Best Apps and Software for Your Sober Living Home in 2026

The best software for sober living homes in 2026 is Sober Living App, a purpose-built management platform that handles resident intake, automated billing, drug testing, NARR compliance tracking, and staff coordination from a single dashboard. Beyond dedicated management software, operators also need productivity suites, accounting tools, communication platforms, and resident-facing recovery apps to run an efficient, compliant operation.

Running a sober living home in 2026 is a fundamentally different challenge than it was even five years ago. State regulations have tightened, NARR certification has become increasingly important for credibility and referral partnerships, and residents expect a professional, technology-enabled experience. The days of managing a recovery residence with spreadsheets and filing cabinets are over.

This guide covers the best apps and software across every category a sober living operator needs — from management platforms that serve as the operational backbone to resident-facing recovery apps that support long-term outcomes.

How to Choose Software for Your Sober Living Home

Before diving into specific tools, here are the key criteria to evaluate any software for your recovery residence:

• HIPAA compliance: Any tool that touches resident health information must meet HIPAA requirements, including encryption, access controls, and Business Associate Agreements. Our HIPAA compliance guide covers the essentials.
• Recovery housing specificity: Generic property management or healthcare software often misses critical sober living workflows like drug testing, bed management, and discharge planning.
• Integration capability: Your tools should work together. Look for platforms that integrate with your accounting software, communication tools, and state reporting systems.
• Mobile access: Staff and house managers need access from anywhere, not just a desktop computer in the office.
• Scalability: Choose tools that grow with you from one house to ten. Switching platforms mid-growth is expensive and disruptive.
• Total cost of ownership: Factor in training time, data migration, and ongoing support — not just the monthly subscription price.

Sober Living Management Platforms

These are the purpose-built platforms designed specifically for operating recovery residences. A management platform is the single most impactful technology investment for any sober living operator.

1. Sober Living App (Recommended)

Best for: Single-home operators to multi-facility organizations

Sober Living App is the most comprehensive management platform built specifically for sober living homes, recovery residences, and transitional housing. It is the only platform that covers the full operational lifecycle from lead intake through alumni tracking.

Key features:

• Resident management: Complete resident profiles, intake documentation, progress notes, incident reports, and discharge planning in one centralized system
• Automated billing: Set up recurring rent collection, process payments, generate invoices, and track outstanding balances automatically — eliminating the most time-consuming administrative task operators face
• Drug testing management: Schedule tests, record results, track compliance patterns, and generate reports for oversight bodies and referral partners
• Bed management: Real-time occupancy tracking across all properties with waitlist management and automated availability updates
• NARR compliance tracking: Built-in tools that align with NARR standards, making certification preparation and maintenance dramatically easier
• Staff coordination: Employee scheduling, task assignments, certification tracking, and internal communication tools
• Admissions pipeline: From lead capture through application review, fee collection, and move-in — the entire admissions workflow is digitized
• Resident portal: Residents complete paperwork, make payments, and access resources through their own secure portal
• Alumni tracking: Discharge planning, outcomes monitoring, and alumni engagement tools to demonstrate program effectiveness
• Mobile app: Full-featured mobile access for house managers and staff working in the field
• Reporting and analytics: Occupancy trends, financial performance, compliance metrics, and outcome data in customizable dashboards

Pricing: Starting at $199/month per facility with a 30-day free trial. Volume discounts are available for multi-facility operators.

Why it matters for sober living homes: Operators using Sober Living App report an average 40% increase in revenue through improved occupancy management and automated billing, along with a 60% reduction in administrative time. The platform eliminates the patchwork of spreadsheets, paper forms, and generic tools that most operators cobble together when starting out.

Start your free trial at soberlivingapp.com

2. Sobriety Hub

Best for: Smaller operations looking for a lighter-weight option

Sobriety Hub offers basic resident tracking and house management features aimed at operators who need a step up from spreadsheets but do not require the full feature depth of a comprehensive platform.

