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Image Source: Getty ImagesMindfulness practice can bring a sense of calm and reduce stress, which is why it's no surprise that over 2,500 meditation apps have appeared in the past decade. Some of these apps feature simple, no-frills meditation timers, while others offer guided sessions, walking meditations, acupressure tutorials, and mindfulness education—all within the same app.
Before committing to a paid app, explore the best free meditation apps available. Many of these apps are fully free, while others provide expansive libraries of free content to sample before upgrading to a premium version. Rest assured, you won’t be asked for payment before enjoying a full meditation experience.
1. Aura: Meditation & Sleep, CBT
ITUNES.COMMeditation doesn't have to take up a large portion of your day. The Aura app, powered by AI technology, offers free users personalized three-minute meditation sessions to help bring mindfulness into even the busiest schedules. Beyond just meditation, this transformative app also includes features to enhance your mood and overall mental health.
Free users can access gratitude journaling, unguided meditations, mood tracking, goal setting, and mindfulness reminders, all of which will always remain free, according to the app. The premium version unlocks 7-minute meditations and allows you to download your favorite sessions for offline listening.
2. Smiling Mind
itunes.comSmiling Mind is a non-profit, evidence-based mindfulness app that presents a wide range of over 300 free meditations and programs aimed at improving mental well-being for all ages. Its core mission: 'To provide accessible, life-long tools to support healthy minds' in various settings such as schools, homes, and workplaces.
The app features an array of mindfulness programs tailored to different categories (e.g., work, family, and adults) and themes (like sleep, stress, relationships, and concentration). Smiling Mind is designed to be user-friendly, even for beginners, offering a clear introduction to mindfulness—its principles, research, and foundational meditation sessions.
3. Insight Timer
itunes.comInsight Timer provides a completely free meditation experience, offering access to over 100,000 guided sessions with no membership fees. The app features sessions led by renowned meditation practitioners like Gisele Bündchen and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.
In addition to guided meditations, the app offers ambient music and a free meditation timer, allowing users to meditate unguided with calming sounds and a gentle bell to signal the end. A premium subscription starting at $5 per month provides additional benefits like offline listening and meditation courses.
4. Mindfulness Coach
itunes.comDeveloped by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, this app is a free tool designed to introduce mindfulness techniques to veterans, active service members, and the wider public.
Mindfulness Coach is an excellent educational resource for anyone interested in adopting mindfulness as a healthy coping mechanism and a lifelong skill. Users can follow guided meditations, set personal goals, monitor progress, and learn about the history and benefits of mindfulness.
5. UCLA Mindful
itunes.comDeveloped by UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, the UCLA Mindful app brings research-backed meditation practices to your fingertips—for free. The app is designed to make mindfulness easy to try and includes the following features:
- Introductory meditations for beginners
- Instructional videos that teach proper meditation posture and explain the science behind mindfulness
- A straightforward timer for solo practice
- Guided wellness sessions that address personal challenges, from managing chronic pain to stress relief
6. Healthy Minds Program
itunes.comCreated by the science nonprofit Healthy Minds Innovations (HMI), which is partnered with the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Healthy Minds Program app became freely accessible to all users in 2020 after transitioning to a donation-based model.
With podcast-style lessons and guided meditations, this app uses neuroscience to provide practical tools that train your mind to strengthen the four pillars of well-being: awareness, insight, connection, and purpose.
7. The Mindfulness App
ITUNES.COMThis app gives users access to a variety of guided meditations, sleep stories, and mindfulness tools. While there is a premium subscription available, the free version also offers several guided sessions. The premium option unlocks the full library of courses and offline meditation access.
While the premium version offers extra features, the free version of The Mindfulness App still provides valuable resources for mindfulness, including several guided meditations and useful reminders.
8. Mindfulness.com Meditation App
ITUNES.COMBy downloading the Mindfulness.com app, you gain access to a range of mindfulness tools, such as breathing exercises and mini-meditations, aimed at reducing daily stress. The app also offers personalized lessons from a mindfulness coach to enhance your practice.
The app offers a 7-day free trial for its subscription plan. However, a standout feature of this meditation app is its offering of a complimentary year-long subscription for users who are unable to afford the plan.
