When you’re feeling stressed, the best advice typically isn’t to pull out your phone. (The FOMO! The doomscrolling!) But this could change if you open your phone… to access a meditation app.

Meditation is often touted as a method for better sleep and a way to manage stress and anxiety. But starting isn’t always easy—especially if you want to use an app, but don’t know which one to try. That’s where we come in. We tried five of the best meditation apps for a week each. By the end, Calm emerged as the best premium pick due to its tranquil design, extensive library of guided meditations that offer new sessions every day, and a suite of bonus features. 

Still, an app with this level of quality comes at a cost that might not be in everyone’s budget. But there are other great meditation apps that might offer everything you need for little (or no!) cost. (Including Healthy Minds Program, one of the best free apps for meditation.) Read on to learn more about our favorite meditation apps and how to find the best one for you.

If you’ve already got your mind set on using one of the two most famous meditation apps—Calm or Headspace—check out our detailed comparison to figure out which is best for you.

Here’s the TL;DR on how the best meditation apps stack up:

1. Calm (Best Meditation App)
2. Headspace (Best Meditation App for Beginners)
3. Healthy Minds Program (Best Free Meditation App)
4. Insight Timer
5. Ten Percent Happier

The Best Meditation Apps

Using the Calm app felt like stepping into a boutique meditation studio. Its striking design with gently moving scenery and birdsong that played softly in the background felt both inspired and soothing. Light a candle or some incense, and you’ve practically got the dream meditation station. But it’s more than just aesthetics. Calm excelled in tests with its vast library of content and new meditations added every day. The app seemed to have a meditation for every scenario, whether you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, anxious about an upcoming flight, or wish to start the day off on the right foot. This is an app you can turn to again and again.

Setting up the app was simple. It asks a few questions about how you’re feeling, how stress shows up in your life, and experience with meditation. Even the home screen evokes its titular sense of calm, featuring an image of Jasper Lake at night, complete with a crescent moon, rippling water, and snow-capped peaks. The background sounds of chirping crickets set a pleasant mood right off the bat. Calm offers around 40 home screen scenes and background sounds to choose from. If crashing waves, rain on leaves, or a crackling fireplace feels more soothing to you, Calm’s got you covered.

Calm offers a 30-day course that can teach beginners how to meditate. However, there’s no reason a newcomer to meditation must start there. Calm’s 10-minute daily meditations felt accessible to everyone, whether you’ve never meditated or you already have a dedicated practice in place. I loved that the background sound that accompanies the home screen continues to play during the meditation sessions, which helped me tune into the practice without feeling like the noise surrounding me took me out of it. It was the only meditation app in this test that offered this feature. 

The Calm meditations I tried each followed a similar structure of a short introduction, brief unguided periods alternating with narration and helpful technique tips, and a short lesson relating meditation to an aspect of life toward the end of the practice. The consistency helped provide expectations for each session, which were typically between 3 and 30 minutes long. The library’s organization could use more structure, but the search tool proved helpful in serving what I was looking for.

Guided meditation is at the core of Calm, but it’s far from the only wellness experience it offers. You can also find soothing bedtime stories (some narrated by celebrities, including Kate Winslet and Harry Styles), poetry readings, music and playlists, stretching videos, and breathwork lessons taught with the help of soothing graphics.

Is Calm better than Headspace?

Calm’s 4.8-star rating in the App Store puts it just behind Headspace’s 4.9-star rating. Ultimately, Calm’s downright beautiful design helped it eke out superiority in this test, but it was a tough call. Other professional reviewers are just as divided, with Calm and Headspace each taking top spots in other reviews, so it may just come down to personal preference. Our pro tip: Take advantage of Calm’s weeklong free trial to experience this inspired app yourself. If you find that it isn’t quite your cup of tea, check out Headspace as an alternative. If you don’t feel like doing all that work, refer to our Calm vs Headspace article, where we did the work for you.

The Healthy Minds program app made a good impression from its first download. It was developed by researchers at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is dedicated to conducting research on ways to improve wellbeing. After trying the app, it’s clear that it’s great option for someone looking for a free way to test out meditation.

Setting up the Healthy Minds Program app starts by taking an (optional) assessment to find your baseline in “the four pillars of science and training the mind.” This includes awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. You can see these areas strengthen and fill bar charts as you work through the program. This assessment includes around 20 questions, which feels like a lot at first. But it only took about 5 minutes to work through it. 

