Have you recently found yourself more stressed than usual and unable to sleep in your day-to-day life? Meditation can aid in reducing your stress level and improving your sleep schedule to return to normal. The best part is, you can access the top meditation apps directly from your smartphone to use anytime, anywhere while on the go.
The 3 best meditation apps for your smartphone include:
There is an extensive selection of meditation apps to choose from on the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone. Keep reading to learn more about the top three meditation apps available on the App Store and Google Play and how to find the perfect one for you that will not cost you a lot of money.
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Is There a Completely Free Meditation App?
Looking through the App Store or Google Play for the perfect meditation app can sometimes feel like an impossible feat. Many of the best apps available can leave you spending money as if you were paying for a monthly membership at a local meditation class. Luckily, there are several apps on the App Store and Google Play that are completely free and come with all the features you are looking for.
Amongst the top ranked yet entirely free meditation apps are:
- The Insight Timer-Meditation and Sleep App
- The Aura: Meditation & Sleep App
- The Smiling Mind App
Even though these are just a small fraction of the completely free meditation apps that are offered on your device, they are not lacking in the services they offer. Each app is described as perfect for the “meditation newbie.” They all provide you access with guided meditations, daily reminders to meditate in the morning, and soothing music that can get your started on your meditation journey.
Many of these apps that are advertised as free often have paid subscription options, too. So do not be alarmed and let these advertisements discourage you from using the above-mentioned apps.
Many of the free services offered by each app are exactly what most users are looking for. With that, you do not need to pay for monthly or annual packages to get the services you are looking for, especially if this is brand new for you.
The subscriptions offered by many of these developers are more so for those who know a lot about meditation and have more experience. They are geared towards people who are looking for something more personal for them as they continue their meditation journey.
How Many Meditation Apps Are There?
COVID-19 alone could be the sole reason behind the surge in the number of meditation app downloads many developers saw in 2020. In March alone, the thousands of apps listed on both the App Store and Google Play were at almost 1,000,000 downloads per week, and even more, for the top-ranked apps.
There are over 2,500 meditation apps available worldwide today, including both iOS and Android. With over $195 million already generated in revenue, the number of available meditation apps is expected to increase significantly over the next decade.
Since there are so many meditation apps to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect fit for you. When looking through the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone, you will find many meditation apps offer their services for free. Many others will charge you a monthly subscription but will have a free package, too.
When trying to decide which of the thousands of meditation apps is best for you, consider the free apps first to make sure meditation is something you will enjoy.
Do Meditation Apps Actually Work?
There is no denying that the world we live in is far from peaceful. From experiencing a global pandemic to trying to navigate everyday life, the pressures people have recently faced have left many more stressed than usual. Meditation apps you can download directly to your smartphone are now one of the most reliable resources being used to reduce stress and improve everyday life.
Meditation apps do, in fact, work and are backed by recent research and scientific data. Research has shown a decrease in stress levels and more positive emotions in only 100 minutes of practice when using meditation apps.
Because there are a variety of different meditation apps available, it is hard to say if meditation apps as a whole work as a definite yes or no. Meditation apps sometimes pose various limitations when compared between one individual to the other.
However, many of the top apps available to everyone primarily focus on bringing one’s attention to the present moment. Because of this, the majority of the meditation apps available on your smartphone do work for most of the population.
Additional benefits meditation is used for backed by research that come from using meditation apps include:
- Enhanced Focus
- More Positive Emotions
- Reduced Stress
- Lower Fatigue
- Improvement of Self-Esteem
Research done on these meditation apps has proven that people feel significantly less stress, amongst the other above-mentioned benefits in a little as two weeks. By helping you practice mindfulness, this central goal of most meditation apps available to you does, in fact, help many people around the world.
The 3 Best Meditation Apps for Your Smartphone
If you are looking to try something new or are looking for a more accessible meditation coach, you will have plenty of options to choose from when surfing the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone. You are guaranteed to find help with stress, depression, and anxiety if you choose one of the three best meditation apps that are available to you.
