Both work. Not for the same people, and not at the same price.
It's which one you'll stick with. A perfect method abandoned on day three is worth less than an imperfect one kept up for three months. That's the only criterion that matters.
Plenty of people try cold turkey because that's what they were told to do, fail, and conclude they're incapable of quitting. That conclusion is wrong: it wasn't the person who didn't work, it was the method that didn't suit them.
You put the device down and don't pick it up again.
What it asks: taking the withdrawal in one hit. The first days are the hardest — irritability, trouble concentrating, cravings that come back in short but intense waves. It eases after that.
Who it suits: people who do better with one simple, absolute rule than with a dose. If "just one puff" always takes you back to your usual amount, half-measures are your enemy, and cold turkey is probably your method.
The risk: everything rests on the first few days. One badly placed difficult moment and a relapse feels like total failure, which discourages trying again.
You set a daily limit and bring it down in steps until a quit date.
What it asks: consistency rather than raw willpower. You have to count — without counting, everyone overestimates how much they've cut — and accept that coming down takes weeks.
Who it suits: people cold turkey has already failed, heavy users, and anyone for whom the gesture has become social or a way of managing stress. Coming down slowly gives you time to find something to put in its place.
The risk: settling on a comfortable step and never coming down again. Tapering without a quit date becomes a habit, not a cessation.
Three honest questions:
And one rule that applies to both: a relapse doesn't cancel the ground you've covered. It tells you something — about a moment, a place, a feeling. It's information, not a verdict.
In the UK, the NHS runs free stop-smoking services that also cover vaping. In the US, 1-800-QUIT-NOW connects you to your state's quitline free of charge. A doctor or pharmacist can also support nicotine withdrawal. These are free and non-judgemental — using them isn't an admission of weakness.
This page is general guidance, not medical advice, and doesn't replace a health professional.
Vapeless is a free app built for exactly that: a counter that takes a second, a daily limit that comes down on its own until your quit date, and 90 seconds of guided breathing when a craving hits. Your data stays on your phone.