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There are countless meditation apps out there that can teach you how to tame restless thoughts and restore your sense of inner calm.
Whether you’re a total newbie to meditation or a seasoned meditator looking for something different to try, it can be a big help to have one or two of the best meditation apps to look to when times get stressful.
The following list includes our favorite meditation apps for 2026, both free and paid, available on both iOS and Android platforms.
What We Like
One new original meditation daily.
Music for focus, sleep, relaxation and more.
Sleep stories and classes guided by experts.
Calm claims to be the number one app for meditation and sleep. It’s a favorite, with hundreds of thousands of positive user reviews on the App Store and Google Play.
Calm is more than just a meditation app, offering features that cater to sleep, focus, education, and physical movement. If you’re primarily using it for meditation, you can choose from many meditations focusing on areas like reducing anxiety, breaking bad habits, improving relationships, forgiving someone/yourself, and so much more.
Price: Some guided meditations, unguided meditations, and tracking features are free. Calm Premium offers a 7-day free trial, after which it costs $79.99 annually or $499.99 billed once for life.
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What We Like
Content based on the most effective ancient practices.
Ability to filter content by what’s new and popular.
Access to in-depth stats, playlists, heart rate monitor and other extra features.
Sattva is a unique app for its modern spin on some of the most ancient meditation practices, mantras, chants, and music. Its content stems from ancient Vedic principles, with music also brought to you by Sanskrit experts.
This app seeks to personalize your meditation experience by matching you with recommendations based on your mood, desires, or the time of day. You can track your meditation progress by viewing your stats, engaging in the community with friends, and winning trophies as you reach new milestones.
Price: Free with a premium version for $12.99 monthly, or $49.99 annually.
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What We Like
25,000 free meditations plus 10+ new ones added daily.
Self-guided courses that run over a period of days.
Customizable meditation timer complete with background sounds/sound effects.
Community groups for every major religion/spiritual preference.
If you’re not willing to pay for a meditation app, Insight Timer might be the next best option. It offers the most extensive library of meditations entirely for free.
In addition to getting access to thousands of beginner to advanced guided meditations and talks led by renowned teachers and experts, you can also use the app’s iconic timer feature to customize and practice your unguided meditations. The app also functions somewhat like a social network where you can connect with other meditators in your local area and worldwide.
Price: Free with an optional premium version for $9.99 monthly or $59.99 annually.
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What We Like
Sleek, minimal, visually appealing interface with over 1,000 pieces of content.
Extras like music, nature sounds, hypnotherapy, classes and more.
Alarm clock plus morning meditations.
If you’re serious about learning to meditate as a total newbie or beginner, take advantage of Breethe’s 12-week daily meditation program, which will help you build the habit and progressively bring more calm and clarity to your mind.
Breethe has a sleek interface and offers many features that many of the other apps on this list offer, including soothing music, nature sounds, bedtime stories, and short meditations. It includes extras like visualizations, hypnotherapy, and a built-in alarm clock.
Price: Free with the option to upgrade to the premium version for $14.99 monthly or $89.99 annually.
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What We Like
Good quantity and quality of bite-sized meditations.
Learning guides for meditation and mindfulness.
Great interface with helpful animations.
Another popular meditation app, Headspace, is a premium app that offers hundreds of guided meditations tailored to stress, anxiety, focus, sleep, and more. You also get access to over 40 mindfulness exercises you can practice while doing simple, mundane activities like cooking, eating, and commuting.
Headspace is a perfect app for beginners since it will guide you through the basics of meditation upon getting started. You also get super-short meditations to help you build your meditation habit gradually and conveniently fit your practice into your busy schedule.
Price: Free introductory meditations and features with the option to upgrade to premium at $12.99 billed monthly or $69.99 with one annual payment.
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What We Like
Excellent meditation content ranging from 3 to 20+ minutes.
Option for unguided meditation with soothing background sounds.
Extra features like short stories, life coaching, melodic music and gratitude journaling.
Like the now-defunct Stop, Breathe & Think app, Aura is a meditation app that considers how you’re feeling and matches your emotions with meditation recommendations. Better yet, it uses AI-powered technology to learn more about you as you use the app to deliver the most personalized recommendations every time.
Meditations from this are beneficial for relieving stress and anxiety, and they can be practiced in as little as 3 minutes — making them perfect for beginners. This is also one of the few apps with a built-in gratitude journal where you can express your feelings and reflect on your entries over time.
Price: Free to get one new three-minute meditation every two hours for iOS users and one new three-minute meditation every day for Android users. A premium subscription is available for $11.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.
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