The 3 best meditation apps available on the App Store and Google Play for you are:
- The Calm App
- The Headspace: Meditation and Sleep App
- The Insight Time-Meditation App
You may find yourself having to pay for some of the best apps. Many will provide you with free packages; however, that will suffice for what you are looking for.
1. Calm App
The Calm App’s mission is to make the world happier and healthier. It is currently ranked #1 on the App Store and Google Play, with over 100 million downloads. Not to mention, it has been the Editor’s Choice since 2018 and was Apple’s App of the Year in 2017.
As the #1 app on the App Store with over 100 million downloads, Calm was created to aid in:
- Meditation
- Sleep
- Full Body
Within each of these categories, you can access various music options to help you focus, relax, and sleep. You can also access various nature scenes and sounds to enjoy while performing these tasks too.
If you decide to download Calm, you will have to eventually pay for its services. The app offers you a 30-day free trial that provides you access to its online coaches. Once that offer expires, you can pay $59.99 for an annual subscription or $399.99 for a lifetime subscription.
2. Headspace: Meditation and Sleep App
The Headspace: Meditation & Sleep App was released in 2010 to improve the health and happiness of the world. This app has amassed millions of users in over 190 countries. Headspace has an average rating of 4.9 stars with over 611.9K ratings and over 70 million downloads.
As one of the top apps on the App Store and Google Play listed as the Editor’s Choice, Headspace: Meditation & Sleep was created to aid in:
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Sleep
Meditation and mindfulness training are both fit for any mind, any mood, or any goal. The best part? You can download this top-ranked app and use many of its features for free.
If you are new to meditation, this may be the perfect app for you. This is one of the few top apps that offer a Basic Package completely free to its users. Under this option, you will learn what meditation and mindfulness are all about before embarking on something that may be entirely new to you.
You can opt into a $12.99 monthly subscription or a $5.83 annual, monthly subscription that equates to about $69.99 per year. This is perfect if you find yourself using the Headspace: Meditation & Sleep App often and want more of the services it has to offer.
3. Insight Timer-Meditation App
The Insight Timer-Meditation App does not have the following like Calm and Headspace, but it is still an Editor’s Choice at the top of the App Store and Google Play. The developers of this app are small but mighty and want to provide you with an inclusive free meditation experience.
Even with a smaller number of users, this app is still in the top 100 charts and was created to aid in:
- Sleep
- Anxiety
- Stress
These developers have done their research, and their app has had the most time spent by users for meditation. Even though they only have 6 million users, meditators have spent 63% of their time on Insight Timer-Meditation compared to only 17% and 13% on Calm and Headspace, respectively.
The ultimate goal of the Insight Timer-Meditation company is to take its 6 million users and make them into 50 million users soon. However, they want to do this without having needed their users to pay for its services.
They suggest if only 2 million of their future 50 million users pay for the paid features, it will be enough to sustain the coaches and teachers to continue their work. Luckily, if you are part of the 2 million that decides to opt into the paid features option, you will only need to pay $9.99 per month or $59.99 annually.
The Best Meditation Apps on Your Smartphone Can Help
The options you have when looking for a meditation app to download right to your smartphone are endless. Many of the best apps on the App Store and Google Play like Headspace: Meditation & Sleep and Insight Timer-Meditation have completely free options that will not leave you disappointed.
If you are looking for something more specific to you in a meditation app, you can opt-in and subscribe to a paid subscription for almost all the apps listed on the App Store and Google Play.
If you do decide on a paid version of one of the apps mentioned above, Calm is the best app to invest in. From its personal coaches to daily reminders, this app is the easiest to personalize to you and your lifestyle.
No matter what you decide, meditation is an up-and-coming phenomenon that many people are participating in. Choose any of the best three apps above, and you will not be let down as you begin your meditation journey. You will find help with stress and anxiety while improving your daily meditation habits.
(If you feel like you could teach a guided meditation on an app, you should look into becoming a certified meditation coach online.)
