Best Online Methods to Quit Smoking Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 200+Hours of research
- 35Sources used
- 12Companies vetted
- 4Features reviewed
- 5Top
Picks
- Smoking cessation apps are not a “be all, end all” solution to smoking
- Keep tabs on privacy policies and data disclosures.
- Quitting smoking is an everyday battle; don’t be discouraged.
- The most robust apps often employ paywalls.
How We Found the Best Online Methods to Quit Smoking
Our Top Picks: Online Methods to Quit Smoking Reviews
According to 2018 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 14 out of every 100 American adults aged 18 years or older currently smoke cigarettes. This means that 34.2 million adults in the United States have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime, and currently report smoking every day or some days. Though still troubling, this represents a 7.2% decrease from 2005, when nearly 21 of every 100 adults smoked.
Quitting smoking is hard. For starters, your body gets used to the nicotine in its system, which causes withdrawal symptoms, ranging from feeling uncomfortable and irritable to headaches and nausea—all while intensely craving a cigarette. What’s more, triggers can be found anywhere: in your backyard, at certain bars, on the metro, or during an everyday meal. It’s an everyday battle that’s made easier with support by your side; sometimes, this support might come directly from people, while other times an online tool might do the trick.
During our review process, we categorized our top six smoking cessation apps based on their standout features or properties. In one case—our best CBT-Based app—we opted to name two apps that we thought were both excellent across all fields.
LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach review
Best Free App
Screenshot, LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach, December 2020
Most free smoking cessation apps are not as robust or well-designed as their paid counterparts. LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach is an exception to this rule, with its clean, streamlined interface, and advanced tracking features.
When opening LIVESTRONG for the first time, users are asked the basics—how many cigarettes they light per day, their desired quit date, and how much each pack of cigarettes costs them. They are also asked to write down their motivation for quitting smoking. That motivation is displayed on the app’s starting tab besides two clearly identifiable buttons—one for registering cravings and another for recording the number of cigarettes smoked.
LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach can be used by those who are quitting cold-turkey, but it’s ideal for those who are tapering. This is due to its budget-based process: users can see how their budget for cigarettes gradually goes down until reaching their projected quit date. They can see this number on a bar graph alongside the number of cigarettes they have smoked and the cravings they have experienced.
What we liked:
- LIVESTRONG’s forums are very active; numerous threads are posted daily.
- LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach has a 4.4 / 5.0 rating on the Apple store, based on 1.3K individual ratings.
- On May 26, 2018, the app was updated to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) version 3.1.
Alternative: quitSmart
Screenshot, quitSmart, January 2020
For smokers with Android devices or who want something a bit more intricate, quitSmart offers a solid suite of features that really stand out. The app monitors smokers’ progress as they earn badges and reach milestones. It can help distract users from their cravings with games and challenges. The app also has a number of tips, reminders, and inspirational tidbits to keep users motivated.
While quitSmart’s interface and navigation may not be the best, it’s still one of the two apps developed by the U.S. government. The app was created by the Tobacco Control Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration collaborated in its development, and input from tobacco control professionals, smoking cessation experts, and ex-smokers went into the app, as well.
What we liked:
- The “tags” feature makes it easy to set up reminders for places and times that trigger cravings.
- In addition to monitoring cravings and cigarette slips, the app's main screen encourages users to track when they are suffering from negative and positive feelings.
Craving To Quit review
Best For Mindfulness
Screenshot, CravingToQuit, December 2020
Craving To Quit is a 21-day mindfulness-based wellness program designed to deliver treatment on mobile devices and the web. It does this through videos, animations, in-the-moment exercises, and an online support community. The app was designed by Doctor Judson Brewer, Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and an associate professor in medicine and psychiatry at UMass Medical School.
Doctor Brewer based the Craving To Quit program on a successful smoking cessation curriculum developed and tested at Yale. The app combines traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques with a mindfulness-based approach to successfully get people to quit smoking.