After the assessment, the app puts users on the “My Path” journey. It’s divided into five sections (foundations, awareness, connection, insight, and purpose), each of which contains 10-22 lessons and 14-27 meditations. Its intuitive layout makes it clear where you’re expected to start and understand how everything fits together. Plus, its watercolor-like illustrations and soft blue, green, and purple palette provides a soothing effect. You can also access around 35 other meditations outside of the core program.

The foundations section is particularly suited to meditation newbies. It teaches a variety of techniques right away and explains the benefits of meditation on the brain and overall wellbeing. The sessions also hit the bullseye in meeting users where they’re at. I was able to use the app to meditate while folding the laundry. I also appreciated that it served up a screen after a session saying that missing a day of meditation is not a failure. This kind of gentleness and understanding will no doubt help new meditators stave off frustration and stay patient with practice.

With all that said, the app isn’t perfect. It would occasionally fail to log the meditations after I completed them. The app also didn’t offer any new content during our testing period. And the library was more limited than the ones found in other meditation apps—including other free ones. 

However, the quality of the instruction, intuitive user experience, research-backed approach, and no-cost content make this app a winner. If in doubt—or simply a newcomer to the world of meditation—consider starting with Healthy Minds Program to learn the basics.

What Is Meditation?

Most seasoned meditation practitioners will tell you that your understanding of meditation will change over time. But in its most basic definition, meditation Cornell Health “Meditation” View Source is the practice of developing the ability to focus one’s attention on a chosen subject, emotion, or sensation while allowing others to move through your consciousness. You can choose from “relaxation” or “mindfulness” meditation. Relaxation meditation often provides better short-term results and mindful meditation helps with long-term outcomes. Don’t think of meditating as zoning out, though. Instead, consider it a way to achieve a grounded sense of presence, no matter where you are. You can meditate at any time (including while walking, doing yoga, or practicing tai chi, a practice known as “moving meditation”) but it often involves sitting in a quiet, comfortable spot and closing your eyes.

Health Benefits of Meditation

The practice of meditation itself is very healthy for most people. It’s long been used to relax the body, calm the mind, and keep stress under control—one study found that mindfulness meditation may reduce inflammation Brain, Behavior, and Immunity “A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and an active control in modulation of neurogenic inflammation” View Source caused by stress hormones. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) NCCIH “Meditation: In Depth” View Source , practicing meditation may also help:

• reduce blood pressure
• ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
• treat anxiety and depression and increase emotional regulation
• address insomnia

Some studies also suggest that meditation can help some people quit smoking and reduce pain. More research is needed to make firm conclusions about those benefits. It’s also worth noting that some people with psychotic disorders, extreme anxiety, or PTSD may experience adverse outcomes Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine “Meditation-induced psychosis: a narrative review and individual patient data analysis” View Source from meditation. Speak with a healthcare professional before starting a meditation practice if you’re concerned about this being a factor.

OK, But Are Meditation Apps Healthy?

Yep!

A systematic review from 2022 Frontiers in Public Health “Effects of Mindfulness Exercise Guided by a Smartphone App on Negative Emotions and Stress in Non-Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” View Source , which looked at eight studies on mindfulness exercise guided by smartphones, found that such programs helped lower symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, findings could be limited due to the lack of available high-quality studies. Another 2020 systematic and meta-analytic review Behavior Therapy “Can Acceptance, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Be Learned by Smartphone Apps? A Systematic and Meta-Analytic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials” View Source of 27 randomized controlled trials found that apps could significantly lower psychological distress and offer slight improvements in acceptance, mindfulness, and self-compassion. This review also notes that the evidence isn’t high quality and more research is needed. 

The benefits of specific meditation apps are backed by some research as well. A 2019 randomized controlled trial JMIR Mhealth Uhealth “Efficacy of the Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App “Calm” to Reduce Stress Among College Students: Randomized Controlled Trial” View Source on the meditation app Calm found that it made a significant positive difference on users’ stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Participants with insomnia in a 2021 study The Best Meditation Apps for Beginners “” View Source also experienced reduced depression and anxiety after using the Calm app, perhaps due to improvements in their ability to fall asleep. As for Headspace, studies have shown that this meditation app can reduce stress Mindfulness “Improvements in Stress, Affect, and Irritability Following Brief Use of a Mindfulness-based Smartphone App: A Randomized Controlled Trial” View Source , curb burnout Journal of Pediatric Nursing “Mindfulness for Novice Pediatric Nurses: Smartphone Application Versus Traditional Intervention” View Source , and boost compassion PLOS ONE “Mindfulness and Compassion: An Examination of Mechanism and Scalability” View Source .

