In a world that is always buzzing with distractions, people gradually lose the mental peace and the emotional balance that comes with calmness. This is where the meditation apps come in handy. These apps help one unlock their inner peace and harness the power of mindfulness to operate at their full potential. But do you know what’s the best part?
The market is bustling with meditation apps and the industry is anticipated to boom in the coming years. Choosing the best meditation apps which are beginner-friendly and offer guided training is a challenging task. We have tried curating a list of apps that might be the perfect fit to aid your mindfulness practice. The apps on this list have committed user bases who also vouch for them, so it’s not just the professionals who adore them.
Read further to explore several leading meditation apps, encompassing both free and subscription-based options, that users across the globe find worthwhile. Note that discovering the app that aligns with your preferences might require some experimentation. So, it is recommended to give a shot at a few apps before finalising one. Fear not—many of them provide free trials for this same reason.
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15 Best Free and Paid Meditation Apps
1. Calm
A well-known candidate, Calm welcomes both newcomers and seasoned practitioners. Calm, lauded by reviewers for its distinctive fusion of nature-inspired sounds, beautiful compositions, and the tranquil atmosphere of meditation retreats, is a must-try to determine its applicability for specific requirements (take advantage of their free trial!). The name “Calm” pretty much says it all; the aesthetics of this app make using it a peaceful experience.
Calm has become well-known for its Sleep Stories, which combine famous people with traditional guided meditations and mindfulness tools like timers and background music. These adult bedtime stories, which include well-known voices like Laura Dern and Harry Styles, are enhanced with music, soundscapes, and fascinating narrations to encourage good sleep.
Features:
Pros
- Offers a variety of individual workouts
- Less organised
- Background noises that are calming
Cons
- Not the most user-friendly app
- Very little free content
2. Oak
Oak is lovely and simple, exactly as meditation should be. Users highly esteem it due to its adaptability and simple look and feel. There are guided and unguided meditations, breathing exercises, background music (with choices for silence), and breathing exercises. For your unguided meditation sessions, Oak provides a timer with interval chimes so you may keep track of your immediate and long-term progress. Its lack of bothersome alerts is adored by users, and strangely, it is also a free meditation app.
Features:
Pros
- Clean and user-friendly interface
- Easy to Use
- No ads
Cons
- May increase reliance on smartphones and screen time.
- Some features can have an extra cost.
3. Ten Percent Happier
One of the finest and the best meditation apps is Ten Percent Happier since it was created with individuals looking for peace via meditation in mind. Using a written work as the basis, Dan Harris started out on a path from cynicism to belief. His podcast also offers advice on how to bring unsettled consciousness into the realm of meditation. During their contemplative journey, individuals may communicate with personal meditation mentors who are always available to answer any questions.
Surprisingly, the software captivates devoted users and stands out among meditation apps, attracting interest from people of different backgrounds, whether beginners or seasoned experts. One of the app’s standout features is the outstanding group of educators it employs. For seasoned meditators, a doorway to greater understanding opens, and the teachers are held in high regard.
Features:
Pros
- Calming for stress and sleep
- Numerous meditations are offered
- Live courses in groups where inquiries are allowed
- Simple to use
Cons
- Higher than average membership fees
- Unfavourable to more experienced practitioners
4. Insight Timer
The number of people who think Insight Timer is vastly underestimated compared to meditation powerhouses like Headspace and Calm is rather high, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they enjoy it. Insight Timer is the most well-liked meditation software among both novice and experienced practitioners, having amassed an incredible 260,000 reviews and holding an excellent average rating of 4.9 in the Apple app store. Other great meditation apps could be pricey, but Insight Timer has a vast free library.
If you’re new to meditation, Insight Timer offers a great chance to start a free seven-day course that covers all the basics of your practice. Additionally, you may monitor your advancement and accomplishments in meditation using free charts that connect to your other devices.
Features:
Pros
- More than 50,000 no cost meditations
- Simple content search and filtering
- 7-day beginning course for free
Cons
- Not the most user-friendly app
- Some people become overwhelmed by too many options.
- Users may encounter technical issues
5. Shine
The app’s various services, which go beyond simple mindfulness and meditation activities, are its standout feature. In the free meditation app version, you may access three “quick hitter” meditations for the morning, lunchtime, and evening, Daily Shine meditations that go along with a motivating message, and more. You may access the app’s themed meditations and other premium self-care features by upgrading to premium.
Shine is a great choice for those looking for an app that goes beyond conventional meditation. Appreciation check-ins, bedtime stories, and self-care exercises are among the features of both its free and commercial meditation app services.
