DrinkControl alternatives
Sorted by what you're actually missing. September 2026.
DrinkControl is a good diary - the question is what you want that a diary can't do. A live picture of tonight is Abvy; a coach is Sunnyside; a way out entirely is I Am Sober.
What DrinkControl does well
Credit first: DrinkControl (4.8, 4,290 US ratings) converts your drinks into standard units, calories and money, keeps everything on your device, and has done so reliably for years. If a non-judgmental logbook is the whole job, you don't need an alternative.
Why people look for one
Three reasons come up. It's a rear-view mirror - it tells you what last week looked like, not where you are right now at drink three. It's iPhone-only. And it stops at counting: no estimate of what the units are doing to you, no sense of when tonight ends.
| Abvy | DrinkControl | Sunnyside | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The job | Live BAC & pacing tonight | Units, calories & money diary | Coached moderation |
| Live BAC estimate curve | ✓ | — | — |
| Estimated sober window | ✓ | — | — |
| Units / standard drinks | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Spending & calories | — | ✓ | Money saved |
| Weekly plans & check-ins | — | — | ✓ |
| Watch app, widgets, Live Activity | ✓ | — | — |
| Android version | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Languages | 15 | English | English |
| US App Store rating | New for 2026 | 4.8 (4,290) | 4.8 (2,307) |
Competitor columns reflect each app's own App Store listing and public description as of September 18, 2026; a dash means the listing doesn't offer the feature.
If you want tonight, not last week: Abvy
Abvy logs the same drinks but computes what they mean as they happen: a live BAC estimate drawn as a curve, an estimated sober window, and pacing that answers "does another fit?" while it still matters. The unit counting DrinkControl is known for is included - with a regional drink catalog (a pint, a Maß, a půllitr, each at its real serving size) in 15 languages, an Apple Watch app, widgets and a Live Activity. Like DrinkControl, your data stays yours: on the device, backed up to your own iCloud. The model behind the estimate is published and cited.
If you want structure: Sunnyside
Weekly targets, daily check-ins, coaching-style nudges - a program rather than a log. See our full Abvy vs Sunnyside comparison for where each fits.
If the goal has changed: I Am Sober
Sometimes the reason a drink diary stops being enough is that the goal quietly became quitting. I Am Sober (4.9, 187,090 ratings) with its streaks and community is the category standard for that - a better answer than any tracker, ours included.
What we compared
- Each app's own App Store listing, description and rating counts (September 18, 2026)
- Platform availability and listed languages
- Feature claims verifiable from public listings and, for Abvy, from the shipped app
What we didn't
- DrinkControl's full paid feature set beyond its listing
- Program outcomes of Sunnyside or I Am Sober
- Anything requiring competitors' paid subscriptions to verify
It depends on what you're missing. If it's a live picture of tonight - a BAC estimate, pacing, a sober window - that's Abvy, which is built around exactly that and also covers DrinkControl's unit counting. If it's structure and coaching, Sunnyside. If your goal has shifted to quitting, I Am Sober. If DrinkControl's diary already does everything you want, keep it - it's good at its job.
Track tonight as it happens - live estimate, sober window, and pacing on your own numbers.
iPhone beta on TestFlight
Android beta on Google PlayAbvy estimates - it never measures. It is not a breathalyzer and can't tell you whether you're under a legal limit or fit to drive.