Key features:

• Resident check-in/check-out tracking
• Basic drug test logging
• House rules documentation
• Simple reporting

Pricing: Starts at approximately $99/month.

Considerations: Sobriety Hub covers the basics but lacks advanced features like automated billing, admissions pipeline management, NARR compliance tools, and alumni tracking. Operators who plan to grow beyond two or three houses will likely need to migrate to a more comprehensive platform.

3. One Step Software

Best for: Organizations that also operate clinical treatment programs

One Step Software serves the broader behavioral health space, including treatment centers and recovery residences. Its strength is bridging the gap between clinical treatment and recovery housing within a single organization.

Key features:

• Electronic health records (EHR) integration
• Clinical documentation
• Basic housing management
• Insurance billing (for clinical services)

Pricing: Custom pricing based on organization size and modules selected. Typically higher than sober-living-specific platforms.

Considerations: One Step’s recovery housing features are secondary to its clinical focus. Standalone sober living operators will find that much of the platform is designed for use cases they do not have, while the housing-specific features may not match the depth of a dedicated sober living platform like Sober Living App.

HIPAA-Compliant Productivity Suites

Every sober living home needs basic productivity tools for documents, email, and collaboration. The critical requirement is that these tools must support HIPAA compliance when handling any resident-related information.

4. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Best for: Budget-conscious operators who want familiar, cloud-native tools

Google Workspace provides Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Calendar in a HIPAA-eligible package — but only on paid plans with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA).

Key features:

• Gmail with custom domain (e.g., you@yourhome.com)
• Google Drive for centralized document storage
• Google Sheets for supplementary tracking and reporting
• Google Calendar for scheduling house meetings, inspections, and staff shifts
• Google Meet for virtual meetings with referral partners
• Admin console for managing user access and security policies

Pricing: Business Starter at $7/user/month; Business Standard at $14/user/month (recommended for the additional storage and security features).

HIPAA note: The free Gmail and personal Google accounts are NOT HIPAA-compliant. You must use a paid Google Workspace plan and execute a BAA with Google. This is non-negotiable if any resident health information will be stored in or transmitted through Google tools.

5. Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)

Best for: Operators who prefer the Microsoft ecosystem or need advanced Excel features

Microsoft 365 provides Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Teams with HIPAA eligibility on business plans.

Key features:

• Outlook with custom domain email
• Microsoft Teams for staff communication and video meetings
• Excel for financial modeling and reporting
• SharePoint for document management and internal knowledge bases
• OneDrive for cloud file storage

Pricing: Business Basic at $6/user/month; Business Standard at $12.50/user/month.

HIPAA note: Like Google Workspace, you must use a business plan and sign a BAA with Microsoft. The personal and family plans do not qualify.

Choosing between Google and Microsoft: For most sober living operators, Google Workspace is the simpler, more affordable choice. Choose Microsoft 365 if your team is deeply familiar with Excel and Outlook, or if you need advanced SharePoint document management.

Accounting and Financial Tools

Keeping clean financial records is essential for tax compliance, loan applications, investor reporting, and demonstrating the financial health of your operation. Your sober living management software handles resident billing, but you still need a proper accounting system.

6. QuickBooks Online

Best for: Most sober living operators, especially those working with accountants

QuickBooks Online is the industry standard for small business accounting and is the tool most accountants are familiar with. It handles the bookkeeping side of your sober living business while your management platform handles resident-facing billing.

Key features:

• Income and expense tracking
• Bank and credit card reconciliation
• Profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports
• Invoicing for non-resident transactions (vendor payments, contractor invoicing)
• Tax categorization and quarterly tax estimates
• Receipt capture via mobile app
• Integration with over 750 third-party apps
• Multi-entity support for operators with LLCs for each property

Pricing: Simple Start at $30/month; Essentials at $60/month; Plus at $90/month (recommended for multi-property operators). Frequent discounts are available for new subscribers.

