Best Co-Star alternatives in 2026
The best Co-Star alternatives are The Pattern if you still want detailed charts, CHANI if you want a gentler daily practice, TimePassages if you want the serious version, and Natus if what you actually wanted was to understand yourself rather than read a prediction. People leave Co-Star for two main reasons: readings that feel generic or needlessly dark, and more of the app moving behind a paywall.
What Co-Star users say in their own reviews
Verbatim from public 1 and 2 star App Store reviews. Co-Star is rated 4.8 on the App Store overall, so plenty of people are happy. These are the ones who were not.
I paid $9 for a reading to tell me I was a bad person1 star review
If you're like me, someone who has struggled with self love and has trauma, don't get this app.
Went downhill1 star review
It's not the same anymore. The information isn't really all that accurate. I've noticed nasty little negative undertones to a lot of the readings too.
Used to be fantastic, now worthless1 star review
Now, it provides no more information than a generic quip from a fortune cookie. It's comically bad, clearly just spitting out generic nonsense.
Belittling1 star review
I used to like this app but now it seems like every time I open it there is just something negative to read and it makes me feel more down about myself. Deleting.
The options
The Pattern
Best for: the most detailed personality breakdowns
The closest thing to what Co-Star used to feel like: deep, specific readings people describe as uncomfortably accurate. But its own 1 star reviews are now dominated by paywall complaints, so expect the free tier to be thin.
CHANI
Best for: a gentler, more grounded daily practice
Slower and warmer in tone, with meditations and journal prompts alongside the charts. Fewer complaints about dark or trolling phrasing.
TimePassages
Best for: the serious, technical version
Built by people who take the craft seriously. Less pretty, more real. Best if what you wanted from Co-Star was depth rather than vibes.
Natus(this is us)
Best for: understanding yourself instead of being predicted at
If the thing you loved about Co-Star was feeling seen, Natus does that differently. Your First Reading is built from your name and birth details, then your own week is read back to you every Sunday. No dark one-liners, no generic quips.
If the readings got dark or generic
This is the biggest Co-Star complaint in the 1 star reviews: daily readings that feel written for everyone, or worse, phrased to sting. CHANI is the warmest swap. The Pattern is the deepest. Natus sidesteps the problem entirely, because the reading is built from your week, not from a shared pool of lines.
If the paywall grew
Co-Star's free tier has shrunk over time, and reviewers notice. If paying is the issue, decide what you are paying for: charts (TimePassages does a lot for free) or understanding (that is what Natus's free tier is built around).
If you were never after predictions anyway
A lot of Co-Star users were not checking the future. They were checking whether an app could see them. If that is you, a journal that reads your own life back is closer to what you wanted than any daily card.
Common questions
- Why did people stop liking Co-Star?
- Reading the 1 and 2 star reviews, two complaints dominate: the readings feel more generic and more negative than they used to, and more content has moved behind a paywall. Long-time users describe it as going downhill.
- What app is like Co-Star but nicer?
- CHANI is the common answer for tone: same general category, noticeably kinder voice, plus meditations and prompts. If you want warmth instead of edge, start there.
- Is there an app that reads me instead of predicting me?
- That is the gap Natus fills. It starts from your details, keeps a private journal through the week, and every Sunday reads your week back in your own words. It is about recognition, not prediction.