So many, in fact, that trying to figure out which one to go for might well run counter to a quest for relaxation.
They've all got a few things in common, such as offering guided meditations and sleep assistance, plus help for beginners. Most have a free version and a subscription option too, though they vary in terms of what is offered at each level.
Prices vary between around £25 and £90 for an annual subscription. Beyond cost considerations, it's important that you find the app engaging and relatable. This could take some experimentation, but most apps offer a free trial period before you sign up.
We've rounded up the main meditation and calming apps with a guide to their features and prices to help you get started.
- get our free Food & Health newsletter: shop savvy, eat well, stay healthyWhat are the benefits of mindfulness and meditation?
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing yourself into the present moment, noticing any thoughts or feelings that arise, but not getting caught up in them.
This is often achieved by meditation, which typically involves focusing on your breath and other physical sensations to help ground you.
Mental health charity Mind says: 'Studies show that practising mindfulness can help to manage depression, some anxiety problems and feelings of stress.'
The theory is that practising mindfulness through things such as meditation can help you notice the signs of stress and anxiety in day-to-day life, and help you disentangle yourself from those patterns of thought.
Research is ongoing into the efficacy of mindfulness and meditation apps, but regular practice is likely to be important in reaping any benefits, something an app can help you keep track of.
How to choose a mindfulness app
You'll generally get better value if you sign up for longer - a year vs monthly for example. For some brands, such as Calm, this is your only option. Students can get an impressive 85% off with Headspace.
Headspace and Calm are the biggest players in the market and are designed well to make starting out with meditation less intimidating.
For those seeking variety, Insight Timer has the largest library of free meditations. Buddhify is the cheapest, as most of its content is available for a one-off fee rather than a subscription, but you have to pay up front before trying it out.
Find out more about each app below:
Headspace
Headspace is one of the most popular and longest-running meditation apps. It's very accessible for beginners, but there are also some advanced 'pro' courses and a range of mindfulness exercises to suit different needs and approaches.
The app has meditation sessions and multiple session courses dedicated to specific issues. These are organised into categories including anxiety, stress, productivity and sleep.
There's also a featured meditation each day and you can choose how long you want it to last.
It's got a slick and aesthetically pleasing interface, and is simple to use.
Key features
Sleep assistanceMindful fitnessAnimated videosHow much is it?
A subscription, which gives you full access to the app, is £9.99 a month (with a one-week free trial) or £49.99 for a year (with a two-week free trial).
There is also a family plan available, which offers six accounts for £74.99 a year, and a student plan for a bargain £7.99 a year.
You can access a 10-part Basics meditation course, three sessions of the featured daily meditation and a meditation for falling back to sleep for free.
Calm
Calm is another of the most popular meditation apps. It has an expansive library of guided meditations that you can filter by category, plus meditation courses that go for multiple days, sleep stories and soundscapes.
According to Calm, its most popular feature is 'The Daily Calm', a daily themed 10-minute meditation (available to subscribers). When you open the app, it greets you with a soothing rain soundscape, although you can turn this off or switch it for another sound if it doesn't bring you peace.
The app is easy to navigate, but with so much content it isn't quite as neatly organised as some of the other apps - although this is a minor aesthetic issue.
Key features
Sleep assistanceMusic libraryMood trackerGuided stretchesHow much is it?
You can get a free seven-day trial and have to pay for an annual subscription after that, which costs £39.99.
You can also pay £399.99 for lifetime access, you’d have to use the app for more than 10 years to start seeing savings from this option though.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer has an expansive range of free guided meditations, plus a solo meditation timer (from which it gets its name). When you open the app it tells you how many people are currently using the app to meditate, which is a nice touch.
The app organises its large breadth of content fairly intuitively so you can explore or find what you want, but it's not as attractively designed as some others.
The app's biggest 'selling' point is its expansive library. It has thousands of free guided meditations (but some courses are reserved for paid members). You can filter by desired benefit, length and type of practice, or just dive into the entire mammoth list.
There are also some beginner meditation kits to help you get started.
Key features
Meditation timerSleep supportMusicCoursesExercise and journalling -How much is it?
Insight Timer boasts a huge library of free guided meditations, but you have to pay to fast-forward or rewind any of them in the app, or if you want to close the app mid-session and pick up where you left off when you return.
This paid-for functionality also goes for the sleep tracks and the music library, where it's probably a little more annoying if you're on the free version.
Member Plus is £55.99 a year, and there's a seven-day free trial before you have to commit.
Simple Habit
Simple Habit bills itself as a 'five-minute meditation app for busy people'. When you first open it up, you can set a time for a daily reminder to meditate.
Like other meditation apps, you can search the library of guided meditation tracks through standard categories. There is a basics category for beginners, and when you sign up to the app it gives you a five-minute starter meditation right away.
Key features
Mindful fitness Sleep assistanceMusicHow much is it?
It's free to download and there is a limited amount of free content - you have to pay to unlock the later sessions of some courses.
A premium subscription gives you access to more meditation practices (more than 2,000). It costs £87.99 a year, and you can trial it first for seven days for free.
Buddhify
Buddhify aims for simplicity and to 'fit into busy lives'. When you open up the app there's a colour from which you choose your mood, and it gives you a guided meditation to suit.
The categories include things such as 'can't sleep', 'meditation 101' and specific emotions such as stress. There's also a beginner category.
Interestingly, there are some meditations that are designed to be done with others, such as a friend or partner.
Key Features:
Customisable optionsSolo timerHow much is it?
Buddhify costs £4.99 to download, which will give you over 200 meditations and mindfulness exercises.
Annual membership adds more content for £23.99.
Breethe
Breethe, like Calm, greets you with soothing ambient sound when you open the app. When you first use it, you can choose your top goals, such as 'deal with insomnia', 'deal with illness', 'learn to meditate' or simply 'relax'. These display on the home page of the app.
It's simply organised and easy to navigate - there's a tab named 'Day & Night', which lets you choose out of five categories for the situation you find yourself in - from starting your day, to commuting, focusing at work, taking a break or going to sleep.
The entire library, on another tab, is categorised concisely into 'meditation' (which has a 'learn to meditate' option), 'sleep,' 'music & sounds' and 'well-being'.
Key features:
Daily meditationSleep assistance MusicHow much is it?
The app is free to download and you get access to some content across all the categories for free.
A paid-for subscription gives access to more content. You can sign up for a free 14-day trial, then subscriptions are £12.49 a month. Paying for an annual subscription is substantially cheaper, at £87.99 a year.
- tips for getting help and managing the waitundefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/mindfulness-apps-compared-features-costs-and-what-to-expect-ai3pf3G0VRsE