Taking time for your mental health can easily be achieved by downloading a meditation app. You can listen on your commute, at your desk, or before bed. Here are the 7 best free meditation apps, and the one we think you should splurge on.
The Best Free Meditation Apps
Headspace
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free; $12.99 a month or $7.99 annual monthly fee; family plan for $19.99 a month If you’re new to meditating, this is a great app to start with—it touts a huge following, with over 40 million users. Headspace offers a free Basics pack, a 10-day beginner’s course that helps show you what meditation and mindfulness are all about. The app also allows you to pick from different courses or just single meditation sessions based on how long you’d like your session to be. It also features Sleep by Headspace, which includes meditations, music and nature sounds to help you fall asleep (and stay asleep.)
Stop, Breathe & Think
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free or $10 a month This app is targeted for young adults, teens and kids. SBT says, “We are the emotional wellness platform for the “under 25” generation… Our mission is to help kids, teens and young adults build the emotional strength to tackle life’s ups and downs.” It features meditations based on how you’re feeling physically and emotionally, with most lasting under 15 minutes. There are 34 free sessions, including a Spanish option. And if you’re looking to buy the app, 10% of SBT’s net revenue is shared with Tools for Peace, a non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth experience the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.
10% Happier
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free 7-day series, $99.99 annual The 10% Happier app was inspired by ABC news anchor Dan Harris, who famously had a panic attack live on air, and turned to meditation to help him overcome his anxiety. (He also authored the books 10% Happierand Meditation for Fidgety SkepticsMeditation for Fidgety Skeptics. The app features meditations and lessons from 16 different experts, and the paid option has over 350 meditations.
Sanvello
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free; $8.99 a month; $53.99 annual Sanvello is marketed as just more than a meditation app—it’s a mental health app that is focused on helping those with depression and anxiety. It has extra behavioral health tools besides just guided meditations. It includes daily mood tracking, weekly check-ins and progress reports, and also has a social media-like community that you can connect with.
Meditation Studio
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free for iOS; $3.99 on Android; $7.99 a month; $49.99 annual Meditation Studio has joined forces with brain sensing headband MUSE, and contains meditations led by 60 leading meditation experts. This app is great for beginners and people who want to start meditating daily. The founders believe that “committing to shorter daily meditations is better than doing a longer meditation once a week.” The app has over 500 meditations in 2-, 5-, 10-, and 15-minute increments.
Let’s Meditate
Available for iOS and Android Price: Free This app is noted for its simplicity… if you’re looking for bells and whistles, you’ve come to the wrong app. This straightforward meditation app is perfect for those with one goal in mind: to hit play and get to meditating. Meditations range from 5 minutes to 40 minutes. Bonus: it has no ads or sign-ups. All you have to do is download.
The one you should buy:
Calm
Available for iOS and Android Price: 30-day free trial; $59.99 annual subscription; $399.99 for life In 2017 Calm was voted Apple’s ‘App of the Year’ and Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018, and for good reason. It offers three different categories: meditation, music and sleep. Or, if you’re just looking for some relaxing nature sounds with scenery, it has that too. It also offers bedtime stories read by some of your favorite voices—including Matthew McConaughey. Plus there’s a ‘Body’ section that offers lessons on mindful movement and stretching. Meet Jon Kabat-Zinn, the man who brought meditation to the masses.