What we liked:
- Craving To Quit’s program was shown to be twice as effective as the American Heart Association’s when delivered in person, based on the results of a randomized controlled trial.
- Users who benefited from the program but are afraid they may relapse at some point in the future can opt for the app’s lifetime subscriptions.
- 1-on-1 sessions with addiction experts include video chat.
Quit Genius review
Best CBT App
Screenshot, Quit Genius, January 2020
Quit Genius is the product of digital therapeutics company DigiThera, and the passion project of three medical practitioners who wanted to engage medical care at the preventative stages. It is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from the ground up, guiding users through a high-intensity, 4-stage behavioral change program. Activities and features include audio sessions, reflective exercises designed to build long-lasting healthy habits, interactive quizzes to reinforce what users learn in the program, and motivational reminders.
Quit Genius is considered one of the leaders in the field of digital therapeutics due to its positive performance in systematic reviews and controlled trials. The company collaborates frequently with academic and health organizations–such as the Imperial College London, the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and the National Health Service–and markets its services as an alternative to the American Cancer Society’s quitting program.
The app’s free version lets you log your cigarette consumption as well as any cravings. It also includes the two essential sections of their course library, as well as two other sections designed to keep new ex-smokers off ocigarettes. On the other hand, the paid version offers several other features such as the ability to connect with a large community of quitters (100,000+), 1-on-1 coaching with certified therapists, and access to over a hundred guided mindfulness sessions, some of which may be suggested by the app based on the user’s cravings and trigger patterns.
What we liked:
- Research has shown that Quit Genius users demonstrate a 74% reduction in smoking, that the program has a higher quit rate (53%) than face-to-face intervention (27%) and cold turkey (3%), and that more than 60,000 of users have successfully quit smoking while using the app.
- Quit Genius has positive mentions in all six peer-reviewed research papers where it has been reviewed.
- The Quit Genius app is the recipient of several awards: the Apple Editor's Choice Award, the Pitch@Palace 7.0 People's Choice Award, and the Digital Health London People’s Choice Award.
Second Option: Kwit
Screenshot Kwit, January 2020
Kwit is built on three major building blocks: gamification, positive reinforcement, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These elements combined provide an experience intended to be fun, motivational and, ultimately, helpful to smokers who want to quit.
Regarding gamification, Kwit uses achievements, experience points, and leaderboards to keep users engaged with the program. Gamification has been proven to be effective in this realm, as shown by a 2018 JMIR paper on a longitudinal study about gamification in mobile health programs. Kwit is fully gamified, with users accruing experience points and leveling up as time goes by, in all of its achievement categories—Wellbeing, Money, Time‚ to name a few.
The positive reinforcement element of the app is naturally tied to its gamified program. Nearly every activity is rewarded with positive messages that will ideally encourage users and keep them on track.
Kwit’s motivational strategies are based on cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the basis of nearly all evidence-based smoking cessation programs today. Although Kwit doesn’t include one-on-one coaching with a therapist, it encourages users to write in the app’s diary and to go over these notes in the future.
What we liked:
- Kwit is supported by two academic institutions, the University of Pittsburgh and the Paris Nanterre University, a renowned research university.
- When experiencing a craving, users can shake their phone to get one of 200 motivational cards.
Further Insight Into Our Methodology
According to 2018 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 14 out of every 100 American adults aged 18 years or older currently smoke cigarettes. This number amounts to 34.2 million adults in the United States who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime and currently report smoking every day or some days. Though still troubling, this represents a 7.2% decrease from 2005, when nearly 21 of every 100 adults smoked.
Quitting smoking is hard. For starters, your body gets used to the nicotine in its system, which causes withdrawal symptoms, ranging from feeling uncomfortable and irritable to headaches and nausea—all while intensely craving a cigarette. What’s more, triggers can be found anywhere: in your backyard, at certain bars, on the metro, or during an everyday meal. It’s an everyday battle that’s made easier with support by your side; sometimes, this support might come directly from people, while other times an online tool might do the trick.
