Should you build a product in this niche? An answer from the numbers: search demand, competitors, napkin economics and what to build first.
Updated · How TGGET measures a niche
Verdict · confidence: high
The sobriety app niche is a 'maybe' due to high store competition and closed search SERPs, but stable demand and clear user dissatisfaction with incumbents create a viable entry point for a minimalist, privacy-focused alternative. The decision is not higher due to the difficulty of acquiring paid traffic cost-effectively.
| Factor | Value | Level | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand | 2,900 searches a month | medium | 0 |
| Change over a year | 0% over a year | stable | 0 |
| App store | 10 of 50 apps with 10,000+ ratings, median 861 ratings | open | +1 |
| Search results | 0 of 3 checked search results are weak, 2 strong | taken | -1 |
| Paid traffic | $4.77 a click, people pay in this niche | medium | 0 |
Sum of scores: 0. The verdict is computed by rules from the numbers of the research; its explanation is written by the model.
Source: TGGET, researched on 27 September 2026.
Entry point: None of the checked phrases has weak search results.
Positioning
A minimalist, ad-free sobriety counter that respects user privacy and focuses solely on tracking time, avoiding the bloat and community noise of existing apps.
For whom:
Main job: Track sobriety days accurately and privately without distractions or mandatory community features.
Platform
IOS
Monetization: Freemium: Free basic counter, one-time purchase for calculator and ad-free experience. · Competitors like 'I Am Sober' are free, but 'Habit Tracker' has premium features. Paid apps exist (2 in app_store.paid), indicating willingness to pay for quality.
1Community features are irrelevant or distracting for personal tracking needs. strong
Evidence: 1 complaint from 'I Am Sober' user: 'Community Tab Is Worthless... overwhelmingly see posts from people with different compulsions'.
What the product does: Remove community tab entirely; focus on private logging.
2Apps become bloated, confusing, or buggy after updates. strong
Evidence: 3 complaints from 'Everything AA' and 'Habit Tracker' users citing 'Update ruined this app', 'Confusing to edit habits', and 'Needs work'.
What the product does: Maintain a simple, stable UI with no unnecessary features.
3Data loss or reset of start dates causes frustration. medium
Evidence: 1 complaint from 'I Am Sober' user: 'This app just reset my start date WTF... resets my sober date today'.
What the product does: Implement robust local backup and clear data management.
4Users want to track financial savings from sobriety. medium
Evidence: Cluster 'sobriety calculator app' has 170 searches with score 3.35.
What the product does: Add a simple calculator for money saved based on daily spend.
| Feature | Pain | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Sobriety Counter | №2 | must | Core need identified in 'sobriety counter app' (1000 searches) and complaints about complexity. |
| Private Local Storage | №1 | must | Addresses privacy concerns and 'worthless community' complaints. |
| Sobriety Savings Calculator | №3 | should | High intent keyword 'sobriety calculator app' (170 searches) indicates desire for financial tracking. |
| Data Backup/Restore | №2 | should | Prevents data loss issues cited in complaints. |
| Competitor | Type | Pricing | App | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sober.com Find AA Meetings Near You & Free Sobriety Tracker App | Sober.com | site | no | yes | — |
| aagrapevine.org Home | AA Grapevine | SaaS | no | no | — |
| hshs.org Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) | SaaS | yes | no | — |
| sobertime.app Sober Time – Sobriety Counter & Sober Community | site | no | yes | — |
| npr.org NPR - Breaking News, Analysis, Music, Arts & Podcasts : NPR | SaaS | no | no | — |
| I Am Sober I Am Sober LLC | App Store | free | yes | 4.9 · 187,672 |
| Habit Tracker Inner Grow Limited | App Store | free | yes | 4.8 · 147,284 |
| Everything AA Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. | App Store | free | yes | 4.9 · 71,402 |
| Reframe: Drink Less & Thrive Glucobit Inc. | App Store | free | yes | 4.7 · 44,747 |
| Sober Time - Sobriety Counter Sociosoftware LLC (Apps) | App Store | free | yes | 4.9 · 42,273 |
Price
$4.99 one-time purchase
Competitors like 'Habit Tracker' offer premium features. Paid apps in the niche are rare, allowing for premium pricing.
Does it add up
Negative LTV/CAC ratio (-0.1). Paid search is not viable for direct sales. Must rely on organic search and ASO.
Customer acquisition cost
$49.88 (Assuming 10% conversion rate from paid search click to purchase)
Paid search: CPC $4.77 · bids $0.87–$5.86 · competition: Low
Revenue per customer
$4.99 (One-time purchase, no subscription)
Assumptions to validate:
Product · 23 · 5,810
sobriety counter app (1,000) · sobriety hub app (480) · app for tracking sobriety (390) · sobriety app (2,900) · sobriety tracker app (260) · sobriety calculator app (170)
Commercial · 8 · 670
sobriety app free (480) · sobriety tracker app free (70) · sobriety counter app free (40) · free sobriety calculator app (30) · free app to track sobriety (20) · sobriety calculator app iphone free (10)
Comparisons · 9 · 850
best sobriety app (480) · best free sobriety app (110) · best sobriety tracker app (110) · best free sobriety tracker app (50) · best app to track sobriety (40) · best sobriety app reddit (20)
home · Core
title: Simple Sobriety Counter App (27)
H1: Track Your Sobriety Simply
description: A minimalist, ad-free sobriety counter app. Track your days, save money, and stay private. (90)
sobriety counter app · sobriety tracker app
Competitors dominate SERPs. Focus on long-tail and ASO.
feature · Product
title: Sobriety Savings Calculator (27)
H1: Calculate Your Sobriety Savings
description: See how much money you save by staying sober. Simple calculator for your sobriety journey. (90)
sobriety calculator app · sobriety day counter app
Lower competition in calculator niche.
comparison · Comparisons
title: Best Sobriety Apps Compared (27)
H1: Best Sobriety Apps: A Comparison
description: Compare top sobriety apps. Find the best free and paid options for tracking your recovery. (90)
best sobriety app · best free sobriety app
High competition, but necessary for traffic.
| Topic | Format | When | Phrases |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Track Sobriety Without Community | article | January | app for tracking sobriety · best app to track sobriety |
| Sobriety Savings Calculator Guide | guide | January | sobriety calculator app · free sobriety calculator app |
Yes, the basic counter is free. The calculator and ad-free experience are available for a one-time purchase.