Why it matters: Clean books are the foundation of financial health. QuickBooks Online gives you (and your accountant) real-time visibility into your cash flow, which is critical when managing the thin margins that sober living homes often operate on during the first year.

7. Xero

Best for: Operators who want a more modern interface and unlimited users

Xero is a strong alternative to QuickBooks, particularly popular with operators who want to give multiple staff members access without per-user fees.

Key features:

• Unlimited users on all plans (no per-seat charges)
• Bank reconciliation with smart categorization
• Project tracking for renovations and capital improvements
• Multi-currency support (relevant for operators near the Canadian or Mexican border)
• Clean, modern dashboard interface
• Over 1,000 third-party integrations

Pricing: Starter at $29/month; Standard at $46/month; Premium at $62/month.

Choosing between QuickBooks and Xero: QuickBooks has broader accountant familiarity and a deeper ecosystem. Xero wins on unlimited users and interface design. If your accountant has a preference, follow their recommendation — they are the one who will use the tool most during tax season.

Communication and Marketing Tools

Maintaining relationships with referral partners, alumni, families, and the broader recovery community requires intentional communication. These tools help you stay connected without consuming your entire day.

8. Mailchimp

Best for: Email newsletters, alumni engagement, and referral partner communication

Mailchimp remains the leading email marketing platform for small businesses, and it has expanded significantly since the early days. It is especially valuable for sober living homes that want to maintain alumni newsletters, send referral partner updates, or run community engagement campaigns.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop email builder with professional templates
• Audience segmentation (separate lists for alumni, referral partners, families)
• Automated email sequences (welcome series, alumni check-ins)
• Landing pages for lead capture
• Basic CRM features on paid plans
• Analytics and A/B testing
• Social media post scheduling (basic)
• SMS marketing (paid add-on)

Pricing: Free plan for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month; Essentials at $13/month; Standard at $20/month.

HIPAA note: Mailchimp offers a HIPAA-compliant add-on with a BAA for users on Premium plans ($350/month). For most sober living operators, the practical approach is to use Mailchimp for general marketing and community engagement (which does not involve protected health information) while keeping resident-specific communication within your HIPAA-compliant management platform.

Use case ideas for sober living homes:

• Monthly alumni newsletter with recovery resources and community events
• Quarterly referral partner updates highlighting program outcomes and availability
• Automated welcome email series for new resident families
• Community event announcements

9. HubSpot CRM (Free)

Best for: Managing referral relationships and tracking leads

HubSpot’s free CRM is an excellent tool for tracking your relationships with referral sources — treatment centers, therapists, case managers, attorneys, and probation officers. Strong referral relationships are the lifeblood of sober living occupancy.

Key features:

• Contact management with custom fields (referral source type, organization, last interaction)
• Deal pipeline for tracking referral leads from first contact to move-in
• Email tracking and templates
• Meeting scheduling links
• Activity timeline for each contact
• Reporting dashboards
• Integration with Gmail and Outlook

Pricing: Free for core CRM features with unlimited users. Paid plans start at $20/month for additional marketing and sales tools.

Why it matters: Most sober living operators track referral relationships in their heads or on sticky notes. A CRM systematizes this, ensuring no referral partner falls through the cracks and giving you data on which relationships are actually driving admissions.

10. Buffer or Later (Social Media Management)

Best for: Scheduling and managing social media presence

Maintaining a social media presence helps with community trust, SEO, and referral partner engagement. Social media management tools let you plan and schedule content across platforms without logging into each one individually.

Key features:

• Schedule posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms
• Content calendar with visual planning
• Analytics on post performance
• Team collaboration features
• AI-assisted caption writing (Buffer)
• Link-in-bio tools (Later)

Pricing: Buffer starts free for 3 channels; paid plans from $6/month per channel. Later starts free for 1 social set; paid plans from $25/month.

