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Chronic pain apps compared

There's no single best chronic pain app. They take different approaches: mind-body lessons, self-paced courses, human coaching, tracking, or one connected daily plan. The right one depends on what you need, where you live and how you like to work. Here's how five you can sign up for yourself compare, using each company's own published information.

Written and reviewed by David Mc Gettigan, Sports Rehabilitator, BSc (Hons) Sports Rehabilitation
Updated 19 October 2026

Written by the team behind Bigger Than Pain, so read it with that in mind. Prices and features were checked on each company's website or app store listing on 19 October 2026 and can change; where a company doesn't say, we've written "not publicly confirmed".

At a glance

Bigger Than Pain

Price
€20 a month or €200 a year
Free trial
14 days (card required); cancel anytime
Approach
One connected daily plan: pain education, nervous system regulation, guided movement, flare support and tracking
Exercise and movement
Yes: 142 exercises with demo videos across 7 body regions
Flare-up support
Yes: Flare Support, with 33 flare-safe exercises
Clinician involvement
Built and overseen by a practising Sports Rehabilitator; no 1:1 clinician sessions inside the app
Who can get it
Anyone, online (web app on phone, tablet or computer); built in Ireland

Curable

Price
Website: annual plan, US$15.99 a month billed annually, 50% off the first year for new subscribers, then full price (shown as about €14.25 from Ireland; charge currency not stated). Irish App Store: monthly €12.99; other plans listed at €99.90 and €449.99, terms not stated
Free trial
14 days; 30-day money-back on web and Google Play purchases
Approach
Guided mind-body programme "to help you make sense of persistent pain"
Exercise and movement
Not publicly confirmed (its exercises are reflection, relaxation, writing and somatic tracking)
Flare-up support
Yes: "Flare-Up Support" quick tools
Clinician involvement
Live expert sessions with pain specialists; 1:1 care not publicly confirmed
Who can get it
Direct to consumer; web, iOS and Android

Pathways

Price
$79 listed for "access to all Pathways content forever" (currency and billing not stated)
Free trial
First milestone free; 14-day money-back guarantee
Approach
Online pain management programme: pain science, mind-body, CBT and pacing
Exercise and movement
Yes: physiotherapy exercises, yoga and breathing routines
Flare-up support
Not publicly confirmed as a named feature (has guided "SOS" breathing and relaxation)
Clinician involvement
Content designed by pain specialists, psychologists and physiotherapists
Who can get it
Direct to consumer; phone, tablet or computer

Lin Health

Price
From $82 a month (1-year plan) to $269 a month (USD, self-pay); some US insurance plans
Free trial
Not publicly confirmed; offers a money-back guarantee
Approach
Coaching-led programme using nervous system techniques for chronic primary pain
Exercise and movement
Not publicly confirmed
Flare-up support
Not publicly confirmed
Clinician involvement
Pain recovery coaches with multidisciplinary clinical guidance and a medical advisor
Who can get it
Mainly US (self-pay, clinician referral or insurance); outside the US not publicly confirmed

Manage My Pain

Price
Free download; paid plans from €5.49 to €22.99 a month (Irish App Store)
Free trial
Not publicly confirmed
Approach
Pain tracking and reports to share with your doctor, plus a pain guide and AI companion
Exercise and movement
Not publicly confirmed (interactive exercises in its Pain Guide)
Flare-up support
Not publicly confirmed
Clinician involvement
Built with hospitals and clinicians; direct clinician care not publicly confirmed
Who can get it
Direct to consumer; iOS, Android and web

Who each one suits

Bigger Than Pain

You want one structured plan that connects understanding, calming your system, movement for a specific body region and a plan for flares, rather than separate lessons or exercises.

Curable

You're drawn to a mind-body, lesson-and-audio approach to understanding pain, with tools for flare-ups, and movement isn't your main need.

Pathways

You'd rather pay once for a self-paced programme that covers pain science, mind-body tools and gentle exercise.

Lin Health

You're in the US and want ongoing human coaching, possibly covered by your insurer.

Manage My Pain

Your main need is tracking your pain and sharing clear reports with your doctor or pain clinic.

Offered through employers and health plans

These aren't sold directly, so they're not in the table. If your employer or insurer offers one, it may be worth checking.

  • Hinge Health: Exercise therapy with physical therapists and health coaches, funded by employers and health plans (mainly US). Not sold directly.
  • Sword Health: AI-guided exercise sessions with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, free to members through employers and health plans. Not sold directly.

How to choose

  • Do you mainly want to understand your pain, track it, move more confidently, or all three together?
  • Do you want lessons you work through, or day-to-day guidance on what to do next?
  • Do you need help for a specific area, such as your back, neck or knee?
  • What happens on a bad day: is there a plan for flare-ups?
  • Is it available where you live, in your currency, and does the trial let you try it properly?

Common questions

What is the best app for chronic pain?

There isn't one best app for everyone. Curable suits people drawn to a mind-body, lesson-based approach. Pathways suits people who want to pay once for a self-paced programme. Lin Health suits people in the US who want human coaching. Manage My Pain suits people whose main need is tracking. Bigger Than Pain suits people who want one connected daily plan that brings education, nervous system regulation, movement and flare support together.

Which chronic pain apps are available in Ireland?

Curable, Pathways, Manage My Pain and Bigger Than Pain can all be bought directly. Bigger Than Pain was built in Ireland and is priced in euro. Lin Health is mainly US-based, and Hinge Health and Sword Health are offered through employers and health plans rather than sold directly.

Do chronic pain apps replace a physio or doctor?

No. These are self-management tools used alongside clinical care. If your pain is new, getting worse, or comes with symptoms that worry you, see your GP.

Is this comparison biased?

It's written by the team behind Bigger Than Pain, so read it with that in mind. We've used each company's own published information, linked our sources, and said "not publicly confirmed" rather than "no" wherever a company doesn't say.

Sources (checked 19 October 2026)

Common situations