As promising as these results sound, the research should be taken with a grain of salt. Most of the studies were relatively small, and some article authors in were employed by the meditation apps used in the trials. This introduces a risk of bias. 

What Can You Expect From a Meditation App?

We’ll give it to you straight: No one needs an app to meditate. You might be able to start meditating right now by quietly noticing your body, feeling your breath, and acknowledging when your mind wanders. But for a lot of people, that’s not so easy. 

This is where guided meditation, or when someone takes you through the steps of a meditation practice, could come into play. You can do this one-on-one with meditation teacher, in a group class, on YouTube—or with an app. 

In addition to providing meditation frameworks, these apps claim to offer solutions to all-too-common meditation woes. Keep forgetting to make time to meditate? Meditation apps will send you daily reminders. Haven’t quite figured out how to meditate? Meditation apps can expose you to all kinds of techniques to help you find one that works for you. Struggling to deal with all the distractions? Meditation apps can help you turn them into a tool for growth, rather than an excuse to end your practice. (Case in point: A gratitude-focused meditation in the Healthy Minds app helped me actually appreciate the clamor of the garbage truck outside my apartment. Yes, really.)

So, meditation apps are legit. But it’s important to know their limitations. Meditation is just one of many, many tools—including other wellness practices, professional therapy, and medication—that can potentially address issues. Whether or not meditation works depends on you as an individual and your unique situation. 

But because there are many meditation apps you can try at absolutely no cost, there’s virtually no risk to using them to learn how to meditate and see if the practice improves your life.

What Are The Best Free Meditation Apps?

We reviewed two totally free guided meditation apps that aren’t half bad—Healthy Minds Program and Insight Timer—and there are a bunch of others in the App Store you can try. If you try a free trial week in a premium meditation app, set a calendar reminder to cancel (or officially sign up) so it doesn’t serve you surprise charges.

How We Got Here

Meet Your Guinea Pig

I’m Joni Sweet. I’ve been covering health and wellness as a writer and editor for major publications for more than 10 years. My work is in SELF, Health, Prevention, Forbes, Healthline, mindbodygreen, Greatist, and dozens of other publications. I love debunking health myths and teaching people about research-backed ways to feel their best and live well. I also have a background in UX writing and content strategy, so I know what it takes to make a great app.

Our Testing Process

Type “meditation” in the App Store and your finger will probably fall off from exhaustion before you scroll to the end of the search results. There are a seemingly endless amount of meditation apps out there. I created a list of options worth testing by reading reviews of the top meditation apps in mainstream publications and seeing which ones had the best ratings on iOS and Android. I then narrowed down the list of eight apps to five finalists by eliminating ones that were more focused on breathwork (another beneficial wellness practice, but not quite the same as meditation), as well as the least popular options based on low numbers of reviews or rating scores.

Then, I mapped out a five-week testing schedule, which involved using each meditation app every day for a week. On the first day of each testing week, I’d spend extra time exploring the app and documenting the set-up process before diving into a meditation (either an option the app suggested for me, or one I found when browsing the app that piqued my interest).

On the other six days, I’d try a new meditation and continue poking around the app, paying particular attention to the amount of content it offered specifically for beginners, unique features (like bedtime stories or stretching videos), and how frequently it added new meditations. I took notes on the design of the app—specifically highlighting whether it put the user into a meditative mood, and whether it was intuitive to use—and how well its library of content was organized and navigable. I also noted any tech hiccups that occurred as I used the meditation apps.

In total, I spent 249 minutes (or 4 hours and 9 minutes) actively meditating with the five apps I tested. I spent about the same amount of time setting up my accounts, watching video lessons on meditation (available in some apps, but not others), browsing the meditation app libraries, and toggling through different features and options to get a feel for each one. 

I also took cost into account, judging each app’s price tag based on the size and quality of its library and how it compared to the subscription fees of other apps.

To see more on the search for the best meditation apps, you can read the test notes here.

The Meditation App Buying Guide

A meditation app is by no means required to start meditating. You can learn this practice by reading guides online or in books borrowed from the library, taking a class at a local meditation or yoga studio, or watching YouTube videos, among other options. 