Important privacy reminder: Never post photos that include residents or alumni. Never identify current or former residents by name on social media. Limit photos to staff, facility exteriors, and common areas. If you feature any individual, obtain written consent and keep it on file. Review our compliance guide for more detail on protecting resident privacy in your marketing.

Resident Recovery Apps

These apps are not tools you use to manage your business — they are resources you can recommend to residents during their stay and especially during discharge planning. Supporting residents with technology that reinforces recovery is part of providing quality care.

11. I Am Sober

Best for: Daily sobriety tracking and motivation

I Am Sober is the most popular sobriety tracking app, used by millions of people in recovery. It provides a clean, simple interface for tracking sober days along with motivational features that support long-term commitment.

Key features:

• Sobriety day counter with milestones
• Daily pledge and reflection prompts
• Cost savings calculator (how much money saved by not using)
• Health improvement timeline
• Community sharing features
• Mood and craving tracking
• Badge and milestone celebrations

Pricing: Free with optional premium at $4.99/month for additional features.

Why recommend it: The daily pledge and reflection features create accountability rituals that complement the structure of sober living. Residents who build habits around tracking and reflection tend to carry those practices forward after discharge.

12. Loosid

Best for: Sober social networking and finding alcohol-free events

Loosid remains one of the few social platforms built specifically for people in recovery. It helps residents build sober connections and find alcohol-free activities — addressing the social isolation that is one of the biggest relapse risk factors.

Key features:

• Sober social feed for connecting with others in recovery
• Alcohol-free event finder for local sober activities
• Sober dating features
• Travel tips for sober-friendly destinations
• Community support groups
• Resource library

Pricing: Free on iOS and Android.

Why recommend it: One of the biggest challenges residents face after leaving sober living is replacing their social network. Loosid helps build a sober social circle that persists beyond the structured environment of recovery housing.

13. Twelve Steps Companion

Best for: Residents working 12-step programs

For residents engaged in 12-step recovery (AA, NA, or other fellowship programs), Twelve Steps Companion provides a digital toolkit that supports step work and meeting attendance.

Key features:

• Guided step work with journaling prompts
• Meeting finder (AA, NA, and other fellowships)
• Sobriety date tracker
• Daily reflections and readings
• Sponsor communication tools
• Prayer and meditation resources

Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases.

Why recommend it: Many sober living homes require or encourage 12-step meeting attendance. This app makes it easier for residents to find meetings, track attendance, and work through the steps between meetings.

14. SAMHSA National Helpline App

Best for: Crisis resources and treatment locator

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a free app that connects users to their national helpline and treatment locator service.

Key features:

• 24/7 helpline access (1-800-662-4357)
• Treatment facility locator
• Crisis text line integration
• Behavioral health resource library
• Available in English and Spanish

Pricing: Completely free (government-funded).

Why recommend it: Every resident should have access to crisis resources, especially after discharge. The SAMHSA app provides a safety net that is always available, regardless of insurance status or location.

Telehealth and Wellness Platforms

Access to mental health support and wellness resources has expanded dramatically through telehealth. These platforms complement the recovery support provided in sober living environments.

15. BetterHelp or Talkspace

Best for: Connecting residents with licensed therapists

Telehealth therapy platforms provide residents with access to licensed counselors and therapists, which is especially valuable for residents who face barriers to in-person mental health care (transportation, scheduling, stigma, or limited local availability).

Key features:

• Video, phone, and text-based therapy sessions
• Licensed therapists with substance use disorder experience
• Flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends
• Insurance coverage (varies by plan and provider)
• Group therapy options

Pricing: BetterHelp starts at approximately $65-100/week; Talkspace starts at approximately $69-109/week. Many health insurance plans now cover telehealth therapy.

Why recommend it: Dual diagnosis — co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders — affects the majority of people in recovery. Regular therapy access significantly improves outcomes, and telehealth removes many traditional barriers to consistent engagement.

