Breathe in. Breathe out.
The state of the world is, in short, chaos. Your mental state does not have to be the same. It sounds counterintuitive, but the very device that delivers anxiety-inducing news could be the thing that also brings you some calm.
Meditation apps are a welcome window into a world of gentle bells, chirping birds, and encouraging words. Beyond the peaceful imagery, the ceasing of the mind’s worry with meditation can have a tremendous impact on health, easing anxiety, depression, and pain(Opens in a new window) and even strengthening immunity(Opens in a new window).
Apps make meditation incredibly accessible. They remove the challenges of finding a class that fits into your schedule and the travel time it would take to attend. And they are available wherever you encounter a stressful situation or find yourself with a free moment.
They’ve been proven effective in many studies: An Arizona State University study(Opens in a new window) found that students who used Calm had reduced stress and increased self-compassion that were comparable to the results of an in-person class. And researchers recorded a positive effect on many aspects of mental well-being(Opens in a new window) from Headspace. While there are not many long-term studies involving large numbers of participants, the news is nevertheless positive and has yielded one important piece of advice: Sticking to a regular meditation practice with an app is the key to maximizing its wellness benefits.
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We’re here to share with you a few of our favorite ways to get our om on. Prices listed are for premium versions of the apps; some offer free trials or free versions. Many offer in-app reminders that you can make use of, and if you choose one without those, we suggest setting up a daily alert on your phone.
($11.99 per month, $59.99 per year, $399.99 for a lifetime subscription; family plan, $119.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
The Aura(Opens in a new window) app is comprehensive. It offers soundscapes, meditations for all sorts of situations, breath work, ASMR, sleep and relaxation stories, hypnosis, and music, as well as therapy-based content such as cognitive behavioral therapy–based videos and classes from life coaches. Aura also has more niche categories, including prayer and alternative healing. All of this can be customized, so that you see just the categories you want.
Customization also extends to how long you want any session to be, the gender of the session leader, and even their accent. You can create playlists and download tracks for when you’re on the go.
For a sense of community, you can reserve a spot in several live meditations and life coaching sessions per day. And you can access and contribute to a feed where users reflect on some of the activities in the app.
Aura helps you document your journey with a mood-trend tracker, badges, and a gratitude journal.
(First year is free; afterward, it’s $11.99 per month and $69.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
Balance gives you the basics of meditation and then builds on that. It offers a five-part foundations program you can go through if you’re new to meditation and a five-part advanced program you can practice next, or if you’re familiar with meditation. But you also have the option of diving right in to the app’s other plans, which help with sleep, relaxation, focus, communication and more.
There’s a section for single meditations that help you through all sorts of situations, including stress, work, and the need to focus.
A sleep section includes stories, wind-downs, music, and calming sounds.
($9.99 per month, $59.99 per year, $249.99 for a lifetime subscription on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
Most meditation apps have sleep content, but BetterSleep takes it to another level: The app has sleep-specific meditations, stories, and hypnosis.
You can select existing sleep sounds and music or mix your own with a composer tool. A playlist lets you program your preferred sleep routine.
BetterSleep lets you track your sleep, and you can set it to detect and record different sounds in your environment at night, including snoring, coughing, farting (yep), talking, a baby crying, sneezing, and general noise.
($4.99 on iOS(Opens in a new window), $3.99 on Android(Opens in a new window), $30 annual membership(Opens in a new window) for extra features)
Buddhify is out to change every part of your day. It asks you what you’re doing at the moment and gives you a variety of meditations presented on a wheel to accompany that activity. You can customize the categories wheel, but if doing so is overwhelming, the app offers nine preset wheels: for exploring meditation, dealing with difficult times, sleep issues, work, meditations to do with others, meditations to do while going about your day, the latest meditations on the app, the original classic Buddhify meditations, and kid-specific meditations. Buddhify also includes a timer for those who want to do non-guided meditation on their own. If you’re into quantifying your relaxation, a stats tab lets you do just that.
Buddhify has more than enough for meditators of all levels, but an annual membership(Opens in a new window) gives you access to video courses on meditation, a wheel with some advanced skills, and a feature that lets you record Buddhify meditations in your own voice and share them with others.
($69.99 per year or $399.99 for a lifetime subscription on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
Calm(Opens in a new window) may be the most familiar name in meditation apps, and it acts as though it already knows you. When you open the app, it asks how you’re feeling and gives you some suggested activities to support your emotions.
The Calm app is incredibly comprehensive. By clicking on the Discover tab, you’ll be able to choose from daily talks from a variety of instructors, meditations for all sorts of situations and levels, music to accompany any part of your day or your mood, soundscapes, wellness tools for your workday, a sleep section that includes sleep stories, words of wisdom from life coaches, movement exercises, tools to put you in touch with your own thoughts, and a kids section.
You can mark your favorites to access them quickly and download content so you won’t have to count on phone service. Your stats and history are saved in the app, and you can add check-ins for mood, gratitude, daily calm, and sleep.
If celebrities are your thing, you can have Harry Styles read you a sleep story, meditate with Shawn Mendes, or listen to an Ariana Grande–curated playlist.
Kids can also benefit from content that’s designed for them and features some favorite characters.
Calm can be used on the Apple Watch.
($11.99 per month, $44.99 for 6 months, $79.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
If you’re looking for more of a guided path of wellness than guided meditation, consider Envol(Opens in a new window). While it offers plenty of meditations, Envol addresses self-care as a whole.
On Envol, you set your goals; it then presents meditations, sound journeys, music, and affirmations to support them.