Online methods to help smokers quit have been around for a while, for example, via video chat therapy sessions and forums where smokers can share their experiences and progress. For this reason, before we started our research we had to establish what exactly we consider as an “online method” to quit smoking. For the purposes of this article, we chose to review mobile apps exclusively, given their wide reach of audience, cost-effectiveness, and overall user-friendliness.
Lastly, we did not want to promote the idea of online smoking cessation alternatives as “be all, end all” solutions. However, given how versatile mobile devices have become, it’s reasonable to at least consider whether an app could help support you in your journey to quit smoking once and for all.
Our time researching was spent between:
- Contacting and interviewing experts, including doctors Steven Sussman and Mari Gloria Hamilton.
- Interviewing ex-smokers and current smokers who are interested in quitting.
- Testing several smoking cessation apps to find the most essential shared features among them.
- Reading peer-reviewed studies published by institutions such as the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).
We began researching online methods to quit smoking by reading up on smoking cessation. From there, we honed in on studies and articles that spoke specifically about smoking cessation via mobile apps. We then downloaded fifteen of the most popular and well-received apps in the Google and Apple stores. We created a profile for each of the apps and explored them to see what they had to offer.
We ultimately chose six of the fifteen apps. Only one basic tracking app made this final list of six; all other apps incorporated features and/or a methodology that set them apart from the rest. For the testing, we had three participants try out the six apps and answer several questions directly derived from a 2018 JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth paper in collaboration with QuitGenius, a mobile app engaged in smoking cessation research.
Price
Most smoking cessation apps on the Google and Apple stores have free general content, though you may be able to pay to remove ads. Other apps, however, require payments for features such as 1-on-1 coaching, access to community features, and complex cravings logging. For some mobile apps, a paywall may consist of a single payment; for others, it may require a paid subscription.
We also considered subscription options, favoring apps with a wider range of payment options—weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, yearly, or even lifetime. Short-term payment options are particularly important, given that most smokers should be able to test apps for a short period of time before committing to a tool that may not suit their long-term needs.
Features
All the mobile apps we looked at allow users to keep track of important information, such as how much time they’ve gone without smoking, how many cigarettes they haven’t smoked since quitting, and the money they’ve saved by not buying cigarettes. Most of these apps also featured some sort of achievement-based progression.
Past those basic features, things begin to get more interesting. Apps that incorporate CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), implement mindfulness practice or supplementary therapy via 1-on-1 coaching. Community features may consist of chat rooms or forums, where users can interact with others who are quitting. More complex trackers allow users to keep detailed tabs of where, when, and why they feel like smoking.
Finally, we made a note of any features unique to a single app. Examples include shaking your phone to get a motivational message, a diary, hypnotherapy, and integrated mobile games.
Approachability
An app’s approachability is a hard thing to define. We consider that this factor hinges on two elements, namely interface and voice. Interface is easier to compare; more streamlined, visually appealing apps win out in that regard. How does one rate voice, though?
A smoking cessation app’s “voice” refers to how it speaks to its users. Does it approach them in a non-condescending tone? What language does it use? Do users feel encouraged or disgruntled when interacting with the app’s features?
Ultimately, using an app is the only way of knowing what the app’s “voice” is. Having smokers test each of our final six apps provided valuable information towards this goal.
Credentials
We regard “credentials” as any mark of credibility that an online method to quit smoking can boast. Backing from the federal government, support from renowned academic institutions, and positive results in peer-reviewed studies all fall into this category. We also considered reviews on the Google and Apple stores, albeit to a lesser degree.
Also, given the current state of data privacy and the dangers of your personal data leaking, we favored mobile apps with robust privacy policies and which are GDPR- or HIPAA-compliant.
Helpful Information About Online Methods to Quit Smoking
Most of us are aware of the risks that smoking entails. We know that smoking dramatically increases our chances of contracting lung cancer. We know that it reduces our lifespan. And we know that it can also harm others through second-hand and third-hand smoke.