Features:
Pros
- Allows you to meditate whenever and whenever.
- You have quick access to a selection of meditation techniques.
Cons
- No live teacher providing direct instruction.
- Technical concerns can disrupt sessions.
6. The Tapping Solution
Anyone wanting to meditate but unsure how to get started can look into the Tapping Solution. To reduce stress and anxiety, manage PTSD, and other health concerns, this programme builds meditations around a complimentary method known as tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT). Tapping combines exposure therapy, acupressure, and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
One of the best meditation apps on our list, The Tapping Solution, has a library as extensive as many other apps. It covers all the topics, including lowering stress related to work, relationships, money, politics, or other issues; assisting people in falling asleep when their minds are racing; and assisting people in coping with negative emotions like anger, anxiety, sadness, guilt, and other things.
Features:
Pros
- Make connections with like-minded people for encouragement and support.
- Use app reminders to promote awareness in regular activities.
Cons
- Results may vary from one person to the next.
- The app collects your personal information.
7. Expectful
This software is made specifically for expectant moms, as the name says. Several meditation tracks are accessible, from postpartum awareness to contemplative support each week and trimester. It includes a variety of meditations, a sleep tracker, and other sleep aids, including stories and soundscapes. Their research is based on conversations with people who are trying to conceive, are pregnant, and are new parents. They also extensively use the guidance provided by psychologists and meditation experts. You may sign up for their special, free course on self-care and well-being.
Features:
Pros
- Improve your ability to focus and think clearly.
- Encourage emotional equilibrium and self-awareness.
Cons
- Only focused on expecting mothers
- The roots of meditation may be misrepresented.
8. Aura
You may learn to meditate with this simple software in only three minutes every day. This software is perfect for people with busy schedules since it offers a useful tool that can be used anytime there is a free minute. This software was made with all of these preferences in mind. Similar to Spotify, this software makes themed playlists for you. Therefore, AURA has your back whether you need a focus mix, a sleep mix, or whatever in between.
In addition to offering meditation, Aura also contains a mood tracker, life counselling, a gratitude journal, and an engaged user and meditation instructor community. Although this meditation programme has paid features, many reviews contend that the free meditation app version is more than adequate for casual use.
Features:
- It tailors meditation and mindfulness content to each user’s preferences and needs.
- The app provides a library of guided meditation sessions and soothing sleep stories.
- It also offers life coaching to help users set goals, overcome challenges, and improve their overall well-being.
- Users can also download meditation sessions and other content for offline use.
Pros
- Encourage emotional equilibrium and self-awareness.
- Download meditation practices to practice offline.
Cons
- The app could cause users to depend on it.
- Users may face some technical glitches.
9. Healthy Minds Program
The Healthy Minds Programme app, provided by a nonprofit connected to the prestigious Centre for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, offers a wealth of podcast-style courses, guided meditations, and interesting activities carefully created to help you cultivate the fundamentals of mindfulness. You’ll also get the ability to learn the mechanics by which meditation works, which may persuade both proponents and opponents.
If you regularly feel overwhelmed by vast meditation libraries, you might find the Healthy Minds Programme app’s targeted approach useful. The four elements of brain training—awareness, connection, insight, and purpose—that it refers to as the four pillars are highlighted in this step-by-step guide.
Features:
Pros
- Aid in the development of vivid mental pictures.
- It helps you practise various breathing exercises.
Cons
- There could be potential privacy and data security issues
- It does not offer personalised guidance
10. MyLife Meditation
Teenagers and young people may find comfort in the MyLife meditation app, a portal that promotes emotional well-being. In addition to its collection of more than 400 mindfulness activities (including simple yoga poses, sleep tracking, and meditation), reviewers compliment its simplicity and appealing art as highlights. All these features make it one of the best meditation apps.
Its emphasis on emotional check-ins may appeal to users as well. Users may choose if they are antsy, anxious, or sad before each meditation so that MyLife can recommend an activity to you. To keep track of how each meditation impacts you and how your practice develops, you might also write down how you felt afterwards.
Features:
Pros
- Suitable for people of all age groups.
- You can use it anytime, anywhere.
Cons
- Over time, users could lose interest.
- It might put off those practising meditation in person.
11.H*nest Meditation
H*nest Meditation is another unorthodox option if you have trouble with the calm or positive sentiments that are often connected to meditation. One of the top meditation applications that helps you deal with the broken things in the world is H*nest Meditation. If not, anybody who is actually going through it right now will find plenty of catharsis in the app’s profanity-laced meditations.
