Looking for a Sanvello Alternative?
Here is what Stella offers instead.
When Sanvello shut down in 2024, a lot of people lost the place they talked things through. Stella is your emotional wellness AI: someone to talk to, by voice or text, who keeps what you've told her in mind. She is not therapy.
What people who used Sanvello look for, and what Stella does
Voice beats typing when you're wound up
Talk out loud instead of typing into a group chat, or text if you'd rather. Either way, she replies to you.
One conversation, not an anonymous room
Stella keeps what you've told her in mind and tells you straight but kindly.
No waiting for someone to reply
Peer groups meant waiting. Stella replies when you start a conversation, 3am included.
A conversation, not a course
Sanvello taught structured exercises. Stella talks it through with you and helps you find the words or choose a small step when you're ready. She is not therapy.
Tell Stella what happened. Even the part you're still figuring out.
What Sanvello Had vs What Stella Offers
Tell Stella what happened.
Even the part you're still figuring out. Download the app or send her a text. The app is free to download; a subscription is required to keep using it.
What You'll Gain with Stella
Voice or text, any hour
Say it out loud or type it. No waiting for a group to reply.
She keeps what you've told her in mind
Stella keeps what you've told her in mind and tells you straight but kindly. No profile to fill in.
Help finding the words
When you're ready, she helps you find the words for a conversation or choose a small step. Nothing is required.
What's Different (The Honest Part)
What's Different (The Honest Part)✕ No Peer Support Groups
Stella doesn't have community chat rooms. You get a 1:1 conversation with an AI: no waiting for peers to respond, no group dynamics to navigate.
✕ No Mood Charts
Sanvello had visual mood tracking with graphs. Stella has none. No streaks, nothing to log.
✕ Not Insurance-Covered
Sanvello was covered by UnitedHealth and others. Stella is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, paid directly.
The trade-off: You lose community and insurance coverage. You gain a conversation you can start any hour, by voice or text, with an AI that keeps what you've told her in mind.
Making the Switch from Sanvello
Download the app
The app is free to download; a subscription is required to keep using it. Or start with a text.
Tell her what's going on
Tell Stella what you would have told Sanvello. She keeps what you've told her in mind.
Use it when something happens
Next time you're wound up, open Stella and talk, or text. See how it feels compared with typing into a group.
Give it a few conversations
It takes a few conversations to know if it's the right fit. No streaks, nothing to log while you decide.
Keep comparing
Other tools people weigh against Stella when they are deciding the same thing.
- Stella vs. WoebotWoebot shut down in 2025. What Stella does differently, and why keeping what you've said in mind matters.
- Stella vs. FinchFinch gamifies self-care with a virtual pet. Stella is a direct conversation, with no streaks and nothing to log. Different approaches to feeling better.
- Stella vs. HeadspaceHeadspace teaches mindfulness. Stella talks it through with you, by voice or text, in the moment. When each approach fits.
- Stella vs. WysaWysa is a text chatbot with structured exercises. Stella is a conversation, by voice or text, that keeps what you've told her in mind. Approach and pricing, side by side.
Read next
Two situations people bring to Stella, written up in full.
- Anxiety Moving to a New City Alone: What Nobody Warned You AboutThe first evenings in a new city when you know nobody yet.
- I've Already Bothered My Friends Enough: What to Do When You Feel Like a BurdenWhen you feel like a burden and don't want to text your friends again.