We’ve known for centuries and longer the benefits of daily meditation. Today, those benefits are scientifically documented. In fact, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health makes clear the health benefits of meditation. However, only a fraction of adults meditate regularly despite the increases in health and well-being that meditative exercises provide. Some simply don’t have the access or time to attend guided meditation classes. Others need training and guidance to meditate on their own. Still, others are intimidated by the practice, often assuming that you must do it in a certain way.
That’s where affordable and free meditation apps come in. They can assist you on the path to better well-being. Meditation apps have become essential tools for managing stress and enhancing mindfulness in today’s fast-paced world. They can easily be downloaded to your phone in seconds, providing endless meditation resources at your fingertips, whether at home, in the office or on the go. With features tailored to diverse needs, these apps offer convenient solutions for integrating mindfulness into your daily routine.
The best meditation apps can be akin to a personal life coach or instructor. But you can carry your digital instructor with you instead of driving to a class. With just a few taps, holistic health experts guide you through meditation regimens and breathing exercises, and may even help you through a crisis such as a panic attack.
Are Meditation App Subscriptions Worth It?
The best meditation apps are far from impersonal. In fact, they offer more in some respects than in-person classes. They personalize your meditation experience to suit your mental well-being goals and guide you from a beginner to a meditation pro. Some track your well-being progress and even adapt to your changing life circumstances.
Meditation apps have also helped millions manage depression, relieve stress, sleep better, develop mindfulness, reduce anxiety and increase focus. Each of these benefits contributes to greater physiological health.
In the long run, meditation apps are not only worth the price; they are also one of the most convenient, effective means of personal health care. Fortunately, we have provided a list of our favorite meditation apps at varying price points to meet anyone’s budget.
What Meditation App Is Best for Me?
Not all meditation apps are the same, but their uniqueness makes mindfulness and well-being all the more effective. That’s because they cater to your personal needs and skill level. When deciding whether a meditation app is worth the subscription cost, carefully investigate its unique features. Try the free trial period. Discover the features you enjoy most and the app that best suits your meditative and well-being goals.
If you have never meditated before, consider which app best teaches more rudimentary techniques. You may want guided sessions to explain the basics of relaxation, breathing and mindfulness exercises. Alternatively, a regular practitioner might prefer a meditation app focused on unguided sessions, ambient sounds or calming videos. For many suffering from sleeplessness, the most important feature may be calming bedtime stories and sounds.
This list of the best meditation apps includes some of the most popular on Google Play and the App Store. Headspace and Calm offer free trials. They are the most robust applications of their kind, offering hundreds of meditation tracks, exercises and sleep enhancement tracks.
But we’ve also included some amazing, lower-cost and even free meditation apps that stand out in their own right. Some offer a deeply personalized approach or are supported by scientific and holistic health institutions. Not everyone needs hundreds of guided meditations; a simple, easy-to-navigate app might be best for you. Try several. There are no bad choices here. In fact, each app on this list is certain to help you experience the proven mental, spiritual and physical benefits of daily meditation.
Assess Your Needs
If you’re not sure what you need in a meditation app, consider asking yourself the following questions before downloading an app:
- Do I need guided meditations, sleep aids and/or stress relief?
- Do I prefer music, nature sounds or voices for my meditations, or a combination?
- How much personalization and customization do I want?
- What are others saying about each app, and do those reviews and ratings meet my expectations for effectiveness, usability, content and satisfaction?
- Am I looking for cutting-edge features, such as AI, or integration with wearable tech like my Apple Watch or Fitbit so I can track my heart rate and stress levels in real-time as I meditate?
- Am I interested in joining an interactive online community of other meditators?
Best Meditation Apps
Without further ado, here are our top eight meditation apps, all worthy of a download to help you on your mental well-being and self-care journey.
