10 Meditation Apps That Will Help You Unwind and Relax (Some are FREE!)

Relax with some of the best meditations apps for your smartphone.

Looking to wind down? 🧘‍♀️

Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to help your emotional well-being and overall health. This is something we can all benefit from, as meditation can help with reducing stress and anxiety as well as help with sleep quality.

There are tons of videos on YouTube that have guided meditations, but if you’re looking to commit to meditation as a daily practice, consider downloading an app right onto your phone. Although not all options are free, we’ve compiled a list of the best mediation apps so you can see which is right for you!

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Here are the best meditation apps:

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1. Calm

Arguably the most familiar meditation app, Calm has a great reputation! Once you download the app, it asks you a series of questions regarding the reason you downloaded the app. From there, you’ll have the option to sign up for the premium subscription or the “free” version, which has limited access to meditations and relaxing sounds.

Calm does create a customized program for you, and those who have the premium membership love the versatility and how much new content is added regularly. If you’re looking for a free option, this probably isn’t the best as you can only listen to one meditation.

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2. Balance

This app is my personal favorite! I found out about Balance when we originally posted how you can get your premium membership FREE for a year – talk about a free trial! Balance was actually awarded Google’s Best App of 2021, which is another reason why I downloaded it last year.

Balance is highly personal and feels completely catered to you. After telling the app exactly what your goals are, it creates a plan for you and asks your opinions about different practices. The more you do, the more information is collected and is more customized to you.

It really feels like someone handpicked your lessons for you and they even mention your goals as if it’s a real person. I found this app to be the most effective and well-rounded for me, and it’s added a wonderful amount of structure to my daily life.

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3. Headspace

Headspace is an extremely visually appealing option with tons of bright animations and features. It starts out with a basic 10-day course, which is great for those new to meditation. It also offers limited free content if you choose to decline membership.

There are timed activities, themed sessions, group options, and all sorts of different meditations. You can also set notification alerts to remind you to complete a meditation daily. If you’re looking to get your kiddos involved with meditation as well, there are options for ages 5-12!

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4. Breethe

Breethe uses meditation, hypnotherapy, music, and sounds to help those improve sleep, reduce stress, and manage anxiety. It allows you to select sessions based on specific goals. You can do as little as five minutes a day, and it’s made a world of difference to over 10 million users.

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5. Meditopia

Users who are looking for extra support should consider Meditopia. Here, you have access to a mental health coach if needed in addition to the classic meditation and sleep practices you may be looking for. Their library has over 1,000 tools to help you reach your meditation goals.

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6. Waking Up

Waking Up claims to be like no other meditation app on the market. It wants you to understand the true purpose of meditation and why you’re practicing with the hope of living a fulfilled, meaningful life.

You actually don’t have to put your credit card information to use the free trial, which is really awesome! Plus, 10% of the membership cost is donated to non-profit organizations.

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7. Meditation Studio

Meditation Studio is probably the best free version out of all options listed for iPhone users! You’ll have access to tons of meditation practices, their free starter course, and a new unguided meditation timer. Note that the Android version is still developing its premium content.

If you’re interested in Meditation Studio, they even have a podcast called Untangled! They cover a variety of topics that help bring a sense of community throughout your meditation journey.

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8. The Mindfulness App

If you’re looking to become more present in your daily life, The Mindfulness App may be the one for you. You’ll have access to over 250 meditation practices. This app is very interactive and allows you to track your meditation progress. Many reviews speak highly of this app and how it’s better than expected.

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9. Simple Habit

Simple Habit allows you to enjoy over 12 hours of free meditation. This is a great way to see if you like them enough to pay for a premium membership without putting a limited timeframe on your practice. There are tons of different meditation themes, including relationships, relaxation, happiness, anxiety, and more.

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10. Oak

I was hesitant to put this app on the list since it’s only for iPhones. However, I still believe it’s a solid option, especially if you’re looking for easy instructions. Most of the content is free, and it’s very straightforward yet helpful for stress relief. It doesn’t have a huge variety of meditations, but it’s worth it if you’re new to the practice!

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Bonus: Your Audible subscription includes meditations!

Have an Audible subscription? If so, did you know you have free access to tons of different meditations? This is a fantastic resource for anyone who happens to have an Audible subscription and isn’t ready to commit to an app yet!

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