listed at $99.99 a year, and Premium Plus with a human coach at $99.99 a month. Verdict: a private, structured self-help tool with a real research record and modest results.

Wysa at a glance, checked on its website, the US App Store and Google Play on 6 November 2026:

What is Wysa?

Wysa is an AI chat app. Its FAQ says the AI combines rule-based algorithms with large language models to respond to what you write, and then suggests skills that may help with your problem.^[2] The app has two parts: a conversation space for reflecting, and a "care library" of interactive exercises.^[2] You can vent, practice techniques inspired by CBT and DBT, and use mindfulness exercises for focus and sleep. Tool sets cover confidence, anger, anxious thoughts and conflict at work, school or in relationships.^[1] Past conversations are saved in a "Journey" tab.^[2]

The App Store seller is Touchkin eServices Private Limited, and the website is run by Wysa Ltd.^[1][3] Wysa says it has helped 6 million people in 105 countries.^[3] Most of its website now speaks to employers, insurers and health systems, which offer Wysa to their members. If you get it that way, Premium is included at no cost.^[2][3]

Ratings are strong. On the US App Store, Wysa has 4.8 stars from about 25,000 ratings.^[1] On Google Play, it has 4.5 stars from about 152,000 reviews and more than 1 million downloads.^[4]

The App Store rates Wysa 9+, but Wysa's own pages say it is for people 13 and over, with users under 18 reading the terms with a parent or guardian.^[1][2][3]

How much does Wysa cost? Free vs Premium

Free. Talking to the Wysa AI is free, including the tools it offers inside conversations.^[2]

Premium. The paid version adds a much wider selection of tools that you can also open directly from the tool library.^[2] The pricing terms in the US App Store listing describe two subscriptions:^[1]

• Wysa Premium: $99.99 per year (tools)
• Wysa Premium Plus: $99.99 per month (coach plus tools)

The same listing's in-app purchase list shows more offers than that:^[1]

• Wysa Premium: $74.99 or $99.99 a year, $19.99 a month, $9.99 for one month, and an unlabeled $4.99 option
• Guided Support: $29.99 weekly, $79.99 monthly, $144.99 quarterly
• 1:1 Life Coaching Sessions: $29.99

So the yearly Premium price you see may be $74.99 or $99.99. You cancel in the App Store or Google Play, and if you bought a subscription by mistake, Wysa asks you to write to it within the first week.^[2]

What does the human coaching include?

Wysa's coaching service is a paid add-on in some locations.^[2] The FAQ describes it as follows:^[2]

• Format. A session is 30 minutes of live text messaging in the app with your assigned coach. You can book one session a week, and only one booking can be active at a time.
• Who the coaches are. They have a master's degree in psychology or social work, a coaching certification, or both. They use motivational interviewing and life coaching.
• What it is not. Wysa says the service is not a replacement for face-to-face psychotherapy and does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. It is not a crisis service.
• Age. You must be 18 or older to talk to a coach.
• Video. Some users in the US and India can book 30 to 45 minute sessions by Zoom, on weekly (1 session), monthly (4) or quarterly (12) plans. For US users, hours are 6 pm to 10 pm Eastern.
• Rules. You can reschedule up to 3 hours before a session, and unused sessions do not carry over.

Your coach can see your AI chats only if you allow it in the settings.^[2]

Does Wysa work? What the research shows

Wysa says it has more than 45 peer-reviewed publications.^[3] It also says it received an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation after a trial in people with chronic pain and related depression and anxiety.^[5] That designation helps a device move through FDA review faster. It is not an approval: the device still has to meet the FDA's standards for safety and effectiveness before it can be marketed.^[6]

Here is what four of the published studies found:

