One way to feel less worried and more at ease is to practice mindfulness. Therefore, the fact that more than 2,500 meditation applications have been released since 2015 is not surprising. A meditation app is available for almost whatever you want to learn or do. Certain applications offer acupressure courses, walking meditations, mindfulness education, and guided meditation series tailored to your mood, health concerns, or other wellness objectives.
You can invest a fair amount in an app from the best mobile app development company in the USA, which often comes packed with features. Alternatively, you can explore free meditation apps that allow limited access to basic meditations or offer a free trial before pushing you to upgrade. But why not kickstart your mental wellness journey with a completely free meditation app? Here are some top free meditation apps to consider before spending money on one you may not stick with!
Calm: Best Meditation App for Sleep
Calm offers a wide range of guided meditations. It excels in its sleep content. Our testers explored the app’s sleep soundscapes and sleep stories for adults and kids. They also tried the bedtime visualizations.
The Calm app is packed with guided meditations and resources for better sleep. Its sleep stories and bedtime visualizations assist our tester in unwinding and drifting off. We appreciate that the guided meditations are categorized. It makes it easy for users to find what they need, whether for sleep, anxiety, or focus.
Features
Payment: $14.99 a month.
Available format: Sleep stories, guided meditations, and more formats are available.
Standout feature: The variety of alternatives for encouraging better sleep is a standout feature.
Trial period: seven days without charge.
Headspace: Best Overall
More meditation and mindfulness resources than any other app we reviewed are available on Headspace. You may pick from a variety of tools under the app’s “Today” tab, which includes breathing techniques, classes, led meditations, peaceful films, and sleep aids. You can also keep track of how many hours you’ve spent meditation along with how many meditations you’ve finished.
An excellent app for starting or continuing a regular meditation practice is Headspace. The app’s daily itinerary and guided meditations offer them a framework they love. We enjoy the ability to replay our favorite meditations and customize the length of sessions.
Features
Price: $13.99 a month.
Content available: Sleepcasts, music, guided meditations, and more.
Prominent attribute: Mindfulness training for kids, teens, and adults.
Trial period: Seven days without charge.
Mindfulness.com: Best Meditation App for Beginners
Among all the meditation apps we explored, the Mindfulness app stands out as the best choice for beginners. Its extensive meditation library is user-friendly and not overwhelming. The “For You” tab offers daily content tailored to your mood check-ins, ensuring a personalized experience. Also, a beginner section has short guided meditations. They teach the essentials of meditation. Start your mindfulness journey effortlessly!
Our testers loved that Mindfulness gives recommendations and schedules. They are based on daily mood checks. It made the app easy to navigate. With quick “Mini” practices, themed meditations, and sleep content, users can fit mindfulness into their busy lives!
Features
Cost: $13.99 per 30 days.
Available format: Sleepcasts, music, guided meditations, and other content are available.
Standout feature: Training in mindfulness for children, adolescents, and adults is prominent.
Free trial: No cost for seven days.
Smiling Mind: Best Free Meditation App
We love that Smiling Mind offers free, high-quality meditation and mindfulness content for all ages. While this app may not have flashy extras, it proves that “you get what you pay for” doesn’t always apply. This free app has a wealth of meditation and mindfulness tools. They were all developed by psychologists and educators. Explore and enhance your mindfulness journey today!
Smiling Mind is an Australia-based nonprofit with the mission of helping “every mind thrive.” The app has less content than others on this list. But, its streamlined approach could suit those new to meditation and mindfulness. We love that the content is organized by age group, making finding options for adults, kids, and teens easy.
Features
Price: Nothing.
Available format: Adult and kid-friendly guided meditations are available.
Standout feature: The content is sorted by age. You can easily find meditations for any family member.
Free trial: The app Smiley Mind is free.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer has a vast library. It offers over 80,000 free guided meditations from 10,000+ teachers. They cover stress, relationships, sleep, healing, and creativity. The app feels like a global community from the start. Its world map shows over 18 million meditators. It updates in real-time to show how many are meditating with you. After each session, you’ll see how many joined you. By setting your location, you can find nearby meditators and their music.
Another option is to use Circle for Teams. A recent addition lets you quickly form meditation groups with friends or coworkers. The program has an adjustable timer. You can meditate to relaxing ambient noises, tranquil music, or periodic bells if you’d prefer to be alone. Circle has options to fit your meditation style. You can use them individually or in a group.
Features
Cost: Completely free to use.
Formats: Offers guided meditations for both adults and kids.
Unique feature: Content is organized by age, making it simple to find meditations for every family member.
Trial: This app is entirely free—no trial needed.
Conclusion
Headspace is our overall choice for the greatest meditation app due to its vast collection of mindfulness and guided meditation materials. We love that this software offers a great selection of daily meditations and tracks your meditation stats. We advise using the Calm app if you want to get better sleep. We believe that the Mindfulness app is an excellent option for novices. Finally, try Smiling Mind if you want a free, simple, and effective meditation tool.
Our recommended applications include a variety of guided meditations with different topics, lengths, and narrators. Other kinds of material are available on these applications, such as calming sleep stories, soundtracks, and mindfulness activities for kids and teenagers. Additionally, many apps have tracking tools or daily reminders to assist you in sticking to your routine.