1. Healthy Minds Program
App Store Rating: 4.9 stars (7k reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.9 stars (8k reviews)
Where can you find a highly rated, high-quality meditation app that is truly free? Right here, with the Healthy Minds Program meditation and mindfulness app. Not only is it 100% free, but it has four decades of research to back it. That’s because neuroscientist Richard Davidson, Ph.D., developed the Healthy Minds Program at the Center for Healthy Minds through the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
With its guided meditation lessons, you will gain focus, improve resilience, reduce stress and stay motivated throughout your day. And an active practice feature even helps you to “train your brain” while performing other activities. Put decades of scientifically proven meditation methods to work for you, and do it for free with the Healthy Minds Program.
Pros:
- The only completely free option on our list
- Based on science
- User-friendly
- Goal-driven
Cons:
- Limited content
- Basic meditations
- Best for beginners only
Cost:
- Free
Download Healthy Minds Program on the App Store or Google Play.
2. Insight Timer
App Store Rating: 4.9 stars (421k reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.8 stars (242k reviews)
Are you ready to learn self-love and build your meditation acumen through both guided and unguided sessions? Then the Insight Timer meditation app is for you. Insight Timer ranks as the No. 1 free meditation app, but it stands among the best in its own right. For starters, it offers a vast library of more than 100,000 meditation and music tracks. Plus, some of the world’s top mindfulness experts upload more than 80 guided meditations daily. But don’t worry if that huge library of meditation exercises sounds intimidating. Insight Timer makes it easy to follow only your favorite meditation instructors.
While you get all this and more for free, a membership provides insight courses, a function to download your favorite meditations for offline sessions and more. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, this meditation and sleep app is a winner.
Pros:
- Over 150,000 free meditations
- Easy to search and filter content
- Free seven-day intro course
- Can access a free community
Cons:
- Not very intuitive
- Can be overwhelming with too many choices
Cost:
- Free basic access, $9.99 per month, $59.99 annual membership
Download Insight Timer on the App Store or Google Play.
3. Balance: Meditation & Sleep
App Store Rating: 4.9 stars (115k reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.7 stars (45k reviews)
Not every day is the same. Our situations, needs and moods change over time. How about a meditation app that changes with you? That’s where Balance comes in. Each day, you answer a few simple questions. Balance then chooses a daily meditation from hundreds of audio files suited to your current needs. Plus, the app grows with you. The more you use it, the more the app adapts to your individual needs and goals.
The app also includes 10-day plans to help you develop your meditation skills. Other features include animated breathing exercises, sleep meditations and more. Although lesser-known than some, Balance is a truly unique and enjoyable meditation app that grows with you.
Pros:
- Offers a personalized approach
- Adapts to your needs
- Good for beginners
Cons:
- Cost is on the higher end compared to other apps
Cost:
- Free trial, $11.99 per month, $69.99 annual membership
Download Balance: Meditation & Sleep on the App Store or Google Play.
4. Buddhify
App Store Rating: 4.8 stars (6k reviews)
A low annual cost and ease of use make buddhify an excellent meditation choice for beginners. A color wheel helps you choose your targeted mindfulness sessions intuitively. For instance, you can choose waking up, stress and difficult emotions, work break, walking, and many other focused sessions from the over 200 guided meditations.
Best of all, your sessions will range from a few minutes to up to 40 minutes to fit your lifestyle. Although most meditation apps are suitable for kids, buddhify also offers content specifically designed for your young ones.
Pros:
- One of the lowest priced options on our list
- User-friendly
Cons:
- No longer available on Google Play
Cost:
- $4.99 per month, $29.99 annual subscription
Download buddhify on the App Store.
5. Aura
App Store Rating: 4.7 stars (33k reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.7 stars (14k reviews)
Featured in The New York Times, Forbes and Oprah, Aura stands out as one of the best meditation apps for busy schedules. Although some meditative tracks can last through the night, some start at only three minutes long. Collectively, tracks include thousands of meditations ranging from mindfulness and life coaching to hypnosis and bedtime stories.
A paid subscription provides access to the world’s largest library of health and wellness tracks to download for offline listening. You can even be part of a larger community and reserve a spot in daily live meditations and life coaching sessions. Are you ready to defeat anxiety and sleeplessness? Aura is here for you.