Two to ten minutes are allotted for each guided meditation. It’s still not apparent, though, if this method of meditation has the same benefits for increasing awareness as certain traditional methods.
Features:
Pros
- Helps one explore and enhance themselves.
- Potentially favourable effects on health and blood pressure.
Cons
- If you have some medical disorders, use caution.
- Users may miss the presence of a live teacher.
12. Headspace
Next on the list of the best meditation apps is Headspace, which offers a variety of mindfulness activities and meditation techniques to assist users in reducing stress, elevating mood, and improving general mental health. This app provides a variety of meditation sessions led by Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk. It also gives users access to tales and relaxing sleep noises. Users get access to scheduled meditation classes on a variety of topics, including stress management, anxiety relaxation methods, and strategies to boost self-esteem.
For a more customised meditation experience, Headspace also makes individualised recommendations based on user interests and requirements. It is available on iOS and Android devices and offers a combination of paid and unpaid content. Beyond just providing meditation content, it also assists users in getting better sleep through its collection of resources.
Features:
Pros
- Easy-to-use app
- It has meditation instructions for beginners
- It provides cues to deal with outside noise
- There are hundreds of meditations available.
Cons
- The subscription can be pricey for some users.
- The majority of the features require a membership.
- It is sometimes a little challenging to navigate
13. Sowlmate
One of the top meditation applications for the LGBTQ+ community is Sowlmate. This subtle yet powerful LGBTQ+ self-care app has weekly content updates and offers a unique selection of multi-day courses and quick, portable guided meditations. A variety of LGBTQ+-specific problems are addressed in other meditations, such as overcoming family rejection or going through a breakup. Some types of meditation are used to achieve general mental health goals, such as relaxation.
Sowlmate provides hours of meditation in addition to mood trackers, journals, self-care exercises, and educational programmes without meditation. Additionally, because the app learns from your mood tracker and adapts as you use it, more pertinent content will appear in your feed over time.
Features:
Pros
- Appropriate for beginners to meditate.
- Aid in the development of vivid mental pictures.
Cons
- Some users may find it difficult to navigate.
- Consistency might be difficult to uphold.
14. Balance
In the middle of the daily grind, the Balance app is for those who seek harmony and tranquillity. With its intuitive learning capacities, the app allows users to embrace tranquillity. Every time you use the app, questions regarding your previous meditation experiences, goals, and challenges are posed so that Balance can provide advice. It is one of the best meditation apps that makes it simple to obtain professional meditation techniques supported by science. In short, Balance is an excellent meditation software with all the tools needed to establish the most fruitful routine. It’s almost like you have access to your own meditation instructor.
Features:
Pros
- Reduces stress and anxiety-related problems.
- Allows you to adapt the length of your meditations to your schedule.
Cons
- Its user interface may be complicated for some users.
- There are no local meditation groups.
15. Smiling Mind
An Australian group of psychologists and educators created the free meditation app Smiling Mind as a gift to the world. It is appreciated for bringing mindfulness and joy into the lives of adults, kids, and families and has been downloaded by millions of users. Within each population, guided meditation exercises may be found to help with stress, sleep, focus, relationships, sports performance, mindful eating, and other difficulties. Its user-friendly design makes navigation easier and more efficient.
Features:
Pros
- Based on techniques supported by research.
- Acceptable for people of all religions.
Cons
- Subscriptions to premium content can be pricey.
- Results may vary from one person to another.
Conclusion
As we have explored so far, we could see that there is an app for almost all individual preferences. From the easy usage of Oak to the guided meditations of Insight Timer, from the personalised recommendations of Headspace to the serenity of Calm, anyone can embrace the transformative influence of meditation. One should make an effort to take time to explore these paid and free meditation apps and discover the one that deeply resonates. Breathe deep, download your preferred meditation app, and set sail toward inner tranquillity. Happy meditating!
FAQs – Best Meditation Apps
What is the best meditation app?
Pinpointing a single app as the best is highly subjective. Headspace, Calm and Inside Timer are highly regarded for their diverse content and user-friendly interfaces.
Is Calm the best meditation app?
Calm is regarded as the best meditation app, with over 4 million users who have paid subscriptions. It offers kids-friendly meditation, options to personalise the dashboard, and ambient soundscapes as some of its outstanding features.
What is the best sleep meditation app?
Calm and Smiling Mind apps aid users to unwind their day and promote quality sleep. One must note that we must try different apps before finalising the best as it heavily relies on personal sleep issues.
