But at $100 per year, they certainly do cost a lot.
And because they are so popular, their programs can be quite generic.
Smiling Mind
If youre looking for a free alternative to Headspace, start with Smiling Mind.
The Intro to Mindfulness course is a great place to start.
Smiling Mind is available foriOSandAndroid.
Pros:
Completely free, run by a non-for profit organization.
Great collection of basic, repeatable meditations that you’re free to depend on.
Cons:
Design can be slightly convoluted, and occasionally hard to use.
The app’s programs library isn’t as extensive as some of the other apps on the list.
New feature additions are quite rare.
He is also the author of many popular mindfulness books, includingNo Mud, No Lotus.
Plum Village has hosted many mindfulness programs, workshops, and talks.
The Plum Village is a completely free app that lets you explore this wealth of information from your smartphone.
The Plum Village app is available foriOSandAndroid.
Mindfulness bell helps you bring yourself back to the present, across the day.
A huge library of programs led by monks and nuns from The Plum Village.
Meditations are easy to follow.
The app is quite unreliable, and suffers from freezes and random shutdowns.
Practices are limited to only the ones taught in the Plum Village tradition.
Medito
Medito is another popular free option.
It, too, is run by a not-for-profit organization and has a zero-ads policy.
There are also options to learn gratitude practice.
Medito also offers a simple silent meditation timer.
Medito excels in its simplicity: The app only offers programs, lists, and meditations.
That is all: No need for an account or a complicated UI.
Medito is available foriOSandAndroid.
Completely free, no ads.
Incredibly straightforward, and fast app.
Covers beginner meditation, compassion practice, and sleep meditation.
No way to bookmark or save meditations.
The catalog, while simple, is quite limited.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a community-based mindfulness meditation app and website.
In an app like Headspace, you essentially have access to one or two meditation teachers.
On Insight Timer, there are thousands of meditation teachers to choose from.
you might even enroll in communities that practice mindfulness and meditation together.
They have a really nice collection of bells, gongs, and chimes as well.
(Unfortunately, you’ll see alotof ads for it during regular use.)
Insight Timer is available foriOSandAndroid.
Plenty of free, community guided meditations.
An intuitive and customizable non-guided meditation timer.
Easy to use interface.
Too many promotions for the Member Plus program.
The app curates a selection of diverse teachers, that help you practice mindfulness.
There are more than 500 guided meditations in the app.
What makes this one stand out is its 1:1 meditation teaching program.
If you tried Headspace but werent able to meditate, perhaps learning directly from a meditation teacher can help.
Ten Percent Happier is available foriOSandAndroid.
A good place to start with stress management and improving sleep.
Live group classes offer time for Q and A.
Easy to use app, with media and helpful videos.
Membership cost is still high, falling between Headspace and Calm.
Not that helpful for advanced practitioners.
Waking Up by Sam Harris
Waking Up by Sam Harris is a different kind of meditation app.
Its actually more like a meditation course.
Waking Up takes the elements of Buddhism, Stoicism, and mindfulness meditation to create a 28-day long course.
All you have to do is spend 10 or so minutes on the practice every day.
The membership also includes multiple programs taught by many reputable teachers in the field of mindfulness and psychology.
Waking Up is available foriOSandAndroid.
A great beginner-friendly program.
Fully secular, and scientific approach to mindfulness meditation.
A easy-to-use app, and variety of programs to deepen into the practice.
The only downside is the price.
It would be nice if there was a daily streak too, just to keep you motivated.
Zenitizer is an app from an indie developer that can help you with all that.
The app is minimally designed, and there are no ads, even in the free version.
In my experience, it works more reliably than Insight Timer.
The Zenitizer Premium costs $19.99 per year, or $2.99 per month.
you’re free to buy a lifetime subscription for $79.99.
Zenitizer is available foriOS.
Minimal design, easy to use, and no bloat.
Custom routines, support for Shortcuts automation.
Many of the customization features are behind a paywall.
Lack of guidance can be alienating for beginners.
YouTube
Dont want to pay for an app subscription to meditate?
You dont have to.
YouTube is filled with wonderful resources to help you meditate.
Just search for meditations for relaxing, anxiety, or stress.
YouTube is also a great resource for learning breathing techniques, and for listening to mindfulness talks.
Variety, and better chances of finding something that will work just for you.
YouTube ads can dampen the mindfulness experience.
Too many choices can be overwhelming.