Pros:
- Offers tracking perks like a mood tracker, badges and a gratitude journal
- Low monthly cost
- Customizable, such as how long you want any session to be and the gender and accent of the session leader
Cons:
- Only offers a seven-day free trial
- The amount of content can feel overwhelming
Cost:
- Free trial, $11.99 per month, $69.99 annual membership
Download Aura on the App Store or Google Play.
6. Breethe
App Store Rating: 4.7 stars (63k reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.6 stars (6k reviews)
Ready to relax more and live a fuller life? Breethe can help. Featured in People magazine and Harper’s Bazaar, Breethe provides more than 1,700 tracks and continues to grow. These tracks include meditations, hypnotherapy, nature sounds, masterclasses and more. There are even talks, series and masterclasses from qualified professionals, including New York Times bestselling authors.
The app also includes seven-day, 30-day and 90-day “learn to mediate” programs to introduce you to daily meditation and help you form a meditation habit. The interface is intuitive, and it features practical tools such as morning alarms and reminders. Meditation learning programs make this an ideal app for those new to mindfulness and meditation.
Pros:
- Expert-led meditations
- Multiple learn to meditate programs, which is great for beginners
- Offers an alarm clock along with morning meditations
Cons:
- The most expensive app on our list
Cost:
- Free trial, $14.99 per month, $89.99 annual membership
Download Breethe on the App Store or Google Play.
7. Calm
App Store Rating: 4.8 stars (1.9M reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.4 stars (594k reviews)
With millions of users, Calm holds the crown as the most popular meditation app for mindfulness, sleep and relaxation. With exclusive music engineered to help you focus, relax or sleep, this app offers both guided and unguided meditation exercises of varying lengths to suit your busy schedule.
Designed for beginners and advanced users alike, each track helps relieve stress and increase mindfulness. If you have difficulty sleeping, the Sleep Stories section features popular voice talent to gently lull you to a deep, relaxing slumber. This highly recommended meditation app also includes masterclasses in calming techniques, stretching exercises, soundscapes and more.
The app also offers daily streaks and mindful minutes to help you easily track and celebrate your progress. The seven- and 21-day mindfulness programs for both beginner and advanced users also help you stay on track to form a consistent meditation habit.
Pros:
- Provides highly effective sleep stories
- Offers many individual exercises, including stretching and movement
Cons:
- Limited free content
- Isn’t very intuitive to operate
- Cost is on the higher end compared to other meditation apps
Cost:
- Free trial, $14.99 per month, $69.99 annual membership
Download Calm on the App Store or Google Play.
8. Headspace
App Store Rating: 4.8 stars (1M reviews)
Google Play Rating: 4.5 stars (332k reviews)
How can you lead a happier life? The Headspace meditation app makes your happiness its goal. Co-founded by meditation expert and ordained Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, Headspace is perhaps the best overall meditation app. This user-friendly app leads you to mindfulness, resilience and, yes, happiness.
Over 500 professionally guided meditations—from three-minute mental resets to longer sessions—teach you to relieve stress and live a fuller existence. A sleep feature offers additional sleep meditations, calming music and soundscapes to help you rest more deeply. Mini meditations, guidance through panic attacks, a buddy feature and more make Headspace a top-rated meditation app that helps keep your head in a good space throughout your day. One-on-one coaching and mental health support are also available.
Pros:
- User-friendly app
- Hundreds of meditations to choose from
- Great for beginners
Cons:
- Cost is on the higher end compared to other meditation apps
- A subscription is required to access most features
- Can be challenging to navigate
Cost:
- Free trial, $12.99 per month, $69.99 annual membership
Download Headspace on the App Store or Google Play.
Ready, Set, Get Meditating
Ready to feel happier and calmer? By choosing the right meditation app that works best for your goals and lifestyle, you can achieve personal well-being at your convenience. Integrating a meditation app into your routine can transform your approach to self-care. Explore the options available and start your journey toward improved mindfulness and stress management today by downloading one of these top meditation apps.
Photo by Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.
