The best meditation apps to help you relax and unwind

Meditation apps have become increasingly popular as more and more people look for ways to de-stress. The practice of meditation has many other benefits including managing anxiety and having a more positive outlook on life. It can even help reduce age-induced memory loss. But with so many meditation apps vying for your attention (and dollars), how do you decide which one is right for you? We’re here to help We picked three of the best meditation apps available to help guide those who may be interested in meditation but are confused on how to begin. No matter where you are on your mindfulness journey, one of these apps is sure to be a good companion for you.

HEADSPACE

Headspace is a very popular app that not only provides voice-guided meditations, but also has articles and videos. The app spotlights five areas of improvement: Meditate, Sleep, Move, Wake Up and Focus. So no matter what your mindfulness goals are, there’s something on Headspace for you. Well-designed to be extremely user-friendly, Headspace even has a dim background while you meditate to create a tranquil ambience and make the app less distracting.

HEADSPACE PROS

— Headspace is easy to use
— The app’s design is charming and has a positive vibe.
— You’ll have access to lots of self-guided and voice-guided meditations.
— You can customize your meditation program to what you need or want to explore.
— This is an ideal choice for beginners.

HEADSPACE CONS

— Headspace targets beginners to the point that it may seem too simplified for users who are more experienced in meditation.
— The app’s tracking reminders can be counter-intuitive and push users away. Why? The point of meditation is to be present and manage of excess thoughts. Constant reminders to use the app (or noting when users fail to use it) can create stressful feelings.

WHAT MAKES HEADSPACE UNIQUE?

Headspace focuses on improving the lives of its users through an expansive range of resources not just limited to traditional meditation. They even offer an awesome program that allows the app to be free to all educators in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia.

HEADSPACE’S PRICE PLANS

If interested, you can try out the app for free by taking Headspace’s basic voice-guided intro meditation course free. After that, you can choose to unlock more courses by subscribing either to a monthly plan (first seven days free) at 12.99/month, or you can opt to go all-in on the annual plan (first 14 days free) at $69.99/year ($5.83/month).

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INSIGHT TIMER

Insight Timer is a guided meditation app that includes tens of thousands of guided sessions, calming music tracks, a section for kids, and pep talks from an Indian yogi and a psychotherapist.  The app offers an introductory seven-day course for those new to meditation. This app teaches you everything needed to start your meditation journey. It even includes charts that sync up to your apps to mark your progress and milestones.

INSIGHT TIMER PROS

— Insight Timer is great for beginners.
— You can follow specific meditation teachers/guides whose sessions and courses you enjoy.
— The app has a large guided library of over 90,000 videos.
— It’s free.

INSIGHT TIMER CONS

— Frequent prompts to upgrade can be annoying.
— The bright white background of the app can be distracting while you’re meditating.

WHAT MAKES INSIGHT TIMER UNIQUE?

This app is a rare gem in the world of apps. It’s high-quality with an enormous meditation library that includes more than 90,000 guided sessions. But the best part about it is the sheer amount of quality content you get even if you choose to use the app free of charge without upgrading to a paid account.

INSIGHT TIMER’S PRICE PLANS

We think Insight Timer is the best meditation app you can use if you don’t want to pay extra for more content. It gives you the most free options. That said, if you do want to unlock even more of their features, the paid version of the app costs $60/year or $5/month.

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AURA

An app for those who have a lot on their schedule, Aura allows you to get it all in three minutes a day. Your meditation sessions are based off your moods and run in increments of three, seven, and 10 minutes max per day.  The app also offers a mood tracker, life coaching, a gratitude journal and a community of teachers and users.  The app has a calming, peaceful design and aesthetic. And it offers sleep and nature sounds as well.

AURA PROS

— Aura offers personalized meditations with AI technology that adapt to your needs the more you use the app.
— The app’s design is simple and straightforward.
— You can track your progress.
— This is good for busy people to get into the routine of meditating.

AURA CONS

— Aura doesn’t offer as much variety as other meditation apps.
— It’s expensive for such a simple app.

WHAT MAKES AURA UNIQUE?

What’s unique about this app is how it customizes your daily meditation based on your moods. It offers a lot of detail for a simple, three-minute routine.

AURA’S PRICE PLANS

There’s a free seven-day trial, then it jumps $12/month or $60/year.

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