How We Feel Review: 2026 Overview

How We Feel is a no-cost mood-tracking app from The How We Feel Project, a nonprofit. There's no premium tier, no trial that converts, and nothing held back for paying users — the developer describes the full app as no-cost, and in testing that held true. It runs on iOS and Android.

At its heart is an emotion wheel that sorts feelings by energy and pleasantness, then nudges you toward a specific word: not just "bad," but "discouraged," "restless" or "lonely." You log a check-in, optionally add a note about what's going on, and the app builds a calendar and trends view over time. It also offers light skill tips and short exercises for when a feeling is hard to sit with.

This is the app we'd hand to someone who's never tracked their mood and is wary of yet another subscription. The barrier to entry is almost zero — no payment, a few taps a day — and the emotional-vocabulary angle makes it quietly educational. If you've ever struggled to explain how you feel to a partner, a friend or a clinician, the practice it builds is genuinely useful.

It also suits people who want a clean, no-cost companion alongside other tools: a fast feelings log that syncs to your phone's health data and exports cleanly if you want to share trends with a professional. What it won't do is hold your hand through a structured program — for that you'll want something broader.

The emotion vocabulary is the headline. Plenty of trackers ask you to pick a smiley face; How We Feel asks you to find the right word, and that small extra step changes the experience. We came away noticing finer shades in our own days — the difference between anxious and overwhelmed, content and relieved — which is exactly the kind of awareness that makes a check-in worth doing.

Then there's the tone. With a perfect score from us for low-pressure design, it's about as guilt-free as self care apps get: no streak you'll feel bad about breaking, no pop-ups pestering you to upgrade, no dark patterns. The design is calm and unhurried, and the fact that a nonprofit gives it away with strong privacy intentions is a rare thing worth celebrating.

Breadth is the catch. How We Feel is a focused tool, and our depth subscore (3.4) reflects that. There's no AI companion to talk things through, no real journaling beyond short notes, no course library and no habit builder. The skill tips and exercises help in the moment but stay light. If you want one app that also teaches, plans and coaches, this isn't it — and it never pretends to be.

It's also a mirror, not a map. It will show you that your Tuesdays run low or that work weeks spike your stress, but it won't translate that into a personalised next step on a hard day. You bring the interpretation. For some people that simplicity is the appeal; for others it'll feel like the app stops just where they want help to start.

There's nothing to weigh up here, which is the point: the full app is no-cost, with no paid tier, no trial and no subscription to cancel. For value, it's almost unbeatable — our 4.9 value subscore is among the highest in the whole list. If your only goal is to start tracking how you feel without spending a thing, How We Feel is the easiest recommendation we can make.

Our top pick, Liven, is a different kind of app: an all-in-one self-discovery program that bundles mood tracking, journaling, courses, habits and an AI companion called Livie, drawing on CBT, ACT, DBT and positive psychology. It covers far more of real self-care, which is why it leads our ranking — and it's a paid program, from $59.99 a year for premium, where How We Feel costs nothing.

But fairness cuts both ways. How We Feel beats Liven on low-pressure design (a perfect 5 to Liven's 3) and on sheer value, and its emotion wheel is more focused on naming feelings than anything in Liven's broader toolkit. If you specifically want a no-cost, gentle mood tracker, How We Feel is the better fit. If you want one guided app for the whole journey, Liven covers more ground. Neither of these tools is a substitute for professional care.

How We Feel earns its 4.0 and its place in our top ten by being honest about what it is: a beautifully made, no-cost mood tracker that helps you name your feelings and notice your patterns, from a nonprofit that isn't trying to upsell you. It won't replace a broader app like Liven, and it isn't therapy or a crisis service. But as a first step into self-awareness — or a calm companion to keep forever — it's one of the most likeable self care apps we've tested. If things ever feel unsafe, skip the app and call or text 988 in the US and Canada (free, 24/7).