No. We focus on privacy and simplicity. No community features, no ads.
Yes, use our built-in calculator to see how much money you save by staying sober.
Name: Sober Counter (13/30)
Subtitle: Track & Save (12/30)
Keywords: sobriety,tracker,calculator,aa,alcohol,recovery,quit,drinking (61/100)
Category: Health & Fitness
Promotional text: The simplest way to track your sobriety. No ads, no community, just you and your progress.
Screenshots:
Name: Sober Counter (13/30)
Short description: Minimalist sobriety counter and savings calculator. (51/80)
Key phrases: sobriety, counter, tracker, calculator, sober, aa, alcohol, recovery, quit, drinking
Sober Counter is a minimalist app for tracking your sobriety. Unlike other apps, we focus on privacy and simplicity. No community features, no ads, just a clean counter to track your days. Calculate your savings and stay motivated. Perfect for those who want a private, ad-free sobriety tracker.
The research has no Google Play data: recommendations rely on queries and the App Store.
Benchmarks: 4.5+ (Targeting higher than median 4.37) · 1000+ (Targeting higher than median 861) · Localizations: en
| Name | .com | .app | App Store | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoberCounter sobercounter | taken | taken | free | Directly matches core keyword 'sobriety counter app'. |
| SoberTrack sobertrack | taken | free | similar exists | Matches 'sobriety tracker app' intent. |
| SoberSave sobersave | — | — | free | Highlights the savings calculator feature. |
| PureCounter purecounter | — | — | free | Emphasizes purity and simplicity. |
| SoberDay soberday | — | — | similar exists | Simple, memorable, matches 'sobriety day counter'. |
Domains checked via RDAP, names via the App Store. Check trademarks before registering.
Track Your Sobriety Simply
A minimalist, ad-free sobriety counter that respects your privacy. No community, no bloat, just you and your progress.
Yes. All data is stored locally on your device. We do not collect or share any personal information.
No. We believe sobriety is a personal journey. This app is designed for private tracking only.
Enter your daily spending on alcohol in the calculator feature to see your total savings over time.
| Channel | What the data supports | First step | Effort | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store Optimization App stores | High competition in search, but low median ratings for competitors create an opportunity for better ASO. | Optimize title, subtitle, and keywords for 'sobriety counter' and 'sobriety calculator'. | medium | now |
| Long-tail SEO Organic search | Weak SERPs are non-existent, but long-tail keywords like 'sobriety calculator app' have lower competition. | Create content for 'sobriety calculator app' and 'best sobriety app' comparisons. | high | at launch |
| Reddit & HackerNews Communities | Users are actively seeking alternatives on Reddit and HackerNews due to dissatisfaction with current apps. | Share the app on r/stopdrinking and HackerNews as a 'simple, ad-free alternative'. | low | at launch |
| Paid Search Paid traffic | CPC is $4.77, which is high for a one-time purchase app. Not recommended for direct sales. | Monitor CPC and only use if conversion rate improves significantly. | medium | later |
Metrics:
Interview questions:
| Risk | What to do |
|---|---|
| High competition from established apps like 'I Am Sober'. | Differentiate on privacy, simplicity, and lack of ads. Target users dissatisfied with bloat. |
| Low conversion rate from paid search. | Focus on organic search and community-driven growth. Avoid paid ads initially. |
| User acquisition cost higher than LTV. | Rely on organic channels and viral growth through positive reviews and word-of-mouth. |
| Low retention due to lack of community features. | Ensure the core counter experience is highly satisfying and reliable. Add reminders and milestones. |
The report was written by a language model from the collected research data and may be inaccurate; each recommendation cites its source, verify it against the raw data. Generated 2026-09-27T18:17:39+00:00.
Data: search demand, search results, the App Store, public-interest and developer community signals. The verdict is computed by rules from these numbers; the explanation and the plan are written by a language model. Both are evidence to check, not a promise.
There is demand, but not everything is in its favour. TGGET scored “sobriety app” 0 on a scale from -6 to +5. In its favour: the app stores are open. Against it: search results are held by strong sites. The verdict is “Needs validation”.
TGGET measured 2,900 monthly searches for “sobriety app” in the United States in September 2026. Search interest is about stable: +0% over a year.
0 of 3 checked search results are weak and 2 are strong. 50 competing apps were found in the App Store; 10 of them have more than 10,000 ratings, and the median app has 861 ratings.
A click in paid search costs about $4.77, and competitors in this niche charge for their products.
None of the phrases TGGET checked has weak search results, so there is no easy way in through search.
TGGET computes the verdict by rules from five measured factors: demand, its change over a year, competition in the app stores, the strength of the search results and the cost of paid traffic. Each factor adds or takes away points and the sum decides, so the same numbers always give the same answer. A language model writes the explanation and the plan; it does not choose the verdict.
Three full researches are free: demand, sub-niches, competitors, App Store and community signals, and a report like this one. Type a phrase or describe the idea in your own words.
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