Headspace and Calm are giants in the meditation app space, and both have done impressive work in bringing positive thought-based meditation to the masses. Their apps make it easier for anyone to master the skills needed to help themselves relax and even deal with more pressing issues like anxiety and depression.
But at $100 a year, they do cost a lot. And because they're so popular, their programs are likely to be very versatile.
If you've tried Headspace or Calm before and found they weren't for you, or if you just found them too expensive relative to what they offer, there are plenty of niche meditation apps for you to explore. Here are eight of my favorite alternatives so you can put them to the test and see which one works best for you.
Smiling Mind
If you're looking for a free alternative to Headspace, start with Smiling Mind. It was developed by an Australian non-profit organization, and the app is completely free (it doesn't even offer a premium version).
The app offers structured programs for learning about positive thinking meditation, sleep, relationships, stress, diet, and more. The "Introduction to Positive Thinking" course is a great starting point. You can also use one-off guided meditations, including breath and sound meditations, body scan meditations, sleep meditations, and more.
Smiling Mind is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Completely free and run by a non-profit organization.
A range of basic, repeatable meditations you can trust.
Disadvantages:
Design can be a bit complicated and sometimes difficult to use.
The app's library of programs isn't as extensive as some of the others on the list.
Adding new features is fairly rare.
Plum Village.
Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese monk who founded a monastery in France called Plum Village. He is also the author of many popular books on positive thinking, including No Mud, No Lotus. Plum Village organizes many positive thinking programs, seminars and lectures.
Plum Village is a completely free app that allows you to explore this wealth of information from your smartphone. You can access meditations (some of which are by Zen Master One Line himself), lectures, text resources, and videos.
The Plum Village app is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Positive Ringing helps you come back to the present moment throughout the day.
A huge library of programs hosted by Plum Village monks and nuns.
Meditations are easy to follow.
Free!
Cons:
The app is very unreliable and freezes and shuts down randomly.
Exercises are limited to those taught in the Plum Village tradition.
Medito.
Medito is another popular free option. It is also run by a non-profit organization and has a zero-advertising policy. The app starts with a Medito class that can help you learn positive thinking, compassion meditation, and introspective meditation. There is also an option to learn gratitude practices.
The app also has a section dedicated to sleep, featuring sleep meditations, sleep stories, and music. Medito also offers a simple silent meditation timer.
Medito is known for its simplicity: the app only offers programs, lists, and meditations. That's it: no account or complicated user interface required. The downside, however, is that this means you can't really bookmark any content or create your own list of exercises that you find useful.
Medito is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Completely free, no ads.
Very simple and fast app.
Covers beginner meditations, compassionate practices, and sleep meditations.
Disadvantages:
No way to bookmark or save meditations.
Catalog is simple but quite limited.
Insight Timer.
Insight Timer is a community-based positive thinking meditation app and website. On apps like Headspace, you can essentially connect with one or two meditation teachers. On Insight Timer, there are thousands of meditation teachers to choose from. You can even join communities that practice mindfulness and meditation together.
The free version of the app offers over 100,000 meditations, and you can attend live events and practice meditation with people from all over the world. The app categorizes the meditations into different categories, and you'll find different meditations for dealing with anxiety, stress, sleep, and more.
The best thing about Insight Timer is that it doesn't limit you: you can explore and find teachers and classes that fit your current needs.
The "timer" part of the name comes from the fact that the app has a built-in timer for simple meditations. If you want to continue your unguided meditation practice, the timer can help you by spacing out the ringtones and customizing the timer. They also have a very nice collection of bells, gongs and chimes.
Insight Timer has a Member Plus program that gives you access to over 1,000 exclusive classes and offline downloads for $60 per year, but there's no charge to get a lot out of the app. (Unfortunately, you'll see a lot of ads during regular use.)
Insight Timer is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Lots of free, community-guided meditations.
Intuitive and customizable unguided meditation timer.
Easy-to-use interface.
Cons:
There are too many promotions for the Member Plus program.
The sheer number of programs, teachers, and meditations makes it hard to find what's right for you, and it's very time-consuming.
Ten Percent Happier.
Ten Percent Happier isn't a cheaper option than Headspace or Calm, exactly (it costs $99 a year), but it's certainly better than both when it comes to targeted meditation training. The app features a selection of different teachers to help you practice positive thinking. There are over 500 guided meditations in the app.
What makes this program stand out is its 1:1 meditation lesson plans. If you've tried Headspace but can't meditate, it might help to learn directly from a meditation teacher.
Ten Percent Happier is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
It's a great place to start stress management and improve sleep.
Live group sessions offer Q&A time.
Easy-to-use app with media and helpful videos.
Cons:
Membership is still expensive, between Headspace and Calm.
Not very helpful for advanced practitioners.
Sam Harris, Waking Up.
Wake Up by Sam Harris is a different type of meditation app. It's actually more like a meditation course. It's based on Sam's book of the same name, in which he talks about waking up your spirituality, even if you're not religious.
Waking Up blends elements of Buddhism, Stoicism, and positive thinking meditation to create a 28-day course. All you have to do is spend about 10 minutes a day practicing. The $99 annual membership isn't cheaper than Headspace, but if you want to explore the space of positive thinking meditation, you can try the 28-day beginner's course - you can use the program for a month for $14.99. The membership also includes several courses taught by many renowned teachers in the fields of positive thinking and psychology.
Wake Up is also great at supporting those in need, so if you can't afford the app, write to them to see if you can get it at a discount or even for free.
Wake Up is available for iOS and Android.
Pros:
A great beginner-friendly program.
A completely secular and scientific approach to positive thinking meditation.
Easy to use app, and a variety of programs to deepen your practice.
Cons:
The only con is the price.
Zenitze.
After you've learned a few positive thinking techniques, the best way to practice and grow is to practice on your own, without any guided audio - but you still may want to set a timer, and maybe add a nice ringtone to start and end the meditation, or add interval ringtones. It would be nice to have a continuous activity every day so you can stay motivated.
Zenitizer is an app from an independent developer that can help you do all of this. The app has a minimalist design and no ads even in the free version. In my experience, it is more reliable than Insight Timer.
You can set custom timers, interval ringtones, warm-ups, start sounds, and end ringtones. The free version comes with a couple of presets, but if you choose to pay, you can create your own presets and have access to interactive widgets. Zenitizer Premium costs $19.99 per year or $2.99 per month. You can purchase a lifetime subscription for $79.99.
Zenitizer is available for iOS.
Pros:
Minimalist design, easy to use and not bloated.
Customized routines, support for shortcut automation.
Cons:
Many customization features are paid for.
Lack of guidance may alienate beginners.
YouTube.
Don't want to pay for a subscription to a meditation app? You don't have to. YouTube is full of wonderful resources to help you meditate. Just search for meditations for relaxation, anxiety, or stress. YouTube is also a great resource for learning breathing techniques and listening to talks on positive thinking.
Reddit offers some suggestions for finding quality channels, and here are some of our favorites to help you get started:
Samaneri Jayasara - The Wisdom of the Masters
Positive Peace of Mind
Inner Meditation Center
Plum Village
Tara Blake.
Yoga with Adrienne
Pros:
Free and easy to access.
Variety and better chance of finding something that works for you.
Cons:
YouTube ads can detract from the positive experience.
Too many options can be overwhelming.
