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Headspace vs Calm (best free meditation apps / software)

Compare
Winner
Ease of use
Variety of meditations
Quality of instruction
Unique features
Free content
Premium content
User Interface
Community Support
Offline Access
Personalization
FREE / PAID
Calm also uses a freemium strategy. The premium subscription costs $14.99/month, with unlimited access to all features and daily updates.
Headspace operates on a freemium model. It costs $12.99/month for premium access, which provides unlimited access to all meditations and courses.
Conclusion

Calm offers a wide variety of meditations and stories for all levels, with beautiful calming visuals and audios . Yet, it might be costly for unlimited access .

If you’re new to meditation, Headspace makes it easy to get started with beginner-friendly programs and a fun, engaging style . However, it comes with a higher price tag .

Calm Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Wide range of meditation topics

  • Soothing sleep stories

  • Features famous voices

  • Beautiful visual and audio design

  • Offers masterclasses

Headspace Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Great for beginners

  • Engaging animation guides ️

  • Varied meditation programs

  • Sleeping aids

  • Celebrity meditations

  • Physical and mental exercises ‍♀️

Top Cons
  • Pricey premium subscription

  • Limited free meditations

  • You need to pay for masterclasses

  • No community interaction

  • Limited offline access

  • Lacks personalization options ‍

Top Cons
  • More expensive compared to others

  • Less free content

  • Need continuous subscription for access

  • Limited community support

  • Requires strong internet connection

Other best free meditation apps

3

Insight Timer is great for advanced meditators with its extensive library of free meditations 📚. However, its user interface might be overwhelming for beginners 😵.

4

10% Happier differentiates itself with a unique approach focusing on skeptics, featuring well-known meditationteachers 🎓. However, it is quite expensive 💸.

5

Smiling Mind is a free meditation app designed to help build mental health resilience 🧠. Despite being free, it lacks variety and advanced features ⚙️.

FAQ

There are various free meditation apps available that you can try. A few examples are Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, 10% Happier, and Aura Health.

Headspace is a top-rated mindfulness and meditation app that offers a wide range of guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and mindfulness exercises. It also features a learning center with informative courses about mental health and well-being.

After the free trial, Headspace offers a few payment options. You can subscribe monthly for $12.99, annually for $69.99, or get a lifetime subscription for $399.99.

Calm is another highly-rated meditation app. It offers a variety of guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, masterclasses, and relaxing music. It also features a daily calm program that you can follow to maintain your mental health.

After the free trial ends, Calm charges $69.99 for an annual subscription. They also provide a lifetime subscription for $399.99.

Users often appreciate Headspace for its user-friendly interface, variety of content, and expertly-guided meditations. However, it’s less budget-friendly than some other apps, and much of the content is inaccessible without a paid subscription.

Calm is praised for its extensive content library, including its award-winning sleep stories. Its daily calm feature is also popular among users. On the downside, the cost can be a deterrent for some people, and the app may not offer as much educational content as other services.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm apps are designed with features like guided meditations and breathing exercises that can help manage and reduce anxiety.

To reap the full benefits of meditation and mindfulness, aim to use these apps daily. You can start with shorter sessions of 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable with the practice.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm include sleep stories and sleep meditations designed to help improve the quality of your sleep.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm offer content tailored for children, including sleep stories and meditations.

Headspace and Calm both support multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, German, and more.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm offer the option to download content for offline use, which is especially useful if you’re traveling or have limited internet access.

Headspace and Calm are compatible with iOS and Android devices. They also allow access through their respective websites for computer use.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm allow you to personalize your journey by choosing specific topics or areas of focus for your meditations.

No, both Headspace and Calm are very beginner-friendly. They provide simple, step-by-step guides for those new to meditation, making it an easy start for beginners.

If you wish to cancel your Headspace or Calm subscription, you can do so from the account settings on their respective websites or through your account on the App Store or Google Play Store, depending on where the subscription was originally purchased.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm adhere to strict privacy policies. They also employ security measures to safeguard user data. It’s always recommended to review their privacy policies for in-depth understanding.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm offer free content. Although much of their content is behind a paywall, they do provide some free resources, including a number of guided meditations and training courses.

Yes, people with mental health conditions can use these apps. However, they’re not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you’re dealing with mental health issues, it’s recommended to consult with a healthcare professional.

Several apps lead the meditation industry in terms of quality and user experiences, with Headspace and Calm topping the list due to their comprehensive features and user-friendly interfaces.

Headspace’s free version provides basic content including foundational meditation courses, a few guided relaxation exercises and daily meditations for maintaining mindfulness throughout the day.

In its free version, Calm provides users with timed meditation options, access to several soothing sleep stories, a small variety of breathing exercises, and a daily ‘Calm’ feature.

The premium version of Headspace costs $69.99 per year or $12.99 per month, while Calm’s premium subscription is priced at $69.99 per annum or $14.99 per month.

Headspace’s premium subscription allows access to a wider range of meditation programs tailored for different situations, sleep sounds, music, and animated videos teaching techniques for mindfulness.

With Calm’s premium subscription, users can unlock a vast library of guided meditations, sleep music, masterclasses by mindfulness experts, and a wide selection of nature sounds for relaxation.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm apps offer a 7-day free trial period for their premium versions.

Yes, the interface of the Headspace app is quite user-friendly, with clear labels and intuitive navigation, making it easy for users to find the right mindfulness practices for their needs.

The user interface of Calm is also very intuitive and designed in a way that lets users easily navigate through its features and contents.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm have content specifically designed for children to help them improve concentration, cope with fears, and get a better night’s sleep.

Both Headspace and Calm are compatible with iOS and Android devices and are available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Calm and Headspace premium versions both have offline access feature which allows users to download their desired content for meditation and relaxation without an internet connection.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm offer personalized content recommendations based on users’ stress levels, sleep patterns, and mindfulness goals. They also have options to adjust meditation durations according to user preferences.

Yes, both apps are ideal for beginners. They provide basic courses that give a thorough understanding of meditation and mindfulness, guiding beginners through daily practices to develop these skills.

Calm and Headspace are dedicated to updating their content regularly, adding new mindfulness exercises, sleep stories, music, and more to ensure users don’t run out of refreshing experiences.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm have social sharing features that allow users to share their progress and favorite mindfulness exercises with friends and family through various social media platforms.

Yes, both Headspace and Calm are integrated into several fitness applications including Apple Health, allowing users to synchronize their meditation data with overall wellness tracking.

Headspace stands out due to its use of animation for making the meditation practices more engaging and easy to understand, especially for beginners.

Calm’s unique offering of ‘Sleep Stories’ – bedtime stories for adults designed to aid in achieving better sleep quality, makes it a fan favorite among meditation apps.