3 Meditation Apps that are Better than Calm & Headspace

After determining which 10 apps would be the best to take a look at, I spent 7 days returning to each app to see what features each app had and test different meditations available on each app. Many had different types of meditations available for different levels so that I could play around with the settings. I am more advanced when it comes to my own meditation practice, so I was able to test out quite a few meditations for every level on each app.

On every app, I focused on exploring whether they had meditations for beginners, helpful guides for newcomers to allow them to learn how to meditate, advanced practices, and other mindfulness practices such as yoga, breathwork, and sound healing. I also wanted to test the usability of the app, so that I could figure out which apps would feel welcoming to people who were new to meditation, and which would encourage them to come back daily to create a real and personalized practice.

Many meditation apps are in the same price range, but to determine the best value for your dollar, I wanted to find the apps that had the biggest selection in that price range with room to grow with the app.

While Calm is easily the leading meditation app out there, there was not a ton of variation in the meditations. It’s good for beginners, and for those looking to calm anxiety and sleep better, but there is not much room to grow a practice with Calm.

Headspace is the second leading meditation app, but it’s SO geared toward beginners that it made it hard to ACTUALLY meditate. It feels like it’s more of a good resource for people trying to learn more about meditation than a place for people to drop in and meditate themselves.

Ten Percent Happier was really hard to navigate when compared to other apps and feels more “clinical” or scientific than other apps. It contained a lot of good information on meditation and the benefits of meditation, but not necessarily the best app for finding meditations to do.

Mesmerize is an interesting one. It’s trending right now, and ads are being pushed on social media apps like TikTok, but the thing is, this app is not suitable for everyone (particularly anyone who has epilepsy or seizure history). You don’t have a lot of control over your meditation, and the app is tough to navigate. It is okay for people who are visual learners but not good for regular meditation practice as it’s actually quite dizzying. We also found that this app sort of defeats the purpose of disconnecting while meditating.

The options for meditations here were okay, but nothing made it stand out against other apps, especially because it didn't have a lot of different options for meditation practices. Aura was really only good for beginners looking to learn, but not for people looking to grow their practice.

While meditation might serve as a good way to step away from current life, many of the recommended meditations on Breethe have to do with escaping from pandemic fear or politics. Many people meditate to fully disconnect from that, not to be reminded of it. It was easy to get overwhelmed with the presence of these topics while trying to find one that works for the current moment.

Shine was much harder to navigate than other apps and did not have as many meditations as other apps in this category. Shine does have sessions you can integrate into your daily habits, such as breakfast, or your commute, though, which is pretty cool!