Try Dry is the official app for Alcohol Change UK’s Dry January challenge. It can be a strong fit if you want a shared month without alcohol, challenge support, and a detailed record of units, calendar entries, savings, and other tracked information.
But after Dry January, some people are looking for a different job. They do not want to repeat a temporary abstinence challenge. They want to keep drinking more intentionally: decide what they want from tonight, keep a simple count, and notice their own pattern over time.
That is where a Try Dry alternative can make sense.
When Try Dry may be the better fit
Try Dry is not just a drink counter. Alcohol Change UK describes it as a free app for Dry January and year-round challenges. Its current official page lists unit, calorie, and money tracking, a units calendar, wellbeing trackers, notes, badges, and dry streaks. It also says users register with an email and password. You can check the current details on Alcohol Change UK’s Try Dry page and terms.
Try Dry may be the better fit when you want:
- a Dry January or other structured challenge;
- a streak or badge-based experience;
- a more detailed log of units, spend, calories, notes, and wellbeing; or
- the resources connected to Alcohol Change UK’s challenge.
Those are real strengths. This is not a case of one app being right for everyone.
When Modero may fit better
Modero is built for a smaller, in-the-moment job. It is for someone who wants to drink less without turning each week into a course, streak, or public project.
You set a personal plan before the evening starts, add each drink with one tap, and keep the count visible enough to notice when the plan begins to drift. Later, you can look at calendar history and trends to see what repeats.
Modero does not ask you to create an account to start. It is available on iPhone and Apple Watch, and drink entries stay on your device unless you choose to use Apple Health. It does not calculate units, calories, spending, or a health score.
The important difference is the question you want answered
Try Dry can answer: “How do I take part in a challenge and track my progress through it?”
Modero can answer: “What do I want tonight, how many drinks have I had, and what tends to happen in my usual week?”
Both approaches can help someone notice a pattern. The better one depends on whether you want a campaign structure or a light, private plan that stays close during an ordinary night out or dinner at home.
How to keep drinking less after Dry January can help if you are deciding what you want to take from the month before choosing a tool.
Choose for the next stage, not just January
If you loved the challenge, Try Dry may be the natural place to continue. If you are ready to move from a temporary month to a personal rhythm, Modero may fit the next stage better.
The useful choice is the one you will still use when January is over and a normal evening begins. A flexible January plan offers another way to think about that transition without making it all or nothing.
Ask what you want to notice next
Before choosing an app, try one practical question: what would make it useful on an ordinary Tuesday or a familiar night out? If the answer is a shared challenge, a streak, and detailed records, Try Dry’s challenge-centred setup may be the clearer fit. If the answer is remembering the plan you set before dinner and seeing a simple count as the evening moves, a lighter tracker may suit you better.
It is also fine to use different tools at different times. A Dry January challenge can be useful for a defined month; a private tracker can be useful later when you are learning about your own usual rhythm. The point of the comparison is not to switch for its own sake. It is to choose the amount of structure that helps you notice and make decisions without adding a project you do not want.