But a meditation app can be helpful in a few ways. You can access both free meditation apps and ones that require a paid subscription. The latter often have built-out programs specifically designed to help new meditators learn about the practice, as well as specific techniques to get started. With a pair of headphones, you can use these apps to meditate just about anywhere (like, say, your dentist office waiting room to soothe some jitters before a root canal!).

Meditation apps also offer courses and sessions for specific circumstances, like when you’re angry at a coworker or you’re feeling stressed about something in the news. They can track your meditation habits and send you reminders to breathe and take time for yourself. All of this can help you build a consistent practice that benefits your life.

You may be able to get everything you need from a meditation app without spending a dime—some of the free options are just that good. A premium meditation app like Calm provides a more sophisticated design, a more robust library of meditations, and other wellness content that can complement your meditation practice. You’ll likely spend about $70 per year, or $13 to $15 a month, on a premium subscription. We feel the benefits of meditation apps that require a membership make them worth the price. But because many high-quality meditation apps are also free, don’t feel like you’re missing out on too much if you choose to go that route.

Who Should Use a Meditation App?

If you don’t already have a meditation practice, you feel that your meditation skills could use a refresh, or you want to learn new techniques, a meditation app is worth downloading. Meditation can help you experience “a deep state of relaxation and tranquil mind Mayo Clinic “Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress” View Source ”—and who couldn’t use that after the last tumultuous couple of years? 

A meditation app can be a helpful tool, but it isn’t the only way to learn or practice meditation. If you find that a tech-based meditation practice isn’t the right approach for you, explore other options. Meditation can feel tricky at first, but with practice, you may find it becomes a part of your everyday life.

Which features matter most in meditation apps?

• Beginner-friendly sessions: If you’re brand new to meditating, you’ll want to look for an app with a course on meditation for beginners. At the very least, it should have about a week’s worth of meditation sessions for newbies. This can help you learn how to manage common hurdles and find which meditation techniques work best for you.
• Personalization: Most meditation apps come with guided audio sessions, tracking capabilities, reminders to meditate, and timers to help you meditate on your own. Beyond that, the most important meditation app features become a highly personalized decision. Want to learn ways to turn meditation into a mind-body practice? Look for a meditation app with videos on stretching and other physical techniques. Looking for an app that sets a zen-like mood? Check out the design of a few options to see which one resonates with you. Want a meditation app to help you sleep better, manage anxiety, or cope with stress? Look for ones with full-blown courses on those topics, and more. 
• Cost: Meditation apps can be a bit pricey, at least by app standards. If cost is a concern, try some totally free meditation apps to see if they fit your needs. But if you want a huge variety of meditations and other bells and whistles, shell out for a paid subscription to a premium meditation app. (After taking advantage of a free trial, of course.)

Other Meditation Apps To Consider

Looking for a premium meditation app with a robust library of content that grows larger by the day, and will get you meditating the moment you open the app? Headspace is a great choice. The brand has spent the last decade building its reputation as one of the top meditation apps. After trying it, its 4.9-star rating from hundreds of thousands of reviewers in the App Store feels like a given.

Setting up Headspace involves creating an account and answering a few simple questions about your concerns and goals. Then, it immediately starts with a brief guided audio-visual breathing exercise that uses clouds to symbolize emotions and passing thoughts in your mind. It’s a charming way to introduce users to Headspace’s unique style and interface.

Headspace’s frequently-updated content library feels limitless. It offers three beginner-friendly 10-session courses on the basics, and users can choose between four different teachers for each session. There are also animated sessions that use a mix of audio and cartoon-like visuals to teach users different meditation techniques, like resting awareness (a technique in which you let thoughts drift away in order to give the mind deep rest) and loving kindness (wherein you direct positive energy to others to help soothe unhappiness within yourself, per Headspace).

The app’s well-organized library is easy to navigate and chock-full of courses and one-off sessions on common challenges most people will face. These include dealing with regret, healing after a breakup, and finding time for joy. You can also watch workout videos, listen to bedtime stories (including one narrated by John Legend), and turn on music for focus.

Occasionally, the labels on content didn’t line up with the offering itself. For example, one labeled as a meditation was much more like breathwork. Despite this flaw, Headspace’s offerings showed how the app and meditation in general can be a tool for wellness in one’s everyday life.