It’s easy to look at these negatives and blame smokers for being “irresponsible” or “morally corrupt.” It’s much harder to empathize with them, to find ways of helping smokers deal with their addiction. For this, we need to remind ourselves that quitting is a tough decision that former smokers and current smokers who want to quit must deal with on a daily basis.
How Quitting Nicotine Works
Nicotine addiction is as real as any other kind of addiction resulting from substance abuse. And like with any other addiction, myriad methods have been developed to help smokers deal with their unhealthy behavior. Nicotine replacement therapy works by using adhesive patches, chewing gum, pills, and other nicotine-infused products to control cravings. Switching to smokeless nicotine products or e-cigarettes—the latter is particularly contentious—can also provide a gateway to quitting. Meditation and mindfulness paired with cognitive behavioral therapy is another method of dealing with nicotine addiction.
One approach that has begun to gain popularity as of late is software apps. Online methods to quit smoking comprise more than just mobile apps, but these are its most popular iteration. Smoking cessation apps, as they are also known, generally include trackers for how many cigarettes you haven’t smoked, how much money you’ve saved, and how much of your life you’ve (hypothetically) gotten back.
More robust apps go deeper than this, though. They may be able to provide 1-on-1 coaching via text or video chat and/or include forums or chat rooms where smokers can share their process and find like-minded individuals.
Can a mobile app actually help anyone quit smoking, though? This is a burning question in the field of smoking cessation and one that researchers have sought to answer for over a decade now. Studies show varying levels of effectiveness depending on the kind of cessation app, the app’s cessation methodology, and user motivation.
Can Online Methods Actually Help?
Online methods to quit smoking have been making the rounds in research circles to see if they really are effective. As with any tool, its manufacturing will determine its effectiveness. Not all smoking cessation apps are made with the same care and attention to detail and, as such, they do not all perform as well.
There are a few prominent issues with online methods to quit smoking that must be understood before considering a related app. "The problem with cessation apps is kind of a recruitment [issue],” said Dr. Steven Sussman, professor of preventive medicine, psychology, and social work at the University of Southern California (USC) and current Editor of Evaluation & the Health Professions. “These are things where people can get on or off them right away. And if it's something that is kind of demanding, not enjoyable, and feels uncomfortable, then a lot of people will pick it up for a minute or two and then put them down."
Another problem with these apps said Sussman, "is that the person could be smoking a cigarette or vaping while they're doing the cessation program." Unlike texting through a smoking cessation hotline, which requires the user’s input as communication takes place, an app doesn’t have a person waiting on the other end of the line. The only exception to this are apps that feature live chat with a therapist.
One main draw of smoking cessation apps is their generally comprehensive set of tracking tools. Dr. Sussman, however, reminded us that "Tracking the person's tobacco consumption is asking the person to do record-keeping, and record-keeping for many people is unpleasant." Nevertheless, he added that tracking through short, individual questions may be more manageable. "If you can break things down like that and make it a little less demanding in terms of recall, and you do that for a couple of weeks, maybe it can help because you're motivated."
CBT: What is it and how does it work?
Another appealing feature present in some smoking cessation apps is the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or elements thereof, in their methodology.
Cognitive behavioral strategy is about manipulating stimuli, aspects of the organism, responses, and reinforcers,” explained Dr. SussmanOriginally developed to treat depression, it’s now used to treat a number of mental health conditions—including addiction—by challenging thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. 
"In the case of addiction, the addict believes that they feel better when smoking or using a substance. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on making the person realize how they are being controlled by their automatic and irrational thoughts,” explained clinical psychologist Mari Gloria Hamilton, PhD. By changing those thoughts and replacing them with others that also make them feel good, they can ultimately limit or eliminate maladaptive behaviors.
"In the case of addiction, the addict believes that they feel better when smoking or using a substance. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on making the person realize how they are being controlled by their automatic and irrational thoughts,” explained clinical psychologist Mari Gloria Hamilton, PhD. By changing those thoughts and replacing them with others that also make them feel good, they can ultimately limit or eliminate maladaptive behaviors.