16. Headspace or Calm (Meditation and Mindfulness)

Best for: Stress management and mindfulness practice

Meditation and mindfulness apps provide guided exercises that help residents manage stress, anxiety, and cravings — three of the biggest triggers for relapse.

Key features:

• Guided meditation sessions (from 3 to 45 minutes)
• Sleep support tools (sleep stories, wind-down exercises)
• Breathing exercises for acute stress and craving management
• Mindfulness courses with progressive skill building
• Daily reminders and streaks for habit formation

Pricing: Headspace is $12.99/month or $69.99/year; Calm is $14.99/month or $69.99/year. Both offer free tiers with limited content.

Integration idea: Some sober living homes incorporate group meditation sessions into their programming. A premium subscription to one of these apps, shared on a common-area tablet, can provide structured mindfulness programming without requiring a dedicated meditation facilitator.

17. GoodRx

Best for: Medication cost management

For residents on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or other prescriptions, GoodRx helps find the lowest prices on medications at nearby pharmacies.

Key features:

• Price comparison across pharmacies
• Discount coupons that can reduce costs by up to 80%
• Medication interaction checker
• Pill identifier
• Telehealth consultations (GoodRx Care)

Pricing: Free app with optional GoodRx Gold membership at $9.99/month for additional discounts.

Why recommend it: Medication costs can be a significant barrier to treatment adherence, especially for uninsured residents or those in high-deductible plans. GoodRx helps residents maintain medication compliance without financial hardship.

Building Your Technology Stack: A Practical Roadmap

Not every sober living home needs every tool on this list from day one. Here is a practical phased approach.

Phase 1: Foundation (Before Opening or Immediately)

These are non-negotiable from the start:

This foundation gives you a professional operation from day one. The management platform alone will save you 15-20 hours per week in administrative tasks compared to manual processes.

Phase 2: Growth (3-6 Months In)

Add these once you have established occupancy and operational rhythm:

All three of these tools have functional free tiers that serve most sober living operators well.

Phase 3: Optimization (6-12 Months In)

Invest in these when you are ready to differentiate on quality:

Total Monthly Technology Cost

A fully equipped sober living home can operate a professional technology stack for approximately $275-350/month — less than the cost of a single bed-night in most markets. The return on investment through improved occupancy, faster billing collection, and reduced administrative overhead typically exceeds 1,500%.

What About Generic Property Management Software?

A common question from new operators: “Can I just use Buildium, AppFolio, or another property management platform?”

The short answer is no — at least not as your primary management tool. Generic property management software is designed for landlords and rental properties. It handles leases and rent collection but lacks:

• Drug testing management and compliance tracking
• Resident intake workflows specific to recovery housing
• NARR compliance features
• Clinical-adjacent documentation (progress notes, incident reports, discharge planning)
• Outcomes tracking for referral partner reporting
• HIPAA-compliant health information handling

You can use property management software alongside a dedicated platform for the real estate management side of your operation (maintenance requests, vendor management, capital improvement tracking), but it cannot replace a sober-living-specific platform for resident-facing operations.

Final Thoughts

The technology landscape for sober living homes has matured significantly. In 2019, when this post was originally published, operators had limited options and often had to piece together generic tools. In 2026, purpose-built platforms like Sober Living App provide comprehensive solutions that were previously only available to large treatment organizations.

The operators who invest in the right technology stack from the beginning — or upgrade their current patchwork of tools — gain measurable advantages in efficiency, compliance, occupancy, and resident outcomes. These are not just operational improvements; they translate directly into better recovery experiences for the people your home serves.

If you are starting a new sober living home, building the right technology foundation is as important as finding the right property or understanding your state’s licensing requirements. Start with a management platform, add a productivity suite and accounting tool, and expand from there as your operation grows.

Ready to see how the right management platform can transform your operation? Start your free 30-day trial of Sober Living App and experience the difference purpose-built software makes.

Last Updated: February 2026