Let’s return to those cartoonish animations for a moment. These visuals are part of a larger design scheme Headspace has clearly developed with lots of thought. But it didn’t quite work for me. Some of the illustrations felt childish and the bright colors found throughout the app were more garish than soothing. While Headspace’s meditation sessions and other features have a lot to love, its design paled (well, not literally) in comparison to Calm. 

If you’re debating between Calm and Headspace, know that both are truly great meditation apps. Headspace’s bright tones and whimsical illustrations didn’t do it for me. But lots of other users clearly love the app’s design and guided offerings. 

There’s a lot to like about Insight Timer. For one, its setup process was the most straightforward of all the apps tested. In it, it focuses on your main goals for meditation and types of content you prefer or want to avoid. It’s also free, with the opportunity to make donations after each class. This practice is may be inspired by Dāna, the Sanskrit word for gift, gift-giving, or generosity. It’s a practice in Hinduism and Buddhism that encourages giving without expecting anything in return.

Insight Timer has a downright massive library with at least 130,000 free meditation sessions. A whopping 80 or more new meditations are added every day. This makes it feel like you will literally never run out of guided sessions. The app also features the voices of around 3,000 teachers, increasing the chances of finding an instructor you’ll love. No wonder the app has an average of 4.9 stars from hundreds of thousands of reviews in the App Store.

On the other hand, the multitudinous content library felt overwhelming. I sometimes spent more time browsing the library than actually meditating. The quality of the sessions and instructors was inconsistent, too. Some were excellent, while others were a bit too woo-woo with affirmations that bordered on toxic positivity Right as Rain by UW Medicine “What You Need to Know About Toxic Positivity” View Source . The volume of at least one session also changed halfway through, which was distracting. 

After each class, a notification pops up to rate the session and donate $1.99, $4.99, or $19.99 to the teacher. On one hand, this is a nice way to express gratitude after a class. You also don’t have to pay anything at all. Plus, Insight Timer is transparent about exactly how much teachers can expect to get from each donation—about 56%, after the cuts the app distributors and Insight Timer take—where other apps are murkier. But the donation push can also feel disruptive. To me, it’s simpler to pay a fixed membership fee every month or year rather than getting hit up for cash with every meditation. 

That said, you can also pay a $60 annual membership. This provides access to premium courses and sessions. (Teachers also get a cut of this.) And the more unique, personalized offerings, like mentorship and online group workshops, understandably come at an additional (varied) cost. But considering the app its large library of legitimately no-cost sessions, Insight Timer could be a compelling option for someone who wants to spend nothing but their time. And maybe the occasional donation to offset the guilt trip.  

A Meditation App You Can Skip

From the start, Ten Percent Happier fell short of other apps. The opening screen invites the user to “meditate with Emmy-winning journalist Dan Harris and the best teachers on the planet”—a not-so-humble-brag that doesn’t quite feel aligned with the spirit of meditation. After going through the initial assessment, which asked personal questions like how critical you tend to be of yourself and your current level of stress, it served up a meditation plan. Despite the questions, it felt more cookie-cutter than customized. The app’s design also felt decidedly sleek and corporate.

The app does have some strengths, though. Well-known meditation instructors like Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg lead lessons. And if you like informational videos, this app has a lot of them. I didn’t particularly love the video interviews with instructors, which are similar to what you might see on a documentary film. But they offer insights about the science behind meditation and the ways in which it could benefit your life. This meditation app offers 34 courses, some of which have more than 20 videos and meditations. It also has hundreds of single meditations on topics like stress management, self-compassion, and positivity. There are also a few dozen meditations and techniques for falling asleep. But that was about it in the way of bonus content.

If you’re already into the Ten Percent Happier brand, which includes popular podcasts and two books on meditation, this app might be a natural next step for diving deeper into meditation. But it’s also more expensive than other meditation apps that offer more. That puts it at the bottom of the list.

Our research and review process is intended for informational purposes only—never as a substitute for medical treatment, diagnosis, or advice. Recommendations or information found on this site do not infer a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult a healthcare provider if you have questions about how a product, service, or intervention may impact your individual physical or mental health. Our evaluations of products, services, and interventions have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. Information and research about health changes frequently. Therefore, some details or advice on this site may not be up-to-date with current recommendations. The Nessie is an independent publication and is not in any way affiliated with the production or creation of products, providers, services, or interventions featured in reviews or articles on the site.