If meditation is something you’re looking to do more of or wanting to learn, we’ve rounded up the best meditation apps that will help you zen out.
Our pick for the best overall meditation app is Simple Habit since there is something for everyone, whether you are new to meditating or a daily meditator. Meditations are sorted into different categories to find one that is right for you, such as relaxation, focus, anxiety, sleep, parenting, etc. There are even meditations labeled for specific situations, such as disconnecting from negative media, before a doctor’s appointment, walking meditations, and a meditation while in the shower.
A majority of the app is free to use so, you don’t have to commit to anything before knowing if meditation will be a daily thing for you. However, to get access to more advanced features like a complete meditation series, you’ll have to pay $11.99 per month.
Pros:
Free meditations availableOffers quick, five-minute meditations Helps you make meditation a more consistent practice
Cons:
You’ll have to pay for complete access Lacks a comprehensive search feature
If you’ve meditated before and want to expand your practice, Calm is a great meditation app. Beyond just basic guided meditation sessions, Calm has an expansive selection of music and stories to meditate to. In addition, a feature known as The Daily Calm is a short, 10-minute meditation session that changes topics every day and helps form a dedicated practice. Calm also features more than 100 Sleep Stories which are relaxing tales meant to help you fall asleep and are voiced by famous people such as Matthew McConaughey, Michael Buble, Kate Winslet, and more. One downside is that after a free seven-day trial, you’ll need a subscription to access Calm, and its subscription is by far the most expensive at $69.99 per year (it doesn’t offer a month-to-month option). Pros:
Sleep Stories to help you fall asleep Award-winning app Different levels for meditators
Cons:
Requires a pricey subscription
Those who are entirely new to meditation should check out Headspace. The app offers a comprehensive and easy way to explain how meditation works and helpful tips and tricks on the best way to meditate. For example, you’ll learn that it’s not about quieting your mind altogether but acknowledging thoughts and feelings as they come up and just letting them pass by at the moment. Once you learn the basics, the app also offers breathwork and mindfulness sessions, as well as ambient nature sounds to relax or meditate without guidance. Headspace is free for one week, but you’ll have to pay $12.99 per month for most of the content. Pros:
Courses specifically aimed at beginner meditation Build personalized mediation plans for youMindfulness and breathwork lessons
Cons:
Requires a subscription for most content
If you’re looking for a meditation app that also incorporates yoga, Yoga Wake Up is a great subscription app option. It features over 300 audio-guided yoga and meditation sessions with a great combination of soothing music, guided breathing, visualization, and affirmations. What’s excellent about Yoga Wake Up is that it helps make meditating a daily habit with little effort on your part since it offers an alarm clock feature. Choose a meditation to act as your alarm and ease you into awareness, so you can start to meditate as soon as you wake up, making it easy to incorporate meditation into your daily life. While this app is specifically meant for morning meditations, there are mediations for middle-day breaks and nighttime ones. You’ll have to subscribe to Yoga Wake Up for $10.99 per month to access its content. Pros:
Meditations and yoga sequences Download meditations for later Use a meditation as your alarm
Cons:
Requires a subscription Can be challenging to set up the alarm function
Those on a budget can download Insight Timer for free and access more than 130,000 guided meditations surrounding topics such as sleep and wellbeing, morning energy, gratitude, anxiety, stress, negative thinking, accountability, affirmations, etc. You won’t have to pay for meditations or for events that you can attend within the app. Choose from daily events like special full moon meditations, healing circles, book clubs, sound baths, and more. A great feature of this app is that you can filter by location to find meditation teachers, groups, and events right within your area. While meditations are free, more in-depth workshops meant to take your practice deeper will cost you, starting at $20 per session. Pros:
Free to use Thousands of meditations to choose from Can attend virtual workshops and live events
Cons:
Amount of choices can be overwhelming
It should be noted that to come up with each app’s rating, we took the average rating between their Apple app and their Android app. Guided meditation: A type of meditation when someone is guiding you through the meditation, telling you when and how to breathe, what to do if thoughts come up or even what to think of, and just basically guiding you through the process, so the meditation has some structure. Mantra meditation: Repeating the same word or phrase in your head to keep the focus on that intention. Mindfulness meditation: Being aware of the present moment and acknowledging the sounds, thoughts, and feelings that come up as you are meditating. One popular way people utilize mindfulness meditation is by focusing solely on their breath during the entire meditation. Visualization: A type of meditation that can also be like daydreaming, where you think of a situation in great detail and focus on that mental image while meditating. Sound bath: Listening to bowls, gongs, and other instruments to create sound vibrations that help focus and relax the mind into a meditative state. This type of meditation is better in person than with an app.
