Bloom teaches you CBT through video lessons and journaling. ILTY processes your actual situations through conversation. Both use CBT—differently.
Bloom is a CBT-based therapy app that delivers mental health support through professional video lessons, guided journaling, and structured programs. It was created by a team with clinical psychology backgrounds.
The app follows a curriculum model—you progress through themed programs (anxiety, self-esteem, relationships) with video content from therapists. Each lesson includes journaling exercises to apply concepts to your own life.
Bloom's production quality is high, and the approach is well-structured. It's like taking an online course in CBT with homework that applies to your personal situation.
ILTY skips the curriculum. Instead of learning about CBT techniques in a video and then applying them to a journal, you have a conversation where CBT principles are woven into real-time responses to your actual situation.
There's no 'lesson 1, lesson 2' progression. You talk about what's happening in your life, and ILTY helps you process it using therapeutic approaches naturally—challenging distortions, examining evidence, identifying action steps.
ILTY is less educational but more immediately applicable. It's the difference between studying a map and having a guide walk beside you.
Bloom
Video lessons + journaling prompts. Structured curriculum with progression.
ILTY
Real-time conversation. No curriculum—responds to what you bring up.
Better for: Bloom for structured learning, ILTY for real-time support
Bloom
Explicit CBT education. You learn the concepts, then apply them through journaling.
ILTY
Implicit CBT application. Techniques are woven into conversations naturally.
Better for: Bloom to learn CBT, ILTY to use CBT
Bloom
Programs are themed but content is the same for everyone. Journaling adds personal context.
ILTY
Every conversation is unique to your situation. Responses adapt in real time.
Better for: ILTY
Bloom
Not designed for in-the-moment support. You watch a lesson, then journal.
ILTY
Designed for the moment. Panic attack right now? Open and talk.
Better for: ILTY
Bloom
Excellent structured curriculum with clear progression through topics.
ILTY
No curriculum. Learning happens naturally through conversation.
Better for: Bloom
Bloom
High. Professional video content from real therapists.
ILTY
Text-based conversation. No video content.
Better for: Bloom for multimedia experience
Bloom
Free trial, then subscription (~$12/month).
ILTY
Free on iOS with optional subscription.
Better for: ILTY for free access
Bloom is well-made. The video content is professional, the CBT foundation is solid, and the journaling exercises add genuine personal application. If you're someone who learns well from structured content, Bloom can teach you real skills.
The limitation is timing. When you're spiraling at midnight, you don't want to watch lesson 7 of the anxiety program. You want to talk about what's happening right now. Bloom is proactive education; ILTY is reactive support.
There's also the completion problem. Structured programs require consistency, and many users start Bloom's courses but don't finish them. ILTY has no curriculum to abandon—you use it when you need it.
Use Bloom to build your CBT knowledge base. Use ILTY to apply it in real time when life gets complicated. They're different formats for the same therapeutic principles.
Bloom is better for explicitly learning CBT concepts through structured lessons. ILTY is better for applying CBT principles in real-time to your actual situations. Think of Bloom as the textbook and ILTY as the practice partner.
Bloom's primary format is professional video content and guided journaling, not AI conversation. ILTY's primary format is real-time AI conversation. They're fundamentally different delivery mechanisms for mental health support.
Yes, and they complement each other well. Use Bloom to learn CBT techniques through its structured curriculum, then use ILTY to practice applying those techniques in real-time when difficult situations arise.
The best way to know if ILTY is right for you is to try it. We're in beta and completely free.