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Updated on July 31, 2023
5 min read

Sunnyside Drinking App Review

What is the Sunnyside Drinking App?

The Sunnyside Drink App is a subscription-based option for people who want to decrease their alcohol intake. It claims to support a 30 percent reduction in alcohol with no pressure to quit drinking entirely.

The app helps users create a healthier relationship with alcohol. It uses psychological tools to help people achieve healthier drinking habits. The goal is to help the “sober curious” be more mindful of their drinking. 

Sunnyside App Features

Features of the app include:

  • Drink planning and alcohol tracking via text
  • Access to human coaches
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Tips and tricks
  • Progress dashboard
  • Helpful tips from coaches
  • Other resources

The app also features a Rewards tab. It allows users to refer their friends and unlock mindful drinking gifts, such as recipes for alcohol-free drinks (mocktails) or hangover aids.

How Much is the Sunnyside Drinking App?

The Sunnyside App is available for free for 15 days. After that, users pay $8.75 per month.1

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Sunnyside Drinking App Review

Most people using the Sunnyside App say they’re happy with the tool. As long as their goal is to reduce alcohol intake and not quit drinking entirely, the mindful drinking app meets their needs.

Pros and Cons of the Sunnyside App

The pros of the Sunnyside App include:

  • The app focuses on your daily drinking goals and how many days per week you wish to avoid alcohol completely (“dry days”).
  • There’s no need to download anything. Once you sign up, you can keep track of your drinking through text messaging.
  • Flexibility with the subscription allows you to sign up monthly, quarterly, or per year. There’s also a free trial.
  • It promotes mindful drinking, and there’s no pressure to stop drinking entirely.
  • It provides constructive and positive feedback that helps users feel motivated to meet their goals without judgment or scolding.
  • It offers an opportunity to be mindful of alcohol without practicing total abstinence.

The cons of the Sunnyside App include:

  • Users receive a lot of texts and emails daily about tracking and drinking data. Users who cancel their subscriptions report that they continue to receive text bot messages.
  • Getting in contact with the human coach can be challenging. According to the app, you can use text messaging to reach out to a live person, but some users report this doesn’t always work.
  • It’s not designed to help users with quitting alcohol. It’s not right for people with this goal.
  • You can track your drinking without paying for an app if you’re willing to go analog, but it doesn’t include the same level of support.

Who is the Sunnyside Drinking App for?

The Sunnyside App isn’t right for everyone. The app is best for people who:

Are Sober Curious

More and more people are sober curious and want to avoid alcohol temporarily. The app is great for these people but not ideal for those with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

If you want to practice mindful alcohol consumption and don’t have an AUD, you’ll benefit from Sunnyside.

Need Accountability

The app requires you to share your drinking data with chatbots and coaches via text messaging. 

The app does a daily check-in and reminds you to list the drinks you’ve consumed each day. This creates accountability and helps you be more mindful of your alcohol intake.

Participate in a Sober Challenge

Frequent drinkers who try “Dry January” or another sober challenge will enjoy the Sunnyside App. It makes tracking their alcohol consumption easy. 

In the weeks leading up to a challenge, you can use the app to gradually wean off of alcohol, which makes dry challenges easier.

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Who isn’t the Sunnyside App for?

The app is not for people who:

Have an AUD

The app isn’t the best option if you need to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

If you have an AUD, diagnosed by a medical professional or not, this app won’t provide everything you need. It can help you reduce alcohol intake but doesn’t promote abstinence. 

Want to Stop Drinking Entirely

This app is designed to help you reduce your alcohol intake, not stop drinking entirely. 

However, it can help you wean yourself off of alcohol. This is especially true if you’re preparing for a “dry event.” The app lets you see how much alcohol you consume and reduces your intake for days and weeks.

Need Professional Addiction Treatment

The app simply offers tips and tricks to help you drink less. 

The app isn’t enough if you need professional help for your drinking habits (medical treatment to stop drinking).

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How to Sign Up for Sunnyside

Signing up for the Sunnyside App is easy. Here’s how:

  1. Go to the Apple App Store or the Sunnyside website
  2. Complete the app’s questionnaire
  3. Review the text message you receive and verify your subscription and contact info
  4.  Accept your first mission – tracking your drinking for a week

The goal of the first week of using the app is to get into the habit of tracking your drinks and using the app. You won’t set any goals until your second week. 

The app uses the data from the first week of tracking to create a plan for gradually reducing alcohol consumption.

Tracking occurs in one of two ways:

  • Texting your coach directly with a number or drink emojis
  • Entering the number of drinks in the tracking tool

After the first week, users receive access to a progress dashboard. The dashboard includes stats, milestones, and helpful tips like how much money you saved by having fewer drinks than usual.

Summary

The Sunnyside Drink App is a subscription-based option for people who want to decrease their alcohol intake. It helps you track alcohol consumption and supports your mindful drinking journey. 

The app is great for people who are sober curious, and/or need accountability for their drinking. Users enjoy a free trial when they sign-up for the app. This helps them get started with mindful drinking practices and setting goals for alcohol reduction.

Updated on July 31, 2023
7 sources cited
Updated on July 31, 2023
All Alcoholrehabhelp content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies.
  1. Sunnyside. “The Best Mindful Drinking App.” sunnyside.co, 2023. 

  2. Mayo Clinic. “Alcohol Use Disorder – Symptoms and Causes.” mayoclinic.org, 2018.

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “CDC – Fact Sheets- Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use – Alcohol.” cdc.gov, 2019. 

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “CDC – Fact Sheets- Moderate Drinking – Alcohol.” cdc.gov, 2019. 

  5. Solan, Matthew. “Thinking of Trying Dry January? Steps for Success.” Harvard Health, 2022. 

  6. Blum, Dani. “Sober Curious? How to Embrace Mindful Drinking.” The New York Times, 2021. 

  7. Robert, Yola. “Dry January Is Becoming a Lifestyle.” Forbes, 2023.

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All content created by Alcohol Rehab Help is sourced from current scientific research and fact-checked by an addiction counseling expert. However, the information provided by Alcohol Rehab Help is not a substitute for professional treatment advice.
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