The app offers daily check-ins for making sure you’ve gotten some sunlight and nature time in, enjoyed some healthy food, done a bit of movement, taken a mental rest, and expressed gratitude.
($12.99 per month or $69.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window); students(Opens in a new window), $9.99 per year; family plan with up to six accounts, $99.99 per year)
Change where your mind is with Headspace(Opens in a new window). The app offers lots of guidance, whether you’re just starting to meditate or you’ve been doing it for years.
The app includes courses and single meditations for all sorts of situations in life: say, dealing with a moment at work when you just want to scream, or working on issues like anxiety over the course of a few weeks.
As you’d imagine of an app that created an entire Netflix show on sleep(Opens in a new window), Headspace contains lots of content on the subject, including wind-down meditations, “sleepcasts” (audio content that “creates the right conditions for healthy, restful sleep”), sleep music, soundscapes, and guided exercises for when you wake up in the middle of the night.
Headspace also has tons of tools and resources for focus and even some for movement, including yoga and mindful cardio. The Today tab offers daily suggestions that can help you have a more relaxed and aware day.
Headspace also has kids in mind, with content that helps them deal with difficult emotions and with sleep.
If you have an Apple Watch, you can use Headspace on it.
($9.99 per month, $59.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
Those with experience in the art of meditation can use Insight Timer to give their practice the sweet, deep sound of Tibetan singing bowls for timing. That sound was nearly the entirety of the app in its beginning. Now it also encompasses guided meditation, breath work, music, yoga, journaling, and mood check-ins. The not-so-experienced can gain practice with a library of guided meditations and the support of the Insight Connect social community.
Much of what Insight Timer has to offer is free, but a membership gives you 2,000 courses, better audio, stats, and more in-depth journaling.
If you think your workplace could benefit from the Insight Timer has to offer, check the free Insight Timer for Work section, which is designed for all parts of your workday, including the commute. A skills section helps you with preventing burnout, negotiating a raise, and more. You can sign in with your work email and see whether your colleagues are on. Should you not want to connect with them on the app, but still want the workplace features, you can sign up with another email address.
Insight Timer can be used with an Apple Watch.
($7.99 per month or $49.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window); $3.99 on Android(Opens in a new window))
Open Meditation Studio(Opens in a new window), and you’ll be greeted by a relaxing simplicity. This happy-looking app lets you choose from collections sorted into larger categories (Be Healthy, Be Awesome, Be Kind, and Be Curious) that cover lots of situations, as well as ones targeted for specific audiences: parents, kids, entrepreneurs, veterans, and more. Courses and teachers cover comprehensive paths to specific goals. A few meditations are free, but you have to hunt through the app to find them.
If you’re committed to using Meditation Studio, paying for Premium (currently only available on iOS) is worth the investment.
Apple Watch users can take Meditation Studio with them on their wrists.
(Free on iOS(Opens in a new window))
Depending on where you live, you might not be able to find a tree to meditate under, but Oak has you covered (pun intended). It’s the most simple of apps on this list, with two guided meditations and one unguided one, three breathing exercises, and two sleep wind-downs.
You can adjust the time, background sounds, and voice on the meditations. You can also choose whether or not to add a warmup to give you some time to adjust before you begin the meditation and how long you want it to be.
If you’re new to meditation, Oak offers a 10-day mantra meditation course that takes about 20 minutes per day.
($11.99 per month, $89.99 per year, $299.99 for a lifetime subscription on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
The busier you are, the more you need meditation, but the less time you have for it. You can spare five minutes, though, and that’s all you need for Simple Habit(Opens in a new window). The app is designed for those who are productivity-focused.
If you’re in need of some calm in a particular place or at a particular time, you can hit an On the Go button, which offers a wheel of options for your situation and a set amount of minutes that you have to work on it (5, 10, or 20 minutes). For a fuller meditation experience, there are categories for reducing stress, relieving anxiety, personal growth, living healthier, increasing happiness, building relationships, parenting, increasing focus, and developing spirituality. Lots of content can help with sleep, including music, soundscapes, meditations, and stories. A Move section has some stretching and yoga videos, ranging from 10 to 20 minutes each.
Simple Habit lets you set a reminder for meditation and check your progress in a chart. There are some free meditations, but if you opt for Premium(Opens in a new window), you’ll get access to thousands.
You can take Simple Habit with you on your Apple Watch.
(Free on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window))
Smiling Mind offers introductory programs on meditation and mindfulness and a 30-day program designed to develop a regular meditation habit. The app is incredibly comprehensive—and it’s free.
Meditations are sorted by issues and events such as stress, relationships, sleep, and difficult emotions, as well as sports performance, stress management, and digital detox. The app also has meditations for those who feel confident in meditating with limited guidance. You can keep track of your progress, set reminders, download sessions to listen to offline, and save your favorite meditations to access them easily.
Smiling Mind also has lots of meditations for children of all ages.
($6.99 per month or $59.99 per year on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window); 70% off for students(Opens in a new window))
The Yours app greets you with a mood check-in; it then offers you recommended content including breathing, movement, meditation, coaching, and music. You can take its suggestions or just go to the Meditation, Body, Music, and Sleep tabs to choose your own focus.
Meditation is sorted into categories for levels of familiarity with the practice, situations, time available, benefits, and techniques. The Body section has enough yoga that you won’t need another app for the practice. The Music section is designed to accompany daily activities and also offers binaural beats as well as ASMR. Sleep has stories, meditations, music, and ASMR.
You’ll also find plenty of content for children and teens, so it can be used by entire families.
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