ILTY vs Bloom
Bloom teaches you CBT through video lessons and journaling. ILTY processes your actual situations through conversation. Both use CBT—differently.
Quick Summary
Bloom is best if:
- ✓You want to learn CBT concepts systematically
- ✓You prefer video content over text conversations
- ✓You like structured programs with clear progression
- ✓You're more of a self-study learner
ILTY is best if:
- ✓You want to apply CBT to your specific situations in real time
- ✓You need in-the-moment support, not lessons
- ✓You prefer conversation over video courses
- ✓You find structured programs hard to stick with
About Bloom
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.
About ILTY
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.
Detailed Comparison
Format
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
CBT Delivery
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
Personalization
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
Acute Support
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
Self-Paced Learning
Bloom
Excellent structured curriculum with clear progression through topics.
ILTY
No curriculum. Learning happens naturally through conversation.
Better for: Bloom
Production Quality
Bloom
High. Professional video content from real therapists.
ILTY
Text-based conversation. No video content.
Better for: Bloom for multimedia experience
Cost
Bloom
Free trial, then subscription (~$12/month).
ILTY
$12.99/mo or $99.99/yr (7-day trial).
Better for: ILTY for free access
Who wrote this: ILTY publishes this comparison, and ILTY is one of the two apps in it. We rank ourselves below competitors where they genuinely win — you’ll see several of those calls below. Read it with the bias in mind and check the other side’s claims too.
Our Honest Take
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.
The research behind this
Rankings on this page draw on The 2026 State of AI Mental Health Apps, our own study of 15 apps across 8 criteria. Crisis handling was tested by hand: the same four escalating messages typed into every app, screenshots kept. Four of them never produced a crisis number. Every score is published with the reasoning behind it, including ILTY’s, and the rubric is CC-BY if you would rather score apps yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bloom or ILTY better for learning CBT?
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.
Does Bloom have AI conversations?
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.
Can I use both Bloom and ILTY?
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.
See for Yourself
The best way to know if ILTY is right for you is to try it. Free to download, with a one-week free trial.