• 2018, real-world data. Anonymous users who reported symptoms of depression were split by how much they used the app. The 108 high users improved by 5.84 points on the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire on average, and the 21 low users by 3.52 points. There was no randomized control group, and two of the three authors were paid by Wysa.^[7]
• 2022, orthopedic clinic. In a single-arm feasibility study of 61 patients with musculoskeletal problems and depression or anxiety symptoms, 72% engaged with the app. High users improved more on anxiety than low users. The differences in depression and pain did not reach statistical significance.^[8]
• 2024, randomized trial. 68 adults with arthritis or diabetes were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of Wysa or no intervention. Depression and anxiety scores fell in the Wysa group but not in the control group. Stress did not change in either group. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.^[9]
• 2026, randomized trial in the NHS. 76 people waiting for NHS Talking Therapies in London were randomized, 2 to 1, to Wysa or a control group, and 30 were lost to follow-up. The average change in depression was almost the same in both groups (2.62 vs 2.59 points). The authors concluded there was no evidence that Wysa treated depression in their study, while noting that the small sample limited the analysis. One author is a Wysa employee.^[10]

Our reading: Wysa has a real research record, including randomized trials, and a Wysa employee co-authored the 2026 trial that found no difference. It can help some people feel better, especially frequent users. Whether it does more than time or waiting would do is not settled.

What are the downsides?

• The AI can feel limited. In the 2024 trial, most of what participants disliked was the chatbot's conversational ability.^[9] In the 2026 NHS trial, the researchers said limits of the conversational agent reduced engagement.^[10]
• Not for crisis or severe illness. Wysa says it is not recommended for crisis situations and is not suitable for people with severe and enduring mental health problems.^[2]
• Coaching is not therapy, and it is expensive. At $99.99 a month for Premium Plus, you get weekly text sessions with a wellbeing coach, and Wysa says this is not a replacement for psychotherapy.^[1][2]
• The price list is confusing. The App Store shows several Premium and coaching prices, so check the paywall before you pay.^[1]
• Your words may help train the AI. Wysa says its team occasionally uses anonymized messages to train the AI.^[2]

On privacy, the rest of the picture is reassuring. Wysa says it does not ask for personal data, you can use a nickname, and personal details you type by mistake are removed within 24 hours. It says data is encrypted in transit and in storage, and the "reset my data" option deletes your data from its servers permanently.^[2] The App Store privacy label lists identifiers, usage data and diagnostics as data not linked to you.^[1] Google Play's data safety section says the app may share app activity, app performance data and device IDs with third parties, and that you can request deletion.^[4]

Who is Wysa for?

A good fit if you:

• Have everyday low mood, stress, worry or trouble sleeping.
• Like structured exercises more than open-ended chat.
• Want to stay anonymous.
• Can get Premium through your employer, school or insurer.

Not a good fit if you:

• Are in crisis, or live with a severe, long-term mental health condition.
• Want psychotherapy. Wysa says its coaching does not replace it.
• Want a natural, free-flowing conversation partner.

Is Wysa worth it?

Start with the free version, which is enough to tell whether the style works for you. Pay for Premium only if you keep returning to the exercises and want the full library. At $74.99 to $99.99 a year, that is a reasonable price for a self-help tool with published research behind it.

The coaching tier needs a harder look. $99.99 a month buys weekly text sessions with a coach. If you need regular human support for your mental health, compare that with what a licensed therapist would cost you, especially if your insurance covers sessions.

To see whether anything is helping, measure it. Our free CORE-10 check is a standard 10-question distress questionnaire you can repeat every few weeks.

Wysa alternatives

Ash. An AI app from Slingshot AI that you can talk to by voice or text, with weekly insights and memory of past conversations. It is free to download, and the US App Store lists paid "Unlimited access" at prices from $9.99 to $169.99.^[11] See our Ash review for its evidence and limits.

A licensed therapist. If your symptoms are moderate or worse, or have lasted for weeks, start here. No app replaces a professional's judgment.

A simple check-in habit. If you mainly want to notice patterns, our 60-second mental health check-in tracks mood, energy, stress, sleep and connection in your browser, with no account.

Lovon. An AI voice companion app for iPhone and Android. You talk out loud about relationships, breakups, conflict and stress. It is not a licensed therapist and not therapy, and it does not diagnose or treat anything. It starts with a 3-day trial, then costs $29.99 for the first month, then the price shown in the store. On the US App Store it has a 4.4 rating from 960 ratings (November 2026). It is not for you if you would rather type than talk, or if you need a licensed professional, a diagnosis or treatment.