Back to Blog
Lifestyle
February 24, 2026Kneel Team

Best D/s Relationship Apps in 2026

Comparing Kneel, Obedience, Embrace, and mysub — the best BDSM and D/s relationship apps in 2026. Features, pricing, privacy, and honest limitations.

#apps#comparison#D/s#BDSM#obedience-app#power-exchange#privacy
Smartphone glowing softly in darkness

If you're looking for a D/s relationship app — or a BDSM app for couples — your options are limited. Most "couple apps" are built for vanilla relationships — shared calendars, love languages, date night reminders. They don't understand power exchange structures: task assignments, ritual tracking, consequences, contracts, or role-based dashboards.

Whether you call it a dominant submissive app, a power exchange app, or a BDSM habit tracker, the category is still small. This guide compares every option we could find — honestly, including limitations.

What to Look for in a D/s App

Before comparing specific apps, here's what matters for power exchange couples:

  1. Role-based experience — Different views for dominants and submissives
  2. Task and ritual management — Assignments with due dates, recurrence, and tracking
  3. Accountability features — Consequences, miss detection, streak tracking
  4. Privacy and discretion — Biometric lock, discreet icon, no social features
  5. Contract support — Formal agreements with digital signatures
  6. Cross-platform — Available on both iOS and Android

Comparison Table

FeatureKneelObedienceEmbracemysubSpreadsheet / Manual
PlatformiOS + AndroidiOS + Android + WebiOS + Android + WebiOS + AndroidAny
Role-based dashboardsYesYesNoYesNo
Task assignmentsYes, with due dates, proof, pointsYes, with photo proofNoYes, with photo proofManual
Ritual tracking with streaksYesStreaks onlyNoNoManual
Consequences (timer + restrictions)Yes (Premium)NoNoYes (punishments)No
Contracts with signaturesYes (Premium)NoNoNoPossible
Daily mood check-insYesNoYes (journaling)NoManual
Chastity trackingYesNoNoNoNo
Points & rewardsYesYesNoYesManual
In-app messagingNo (by design)YesNoNoNo
Shared journalingNoNoYesNoManual
Multiple dynamicsYes (Premium)LimitedN/ANoN/A
Biometric app lockYesPasscode (Premium)NoNoDepends
Notification privacyYes (hide content)NoNoNoDepends
Miss detectionAutomatic (overnight)NoNoNoNo
Real-time syncYesYesNotificationsYesNo
Free tierYes (1 dynamic, basic features)Yes (limited)Yes (limited)Yes (limited)Free
PriceFree / $7.99 moFree / $6.99 moFree / PremiumFree / $9.99 moFree

Kneel

Best for: Couples who want a comprehensive, private tool for managing an ongoing D/s dynamic.

Kneel is a mobile app purpose-built for power exchange relationships. It was built by someone living in a Female-Led Relationship, and that origin shows in the design: dark mode only, no social features, no fetish aesthetic. It treats power exchange as a relationship structure, not a kink. If you're searching for an Obedience app alternative with deeper accountability features, Kneel is the closest match.

Strengths:

  • Most complete feature set (tasks, daily rituals, consequences, contracts, check-ins, chastity, points)
  • Automatic miss detection based on your timezone
  • Strong privacy features (biometric lock, hidden notification content, discreet icon)
  • Both iOS and Android
  • Real-time sync between partners

Limitations:

  • Consequences, contracts, and analytics require Premium ($7.99/month)
  • Newer app with a smaller community
  • No web version — mobile only
  • No in-app messaging — intentional, so Kneel never stores intimate conversations that could be exposed in a data breach

Obedience

Best for: Couples who want a straightforward task-and-reward tracker for their dynamic.

Obedience is a task management app for D/s relationships with a focus on assignments and points. It's available on iOS, Android, and the web, and has been around longer with a more established user base.

Strengths:

  • Simple, focused interface
  • Cross-platform (iOS, Android, web)
  • Established user base
  • In-app live chat with partner
  • Discreet mode with custom app icon (Premium)

Limitations:

  • No ritual management (has streaks but no structured ritual tracking)
  • No timed consequences or restriction system (has point-based punishments, but no timers or app restrictions)
  • No contracts or agreements
  • No mood check-ins or wellbeing tracking
  • No chastity tracking

Embrace

Best for: Couples who want a shared journaling and mood-tracking app for their dynamic.

Embrace is a BDSM couples journaling app available on iOS, Android, and the web. It's made by the same company as Obedience and focuses on emotional connection — shared journals, daily prompts, and mood tracking. It's less about task management and more about reflection and communication.

