People look for Headspace alternatives for a handful of reasons. The subscription is $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, and the app now also sells therapy, coaching and an AI companion that a person who only wants to meditate may never touch. Some people finish the courses that drew them in. Others just want to stop paying for a library when they've found the two or three recordings they actually use. This page sorts seven alternatives by those reasons, starting with MeditationPal, which we make and which only suits one of them.
Where Headspace still wins
Credit first. Headspace (4.8, 970,000+ ratings) from Headspace Inc. is one of the easiest ways into meditation there is. Its listing counts 500+ guided meditations, from 3-minute resets to longer sessions, along with sleepcasts, focus music, mindful movement and breathwork. Few rivals match how consistently it's all produced, and if you want a mental health coach or therapist in the same app, most of the list below can't help. If you're using it most weeks and the price doesn't sting, there's no prize for switching.
1. MeditationPal — when you already have the audio you want
MeditationPal (5.0, 8 ratings; very new) doesn't compete with Headspace's library, because it doesn't have one. It's a calm, ad-free player for audio you bring: paste a link to a podcast episode, a talk or a direct audio file, or import files such as a retreat recording, a body scan from a course you took years ago, or a teacher's guided sessions. Sort them into playlists, layer rain, ocean, forest, fire or wind under any track, and follow box, 4-7-8 or resonant breathing with haptics. Version 3.4 added a Now Playing screen where the artwork rises and falls with a soft "Breathe in / Breathe out" cue. There's a private journal for what you noticed, and no account.
It's free to try with 3 tracks, 3 sessions a month, 10 journal entries and 1 playlist, which is enough to see if it suits you but not enough to meditate daily. Premium removes the limits, as a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase. The Lifetime option is the real difference for anyone tired of renewing.
Skip it if you don't already have recordings you love. It has no guided content, so a beginner leaving Headspace would open it to an empty shelf. Pick Medito instead.
2. Medito — when you want a Headspace-style library for free
Medito (4.9, 4,200+ ratings) from the Medito Foundation is the closest thing to Headspace with the bill removed. It has guided courses, sleep stories, soundscapes, breathing timers, body scans and sessions of 3 to 30 minutes, and you can download sessions for offline use. The foundation is a registered Dutch non-profit and states it plainly: no trials, no premium tier, no ads, and every meditation, course and feature is free. The app code is open source.
Skip it if you want the production polish of a big studio. Medito is community-built, and it doesn't aim to look or sound like Headspace.
3. Healthy Minds Program — when you want a structured path by donation
The Healthy Minds Program (4.9, 9,200+ ratings) from Humin, formerly Healthy Minds Innovations, is built on research from Dr. Richard Davidson and the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. If what you liked about Headspace was being led step by step, this is the nearest match. It pairs meditations with podcast-style lessons along a set path through awareness, connection, insight and purpose, includes well-being assessments, and offers active practices you can do while folding laundry. It's available by donation rather than by subscription.
Skip it if you want a big catalog to browse. This is a guided course of training more than a library.
4. Insight Timer — when you want the biggest free library
Insight Timer (4.9, 440,000+ ratings) from Insight Network is what to pick if variety matters more than structure. Thousands of guided meditations are free, along with breathwork, yoga, sleep music and its well-known meditation timer, and its listing says more than 100 new free practices arrive each day. Teachers are individuals rather than one house voice, so quality and style vary, but you can follow the ones you like. The one optional subscription costs $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month in the US and adds extras like offline listening.
Skip it if too much choice is why you stopped meditating. Headspace's tidy path is exactly what Insight Timer doesn't have.
5. Balance — when you want a daily session built for you
Balance (4.9, 120,000+ ratings) from The Mind Company asks about your experience, goals and preferences each day, then assembles a guided meditation from a large audio library. Sessions run in 10-day plans that teach fundamentals, plus short singles for any time. It isn't a way to save money: after a free trial it costs $11.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, the same yearly price as Headspace. What it does offer is a one-off $399.99 Lifetime option.
Skip it if cost is the reason you're leaving. The yearly bill won't change.
6. Waking Up — when you want to go deeper than stress relief
Waking Up (4.9, 42,000+ ratings) from Waking Up Course, LLC is the step up for people who've outgrown beginner courses. It's led by Sam Harris and has a 28-day introductory course, daily sessions, a meditation timer, and teachers from across different traditions, with as much emphasis on understanding the mind as on feeling calmer. It's an annual subscription after a 7-day free trial, sold with a money-back guarantee. If you can't afford it, the company offers a free scholarship with full access, no questions asked.
Skip it if you want quick resets between meetings. It asks more of you than that.
