Buzz
Meditation applications provide a structured way to dedicate time daily for mindfulness, offering guidance on techniques and introducing fresh approaches to enhance your practice. These apps vary from basic timers to comprehensive lesson plans and subscription-based tutorials. Let’s explore a few options and their potential benefits.
Similar to music, incense, or floor cushions, apps are not essential for meditation. Starting requires nothing at all, and we’ve shared numerous simple methods to begin. You can practice a short meditation by counting breaths or incorporate brief mindful moments into everyday tasks. Even activities like washing dishes or strolling through your neighborhood can become meditative when done with awareness.
Apps can be beneficial depending on your meditation goals. Here are some ways they can assist:
They assist in forming a consistent routine. Apps can send daily reminders to meditate and track metrics such as your longest streak and total meditation time logged within the app.
They offer a timer and a dedicated space for your practice. While any clock can time your sessions, specialized apps create a sense of importance, emphasizing that the present moment is the perfect time to meditate.
They improve your meditation skills or introduce new methods. If your thoughts drift during meditation or you wish to explore different styles, guided sessions (with voice instructions) can keep you focused and on track.
Certain meditation apps claim to enhance mental well-being. While meditation offers genuine psychological benefits, many apps claiming to reduce anxiety or alleviate depression lack scientific backing. Be cautious of relying on unverified claims when professional support is necessary. If needed, seek help from a qualified expert or explore these hotlines and support groups alongside your meditation practice.
Buddhify (iOS/Android) Integrates Mindfulness into Daily Life
This app doesn’t offer a free version, but at just $2.99 for the download with no subscription fees, it’s the most affordable option among the three. Buddhify is compatible with iOS and Android.
What you get for the price: A collection of guided meditations tailored for various situations and goals. These sessions go beyond basic breathing exercises, encouraging mindfulness of your current experiences. For instance, there are meditations focused on eating, where you pay close attention to the flavors of your food. Another session, designed for self-criticism, prompts you to identify and label your thoughts (e.g., “Hello, Mister Doubt”) to better understand and detach from your emotions.
Headspace (iOS/Android) Guides You Through a Learning Journey
Headspace is a widely-used meditation app featuring charming animations, accessible on both iOS and Android. While most of its content requires a $12.95/month (or $95.88/year) subscription, the ten free sessions might suffice for your needs.
What’s available for free: Ten sequential guided meditations (each unlocks after completing the previous one). Some sessions begin with instructional videos explaining key concepts. For instance, one uses a car-on-the-road animation to symbolize your thoughts, encouraging you to observe them passively.
After finishing these meditations, you can revisit any session, but accessing additional features requires a subscription.
The app also provides statistics: average meditation duration, total sessions completed, cumulative meditation time, and your current streak. You can connect with up to five friends as meditation partners and compare each other’s progress.
What a subscription offers: A vast library of guided meditations, often organized into themed “packs” similar to the free series. These packs, focusing on areas like anxiety, self-esteem, and creativity, include 10 to 30 sessions each. Progress is sequential—you can’t switch packs without resetting your progress. The Headspace team provides an explanation that’s either deeply insightful or questionable: “When learning to meditate, it’s crucial to stick with the program, even if it becomes uncomfortable or monotonous. Persisting through these moments is key to completing the pack.”
Subscribers also gain access to standalone sessions that don’t interfere with pack progress. These include “SOS” meditations—three-minute sessions for stress relief, “On-the-go” meditations for mindfulness in daily life (similar to Buddhify’s approach), and customizable timed sessions (guided or unguided) ranging from 10 to 60 minutes.
Calm (iOS/Android/Web) Transports You to a Peaceful State
Originally a website offering relaxing sounds and videos, Calm has evolved into a comprehensive meditation app for iOS and Android. It provides more free content than Headspace, with a slightly lower subscription cost: $9.99/month or $39.99/year.
What’s available for free: The calming sound of ocean waves, among other options. All 28 nature soundscapes and soothing music tracks are accessible in the free version. Personally, I find the sound of rain falling on leaves particularly relaxing.
Similar to Headspace, Calm provides a free guided meditation series called Seven Days of Calm. Additionally, it offers a daily free session exclusive to subscribers as a teaser to encourage subscriptions. Unguided meditations are also free: you can opt for a timed session with a gentle bell to signal the end or an open-ended meditation that continues until you stop (with optional bells at intervals of two, five, or ten minutes). Two standalone guided sessions, “Body Scan” and “Loving Kindness,” are also available, with durations ranging from three to 30 minutes.
What a subscription includes: Expanded access to all features. If you enjoyed the Seven Days of Calm, there’s a 21-day version and seven additional packs focusing on stress management, focus, sleep, happiness, and more. Unlike Headspace, you can freely switch between packs. For instance, I’m on day 4 of the stress management pack and day 6 of the 21 Days of Calm, and I can proceed with either series at my convenience.
Subscribers gain access to a wide variety of guided sessions tailored to specific goals, such as Inner Peace, Confidence, and Deep Concentration. There are also sessions designed for daily mindfulness, including meditations for commuting and improving sleep.
Paid members also receive the Daily Calm, a unique meditation each day centered around a specific theme. Today’s session, for example, is a ten-minute meditation on “Acceptance,” unavailable elsewhere in the app.
The Bottom Line
Each of these apps can assist in establishing or maintaining a meditation routine. Headspace focuses on teaching meditation through structured courses, encouraging you to follow a chosen series. Buddhify excels in promoting mindfulness during daily activities but lacks a linear progression. Calm combines both approaches, offering courses and standalone sessions, and is unique among the three for providing ambient background sounds.
Many features of these apps are accessible through other means. For instance, you can stream guided meditations, nature sounds, and relaxing music on Spotify. If a simple timer suffices, any timer app will do. However, having all these tools in one place, along with progress tracking, adds significant value. If these features appeal to you, the app becomes a worthwhile investment.
I began with Calm and, after exploring the others, still prefer it. I started using it during a stressful period, and its rain sounds transport me to a mental retreat. I need structure to meditate effectively, but Headspace’s rigid progression doesn’t suit me. Calm strikes the perfect balance for me. (I also adore narrator Tamara Levitt’s voice.) While I’m currently a subscriber, I might eventually switch to the free version to enjoy the rain sounds and basic meditations.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
