App comparisons

# Try Dry vs Pour Decision: A Dry January App or a Plan to Quit?

Try Dry is the free Dry January app from Alcohol Change UK. Pour Decision is a plan to stop drinking for good. How the two compare on goals, tracking, privacy and price.

By the Pour Decision team · Updated October 22, 2026 · 5 min read

Try Dry is the official Dry January app, made by the UK charity Alcohol Change UK. It's free, has no ads, and tracks your units, calories and money year-round. [Pour Decision](https://pourdecision.app/) tracks the same things, but is built for people who want to stop for good, not just for a month.

_We make Pour Decision, so we've tried to be fair: features and prices below are from each app's US App Store listing in October 2026, and we've included where Try Dry is the better pick._

## At a glance

|  | Pour Decision | Try Dry |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Goal | Quit drinking, one week at a time | Dry January, cutting back or trying sobriety |
| Plan | Goals that step down to zero, with a quit date | Custom goals, planned drinking and missions |
| Sober tools | Sober clock and “I'm about to relapse” button | Badges and daily motivational reminders |
| Tracking | Your country's units, calories, money and moods | Units, calories and money saved |
| Account | None needed | Sign-up account |
| Support | In-app guided breathing for cravings | Free coaching email programme |
| Price (US) | $2.99/month, $19.99/year or a lifetime purchase | Free, no ads |

## A month off or a plan to stop

Try Dry is built around challenges: Dry January, Sober Spring, or any goal you set. You track your drinking, earn badges, get a daily nudge at a time you choose, and receive coaching emails with tips and stories. It works whether you want to cut back or try being sober for a while.

Pour Decision is for when you've decided you want to stop. It asks about your drinking and reasons, then builds a plan with a quit date and weekly goals that step down to zero. Once you're there, a sober clock counts every second, and an “I'm about to relapse” button is one tap away when a craving hits.

## Where Pour Decision is better

- **A gradual path to zero.** If going dry overnight feels like too much, your plan lowers your weekly goal for you.
- **Help in the moment.** The relapse button opens a guided breathing exercise with reminders of your progress, right when you need it.
- **Your country's units.** Goals and totals in your country's standard drinks or units, or in grams of alcohol.
- **No account.** No sign-up, no email. Try Dry asks you to create an account, and its privacy label lists your physical address as data linked to you.
- **More tools.** Mood check-ins with a yearly mood calendar, a sip pacer, a blood alcohol estimate and home screen widgets.

## Where Try Dry is better

- **It's free.** Funded by a charity, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
- **Coaching emails.** A free email programme with tips and motivation. Pour Decision doesn't offer coaching.
- **Made for Dry January.** If a one-month challenge is all you want, Try Dry is designed around it.
- **iPad and Mac.** Try Dry also runs on iPad and Apple silicon Macs.

## Which one should you choose?

For Dry January or a short break from drinking, Try Dry is a great free companion. If you want to stop drinking for good, or a dry month showed you that you'd like to, choose Pour Decision: a plan that gets you to zero, and the tools to stay there.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Try Dry only for Dry January?

No. Try Dry was made for Dry January by the charity Alcohol Change UK, but its App Store listing says it works whether you want to cut back or try being sober, all year round.

### Is Try Dry free?

Yes. Try Dry is free with no ads and no in-app purchases. Pour Decision is free to download, and its plan and features are part of Pour Decision Pro at $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year or a one-time lifetime purchase (US App Store, October 2026).

### Can I use Pour Decision after Dry January?

Yes. If a dry month made you want to stop for good, Pour Decision can set a quit date and a plan, or start your sober clock from your last drink.

## Sources

- [Try Dry: The Dry January app on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/try-dry-the-dry-january-app/id1441293755)
- [Pour Decision on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pour-decision/id6499468185)

This article is for general information only and isn't medical advice. If you're worried about your drinking, or you drink heavily every day, talk to a doctor before you cut back or stop: stopping suddenly can be dangerous.

Source: https://pourdecision.app/blog/try-dry-vs-pour-decision