7. Calm — when sleep is what you're really after
Calm (4.8, 1.9M+ ratings) from Calm is the obvious rival, and the better one if you mostly open Headspace at bedtime. It has more than 100 exclusive Sleep Stories, read by voices including Matthew McConaughey and Stephen Fry, along with sleep music, daily sessions and an Apple Watch app. Its listing says there are never ads and that some programs are free forever, with the rest behind a paid subscription. This one is a swap more than a saving, and we compare it directly in MeditationPal vs Calm.
Skip it if you're leaving because of a subscription. Calm is another one.
How the Headspace alternatives compare
| App | Best for | Guided library | Free version | Paid model (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headspace | Polished guided courses, plus coaching and therapy | Yes, 500+ meditations | Free trial | $12.99/month or $69.99/year |
| MeditationPal | Playing audio you already have | No, you bring it | 3 tracks, 3 sessions a month | Subscription or one-time Lifetime |
| Medito | A free library with no paywall | Yes | Everything | None; donations welcome |
| Healthy Minds Program | A structured path | Yes | Available by donation | None required |
| Insight Timer | The most free variety | Yes, thousands free | Large | $59.99/year or $9.99/month, optional |
| Balance | A session built for you each day | Yes | Free trial | $69.99/year, $11.99/month or $399.99 Lifetime |
| Waking Up | Going deeper | Yes | 7-day trial; free scholarship on request | Annual subscription |
| Calm | Sleep | Yes | Some programs | Subscription; price shows at checkout |
Free Headspace alternatives, and what free means in each
If price is the whole reason, the list narrows quickly, because "free" on the App Store only means free to download. Three options on this page cost nothing to keep using:
- Medito is completely free, with no paid tier to run into.
- Healthy Minds Program runs on donations rather than a subscription.
- Insight Timer keeps thousands of sessions free. You only pay for extras like offline listening.
One more worth knowing: UCLA Mindful from UCLA Health says it is entirely free to use, with basic meditations in many languages, American Sign Language included. Our roundup of the best free meditation apps goes further into sleep, kids and offline use, and the free meditation app finder narrows it down from three questions.
Before you cancel Headspace
Three things are worth doing before you leave, since Headspace's own terms are firm on money.
- Cancel where you paid. Headspace can be bought on its website, in the app, through Google Play or through a partner bundle. If you subscribed on iPhone, you turn it off in your Apple account's subscriptions, not in the app.
- Do it at least 24 hours early. The listing says auto-renewal must be off at least 24 hours before the current period ends, or the next one is charged.
- Don't count on a refund. The terms say there are no refunds on subscriptions unless the law requires one, and iPhone purchases are final with Headspace and fall under Apple's policy. You can still ask Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Also note that the terms allow one free trial per person, so a later comeback may be at full price. Try the replacement during your paid period, while Headspace is still there to go back to.
Which should you pick?
- You want to stop paying and keep guided sessions: Medito.
- You liked being led through a course: Healthy Minds Program.
- You want endless choice: Insight Timer.
- You've already got recordings you return to: MeditationPal.
- You want it tailored each day and don't mind the price: Balance.
- You've outgrown the basics: Waking Up.
- You mostly want to fall asleep: Calm.
For how our own app differs from Headspace in more detail, see MeditationPal vs Headspace.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Headspace?
It depends on why you're leaving. For a free app with no paywall, Medito. For a structured path like Headspace's, by donation, the Healthy Minds Program. For the largest free library, Insight Timer. For sleep content, Calm. If you already have recordings you like, MeditationPal plays them, though it has no library of its own.
Is there a completely free alternative to Headspace?
Yes. Medito is run by a Dutch non-profit and says it has no trials and no premium tier. The Healthy Minds Program is available by donation, and UCLA Mindful says it is entirely free to use. Insight Timer has a large free library with one optional subscription.
How much does Headspace cost?
Headspace's App Store listing gives US prices of $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year after a free trial, and says prices vary in other countries. Coaching and therapy are priced separately and vary by subscription.
Can I get a refund after cancelling Headspace?
Usually not from Headspace. Its terms say there are no refunds on subscriptions unless the law requires one, and that purchases through the App Store or Google Play are final and fall under Apple's or Google's own payment policies. For an iPhone purchase, you can still ask Apple directly.
Which Headspace alternative is best for sleep?
Calm, if you're willing to pay. It has more than 100 exclusive Sleep Stories, including ones read by Matthew McConaughey and Stephen Fry. For free, Medito has sleep stories and soundscapes with no paywall, and they can be downloaded for offline use.
Keep the audio. Lose the library.
A calm, ad-free player for the recordings you already love, with playlists, sound layers, guided breathing and a private journal. No account, and a one-time Lifetime option.
Download MeditationPal on the App StoreGo deeper: MeditationPal, plus the best free meditation apps and MeditationPal vs Headspace. Questions? support@elevenapril.com.
