meditations and animated videos for kids, divided by age group.30-day courses on a range of subjects, from managing anxiety to dealing with pain to finding focus to cultivating creativity.10-day courses on everything from navigating anger, change, or restlessness to enhancing productivity, happiness, or patience.beginner courses on the building blocks of meditation.hundreds of guided meditation and mindfulness exercises.If the above overview of the two services doesn’t give you enough info to decide which may be right for you, here’s a more direct comparison. Some users may find the Sleep Stories too long.The shortest “Daily” meditation is 10 minutes, which may be too long for some users.Some users say it’s difficult to reach customer service.If you forget to unsubscribe, you’ll still be charged for the subscription price.
It offers a large library of Sleep Stories, several narrated by celebrities.The app offers both guided and unguided meditations.When you begin, the app asks a few questions about your experience level and meditation goals to give you a better-tailored experience.It features soothing nature sounds and landscapes.The Calm app is easy to use and beginner-friendly.It’s important to note that researchers who also work for Calm have done most of these studies. In another study, college students who used Calm’s 7-day introductory mindfulness course every day or once in a while also experienced greater well-being. In a 2021 study, adults with sleep issues who used Calm for at least 10 minutes a day for 8 weeks reported feeling less tired and sleepy during the day and sleeping better at night. For example, a 2019 study involving 88 college students who felt stressed out found that using Calm reduced stress and improved mindfulness and self-compassion. Think birds chirping, rain falling, oceans, forests, and mountains.īut like Headspace, it also has millions of users, and research has demonstrated some key benefits. Launched in 2012, Calm aims to “train your mind to sleep more, stress less, and live better.” Its design is completely different from Headspace, with soothing sounds and natural landscapes. Currently, there’s no offer for an unlimited lifetime, one-time purchase.To get a reminder that your yearly subscription fee is about to process, you must sign up on their website (e.g., not the App Store or Google Play).Some users find it difficult to cancel subscriptions or reach customer service.
Free trial is only available after signing up for a payment plan.The app may not be as useful for more experienced meditators.Some reviewers say the meditations feel too similar and lack variety.A family subscription plan (up to 6 members) is available for $99.99 per year.If you get the yearly subscription with the 14-day free trial, it’s about half the price ($5.83 per month), compared with the monthly subscription with a 7-day free trial ($12.99 per month).
You can download and listen to meditations offline.The app has a wide variety of movement/workout videos coupled with mindfulness techniques.It has lots of family-friendly features with meditations designed for kids ages 5 to 12 years old.For some meditations, you can set the length of time.It offers short meditations you can squeeze into a busy day.You can create meditation goals and track how far you’ve come.Some guided meditations let you choose your teacher/guide.
With millions of users worldwide, Headspace aims to improve your health and happiness.Īnd so far, studies conducted by Headspace and independent researchers suggest that it can do just that.
Co-founder Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, narrates most of the meditations. Started in 2010, Headspace simplifies meditation and mindfulness, making it less serious and even fun.