Strengths:

  • Shared journaling with daily prompts
  • Mood tracking and partner check-ins
  • Cross-platform (iOS, Android, web)
  • High app store ratings (4.8 on iOS, 4.6 on Android)
  • Affordable Premium tier

Limitations:

  • No task assignments or role-based dashboards
  • No consequences, contracts, or accountability tracking
  • No biometric lock or notification privacy
  • No points or rewards system
  • Focused on journaling — not a full D/s management tool

mysub

Best for: Couples who want a straightforward BDSM habit tracker with tasks, punishments, and a points system.

mysub is a task-based D/s app available on iOS and Android. It offers task assignments with photo proof, a points and rewards system, and a punishment feature. It's actively developed and newer to the market.

Strengths:

  • Task assignments with photo proof and due dates
  • Points, rewards, and punishment system
  • Partner connect with real-time sync
  • Active development with frequent updates

Limitations:

  • No ritual tracking or streaks
  • No contracts or agreements
  • No mood check-ins or journaling
  • No biometric lock or notification privacy features
  • No web version
  • Smaller user base

Spreadsheets and Manual Methods

Best for: Couples just getting started who want to test the waters with zero commitment.

Many couples start by managing their dynamic manually — using shared Google Docs for contracts, spreadsheets for task tracking, and messaging apps for check-ins. This works, but it has real limitations.

Strengths:

  • Free
  • Completely customizable
  • No app download required
  • Full data control

Limitations:

  • No automatic tracking or reminders
  • No miss detection
  • No role-based views
  • No privacy features (biometric lock, discreet notifications)
  • Relies entirely on manual discipline
  • Doesn't scale well as dynamics grow more complex

Privacy Considerations

Privacy matters more in this niche than almost any other app category. When evaluating a D/s app, consider:

  • Who can see your data? Kneel stores data on Convex (encrypted at rest) with no public profiles, social features, or community aspects. Your dynamic is visible only to you and your partner.
  • What does the app look like on your phone? Kneel's icon is intentionally non-descriptive. Obedience offers a discreet custom icon in Premium, though the default app name and icon are more identifiable.
  • Can someone access it if they pick up your phone? Kneel supports Face ID and fingerprint lock. Not all alternatives do.
  • What shows in notifications? Kneel lets you hide notification content so lock screen previews don't reveal details.

Our Recommendation

Each dom sub app serves a different need:

  • Kneel — the most complete option. Tasks, rituals, consequences, contracts, check-ins, chastity, and strong privacy. Best if you want a comprehensive power exchange app for an ongoing dynamic.
  • Obedience — a simpler task-and-reward tracker with a web version. Good if you want a lightweight starting point.
  • Embrace — a journaling and mood-tracking app for emotional connection. Good complement to a task-based app, but not a standalone D/s management tool.
  • mysub — a newer BDSM habit tracker with tasks, punishments, and points. Worth watching as it matures.

If you're brand new to power exchange for couples, start with manual methods. Use a shared doc to write your first agreement, a simple checklist for daily rituals, and messaging for check-ins. Once you know what you need from a tool, you'll be better equipped to choose one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an app for D/s relationships?

Yes. Kneel, Obedience, Embrace, and mysub are all apps designed for D/s and BDSM relationships. They range from simple task trackers to comprehensive dynamic management tools. Kneel is the most feature-complete, with tasks, rituals, consequences, contracts, and check-ins.

Is Obedience app free?

Obedience has a free tier with limited features. Premium costs $6.99/month and unlocks additional features like a discreet custom app icon. Most D/s apps follow a freemium model — Kneel's free tier includes one dynamic with basic task and ritual features.

What's the most private BDSM app?

Kneel has the strongest privacy features: biometric app lock (Face ID / fingerprint), hidden notification content on lock screen, a non-descriptive app icon, no social features, and no community. Data is encrypted at rest with no public profiles. In-app messaging is intentionally excluded so intimate conversations are never stored.

Do both partners need the app?

For Kneel, Obedience, and mysub — yes, both partners install the app and connect. Each partner sees a role-specific dashboard (dominant or submissive). For Embrace, both partners use the app for shared journaling. Spreadsheet methods work with any shared document tool.

Can I use a regular couples app for a D/s dynamic?

Most couples apps (like Paired or Love Nudge) are built for vanilla relationships and don't support role-based views, task assignments with accountability, consequences, or power exchange contracts. You could adapt a habit tracker, but you'd lose role-specific dashboards, miss detection, and privacy features that D/s apps provide.


Disclosure: This comparison was written by the Kneel team. We've tried to be honest about Kneel's limitations alongside its strengths. If you've found an app we missed or have corrections, email [email protected].