7 Best Alternatives to the Calm App for Sleep

Headspace costs $12.99 per month, or $69.99 per year, which works out at $5.83 per month billed annually. The library holds more than 1,000 expert-led exercises, along with sleepcasts, wind-downs, soundscapes, and Focus music for work. The app is polished and easy to use, with courses that build week by week, and the sleep content is strong, with stories and soundscapes that help you wind down.

• A 14-day free trial comes with the annual plan, while the monthly plan gives 7 days.
• The main limit is the free content, since only a small amount of the library is free and most of it needs a subscription.
• The homepage also shows a limited-time offer of 50 percent off a year, with no dollar figure attached, so $69.99 is the standard list price rather tha
• If you want the closest rival to Calm, with a large library and strong sleep content, Headspace is the pick.

Visit Headspace →

Insight Timer costs $9.99 per month, or $59.99 per year, for MemberPlus, while the core library is free. The free library holds more than 300,000 tracks, which is far larger than any other free library in this list, and the meditation timer is free as well. MemberPlus adds structured courses, premium tracks, offline downloads, and advanced player controls, with a 7-day free trial.

• That mix makes Insight Timer the best choice for buyers who want a lot for nothing, with the option to upgrade later.
• The limits are the MemberPlus features.
• Full courses, offline listening, and ad-free listening all need MemberPlus, so the free version has ads and fewer tools.
• The sheer size of the library can also feel overwhelming, since there is no single path through it.

Visit Insight Timer →

Happier Meditation, formerly Ten Percent Happier, costs $99.99 per year, or $14.99 per month. The teaching is practical and sceptic-friendly, with world-class teachers and more than 500 guided meditations, courses, talks, videos, and sleep meditations. The free plan is limited, with two flagship courses and about 50 guided meditations, and a 7-day free trial comes with the subscription.

• The app suits people who are wary of spiritual language and want clear, evidence-based teaching.
• The main limit is the price, since $99.99 per year is the highest annual price in this list, and the free content is limited.
• The app is also mobile-only, with no web or desktop app, so you cannot use it on a computer.
• If you want practical teaching from well-known teachers and you are willing to pay for it, Happier is a strong choice.

Visit Happier Meditation →

Balance costs $11.99 per month, or $69.99 per year, with a lifetime option at $399.99. The app builds personalised daily sessions from your experience, your goals, and your mood, which is different from the fixed libraries of most rivals. Its 10-day Plans teach 10 concrete techniques, which suits beginners who want structure rather than a large library to browse.

• There is no permanent free plan, though a free trial is offered, and the trial length is not stated consistently, so check the app store listing befor
• The limits are the downloads and the library.
• Balance has no offline downloads, according to its own support pages, and the library is smaller than the big general apps, since the app is phone-fir
• That makes it a poor pick for travellers who meditate on planes or in places with no signal.

Visit Balance →

Waking Up, the app from Sam Harris, shows $119.99 per year on its trial page, marked down from a list price of $149.99, with a 30-day free trial. The $9.99 per month figure shown on the site is the monthly equivalent of the annual price, not a separate monthly plan, while other listings quote $19.99 per month. The app offers a step-by-step Introductory Course, plus theory, philosophy, and conversations on Stoicism and consciousness, which is deeper than any other app in this list.

• A free or part scholarship is available with no proof required, which is generous for an app at this price.
• The main limit is the price and the confusion around it.
• The list price of $149.99 makes it the most expensive app here, and official pages conflict, with the scholarship page stating $129.99 per year agains
• Check the trial page for the current figure before you commit.

Visit Waking Up →

Aura costs $69.99 per year for Annual Individual Premium, with a Family plan at $129.99 per year. The app gives personalised, mood-based recommendations, with thousands of meditations, stories, CBT, hypnosis, and coaching tracks, starting at 3 minutes each. The free plan is limited, with one new 3-minute session every two hours, and a 7-day free trial comes with annual Premium.

• That short-session format suits busy people who want a quick reset rather than a long sit.
• The main limit is the free version, since it is very limited, and unlimited access, offline use, and full coaching and library access all need Premium
• App store listings also show conflicting annual prices, from $47.99 to $99.99, though $69.99 is the vendor FAQ standard price.
• If you want short, mood-based sessions and a lower annual price than Headspace, Aura is a good choice.

Visit Aura →

Medito costs $0, since it is free forever, with no subscription and no premium tier. The app is run by a registered non-profit, and everything is free, with no ads, no account required, no data selling, and fully open source code. The library covers guided meditations, courses, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and a timer, which is enough for most daily practice.

• There is no trial to manage, since there is nothing to pay for, and no card is needed.
• The main limit is the range.
• Medito is simpler and smaller than the subscription rivals, with guided meditations, courses, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and a timer, but no
• If you want the basics done well for free, Medito is the best value in this list by a wide margin.

Visit Medito →