Moreover, Dr. Hamilton also stressed the importance of combining CBT with other methods of smoking cessation. In particular, she mentioned that help groups “have been very effective, because they help people share experiences and learned behaviors to manage addiction. Sharing experiences can reinforce the behavior that leads to self-control.”
Dr. Hamilton also recommends changes to a person’s routine. "A person who smokes already has a routine. For example, he gets up, drinks coffee and immediately lights a cigarette.” In order to get someone off cigarettes for good, Dr. Hamilton told us that everything associated with the moment in which a person smoked must be changed or replaced by something else.
Ultimately, all three of these things—therapy, help groups, routine changes—can be found or spurred by online methods to quit smoking, specifically, by smoking cessation apps. And because these apps are unable to provide in-person or nicotine replacement therapy, CBT may be the most effective way of tackling smoking cessation through them.
What To Watch Out For With Online Methods to Quit Smoking
The threat of data disclosure
With a slew of recent data privacy scandals linked to previously inoffensive-seeming online games and apps, it merits paying attention to how smoking cessation apps handle our data. After all, they have personal information ranging from the common—email addresses, names, age—to the more private, such as diary entries, reasons or motivation for quitting smoking, and spending and savings goals. This is information that advertisers and data analytics companies can take advantage of to gain insight into our behavior and target us with ads.
Sadly, as an April 2019 JAMA Network Open assessment article shows, smoking cessation and other mental health-related apps fall short in terms of data privacy. As many as 92 percent of the 36 apps they reviewed shared personal data they acquired from users with at least one third party; half of them didn’t even disclose they were doing this.
We advise that consumers exercise the utmost caution when downloading smoking cessation apps. First off, check if they have a comprehensive privacy policy and read any disclosures about your data being shared. Then, try to opt for an app that is GDPR compliant. Doing so means the company will treat your data as if under European data privacy law, for all intents and purposes.
Be wary of smoke and mirrors
Smoking cessation apps and other mobile health software can be a valuable tool for many. For some smokers, a simple tracker might be enough to keep them on track with quitting. Others may require a more hands-on approach that includes 1-on-1 coaching and therapy. As a general rule of thumb, however, most people may not be able to drop their addiction to nicotine through an app alone.
You should know the market is rife with cheap, ineffective apps that are most likely not helping even the most determined people quit smoking. Moreover, even some “evidence-based” apps and software have failed to produce results that are substantial enough for medical professionals to reliably recommend them. Such is the state of this technology.
The outlook does look positive, though, thanks to certain apps that boast backing from reputable institutions and positive results in a growing number of research studies. Given the wide reach and easy access to mobile applications, smokers might soon be able to quit altogether, staying off cigarettes for good just with an app’s help. Until then, it’s important to think of these apps as a supplement to any other methods you are currently using to get off nicotine.
FAQs About Online Methods to Quit Smoking
Are smoking cessation and online methods to quit smoking the same thing?
Smoking cessation and online methods to quit smoking are not synonymous terms. The former refers to the study and research of the methods that have been and continue to be developed in order to get people off tobacco—particularly those who ingest via cigarettes and, more recently, vapes. The latter broadly refers to any method for quitting smoking that is available online, be it an app, a website, or an online course.
Do online methods to quit smoking have scientific support?
Yes and no. On one hand, there is current scientific research that considers well-designed online methods to quit smoking effective, particularly mobile apps. On the other hand, most of these methods are not supported by science. Even those that are supported by research studies often lack a sufficient number of results to state that they are truly supported by science.
Are online methods to quit smoking safe?
Other than the possible leaking of your personal information—deliberate or not—, online methods to quit smoking are a safe tool. Smokers should only fear that these apps may lull them into a fall sense of security the same way other goal-based apps do.
Are online methods to quit smoking available on all mobile devices?
Online methods to quit smoking are available on both iOS and Android devices through the Apple and Google stores, respectively. Some specific apps are available on both platforms. Others may only be found on one of the two types of devices.