Anxious? Stressed? Trouble sleeping? Meditation is not a magical remedy for all that ails you, but there’s a reason that more and more Americans are flocking to it. It’s a free, easy-to-perform practice you can do almost anywhere to calm your mind, reduce stress, enable you to sleep better, and improve your focus.
People have been practicing meditation for more than 5,000 years, but you don’t have to travel to a remote mountaintop in India and meet with a spiritual guru to get started. The best meditation apps can teach you the same techniques, plus provide guided meditations and related tools when and where they’re needed – no travel required.
I tested dozens of meditation apps for both iOS and Android devices to compile this comprehensive roundup of the best options available in 2025. So, whether you’re an absolute beginner, or have experience with meditation, these are the high-quality apps that can help you get the most out of this potentially life-enhancing practice.
Why you should trust me
I’ve covered consumer technology as a journalist for more than 30 years, and in 2016, I was trained in transcendental meditation by a certified instructor. I have been practicing this style of meditation on a daily basis ever since. By combining decades of experience writing about and reviewing smartphones and their apps with my intimate knowledge of meditation, I performed extensive hands-on testing to compile this roundup of the best meditation apps.
How I tested the meditation apps
There are no benchmarks for successful meditation, which can be a deeply personal practice. With that in mind, I tried to take each app’s target user and their goals into account as I evaluated the app’s functions. The best apps have a diverse library of content with different instructors, styles of meditation, and lengths. Features like timers and soundscapes are a plus.
I also used each app extensively, focusing on what’s unique about each of them, the overall user experience, the quality of the graphics, sound, and user interface, and which features, if any, they were lacking. I considered how useful different components of the apps were for me, along with built-in meditation tools and guided meditations.
After using each app, I asked myself whether it helped me achieve my meditation objectives.
Best overall meditation app: Calm
Ideal for first-time and experienced meditators alike, Calm is the most comprehensive, polished meditation app available. It offers introductory training for beginners, along with an ever-expanding selection of professionally produced guided meditations.
You can select from courses designed specifically for relaxation, breathing, managing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and more. The app also offers a library of soothing soundscapes, which combine music and sound effects designed for use during self-guided meditation sessions.
Calm includes both video and audio-based training sessions, and guided meditations that range in length from three to 60 minutes. Everything can be done at your own pace, and the app makes it easy to track progress. Of all the meditation apps tested, this one offers the most comprehensive selection of high-quality content.
Why we love it: There is something for everyone in here.
It’s a shame that… A paid subscription unlocks so much content that choosing the right guided meditation or activity can be overwhelming.
Best free meditation app: Smiling Mind: Mental Wellbeing
Smiling Mind is an Australian nonprofit that strives to help people achieve lifelong mental fitness and wellbeing. While the app and its content were created by mental health experts, including psychologists, researchers and content creators, it’s all available completely for free.
The first time you use it, the app asks a series of questions, including what you’d like help with. Options include better sleep, managing stress, developing mindfulness, boosting mental fitness, fostering relationships, managing emotions, living meaningfully and enhancing focus. Your answers will provide a series of session recommendations and guided meditations to choose from. Most of the audio features the same person, who has a very calming voice with an Australian accent, providing the instruction and guidance.
One handy feature is the app’s tool for creating a meditation routine, which is especially useful for beginners. It’s designed to keep you on-track and get you into the habit of meditating on an ongoing basis. I also like that there is a separate library of content offered exclusively for kids and teens.
While the app lacks the fancy animations offered by other options, the core content and training approach are easy-to-understand and insightful. Shockingly, the production quality is as good as the instruction offered by the most expensive apps and in-person meditation classes and workshops.
Why we love it: Smiling Mind offers more than 700 instructional lessons, soundscapes, and guided meditations, all completely free.
It’s a shame that… there aren’t many video offerings, or many choices between different instructors.
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App price: Free
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Subscription price: None
Best meditation timer: Meditation Time 2.0
Since meditators are encouraged to close their eyes, clear their mind, and temporarily block out the outside world, many experienced meditators use a timer.
Meditation Time 2.0 app offers enchanting sound effects, like gongs, singing bowls and instruments, that can be set to go off at a preset interval, with a different sound played at the end of the meditation session. Just choose the length of the meditation, the interval for other sounds, and tap start.
Unlike other free meditation timers, this one includes a brief teaching module with brief articles that explain basic meditation techniques for beginners. It also includes a small selection of guided 30-minute meditations recorded by professional speakers, and a selection of relaxing background sounds.
Why we love it: Advanced meditators will appreciate the app’s simple timer functionality, and beginners will still find a basic introduction and tools to get started.
It’s a shame that… the stripped-down design offers little to help you define or achieve long-term meditation goals, or use meditation to address specific issues.
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App price: Free
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Subscription price: None
Best meditation app for beginners: Headspace: Meditation & Health
Headspace has the usual guided meditations, courses, and programs designed to help users reduce stress, sleep better, and build resilience, with an AI twist.
Ebb is an empathetic, AI-driven companion built into Headspace that lets you privately discuss your thoughts and feelings. Based on your conversations, the AI recommends specific content within the app, such as a relevant guided meditation.
If you’d prefer a human touch, for an additional fee (which may be covered by your health insurance), the app can connect you with a licensed mental health coach or therapist via live video chats.
After sharing with the app what you’re most interested in working on, you get a curated collection of instructional meditation courses, guided meditations, and soundscapes. If you’re experiencing stress, anxiety, or a related symptom, Headspace also offers quick exercises you can jump right into and quickly gain control over the situation.
Like the Calm app, Headspace’s content is a combination of professionally produced video and audio content, mixed with calming soundscapes, interactive activities, and tutorials, which I found to be very easy to follow. I like that each activity can be completed in just two to 30 minutes.
Why we love it: If you’re new to meditation, Headspace offers the smoothest path to get started, with short tutorials that teach the basics in minutes, not hours or days of training.
It’s a shame that… most of the video content is animated, not live-action. But the lessons are still on-point and extremely useful.
Best of the rest
Plum Village: Zen Meditation
For a more spiritual approach
Plum Village: Zen Meditation was created along with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist master, with content that integrates more Buddhist practices and philosophies. Core lessons come directly from videotaped lectures and Q&A sessions he’s hosted.
With so much content freely shared through this app, one of my favorite features is the ability to favorite videos and guided meditations, and then create a custom playlist of content that resonates the most with you, which can be downloaded for offline viewing or listening.
Why we love it: Plum Village offers beginners a bridge to both meditation and Buddhist philosophy.
It didn’t make the final cut because … content from just one teacher offers a narrower view than some other apps.
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App price: Free
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Subscription price: None
InnerNow: Meditation & Joy
For broader self-care
This app integrates meditation techniques with holistic self-care. A questionnaire helps determine your unique “mind-body type”, then the app customizes an ongoing meditation program. In addition to quick relief from everyday stressors, it includes a comprehensive 21-day “journey to well-being” program, and self-care content like a personalized mind-body report.
A paid subscription unlocks more than 1,000 guided meditations, plus recorded lessons from experts, including Dr Deepak Chopra. I appreciated the session limits that can be set as short as just five minutes, and that it can save details of your meditation to Apple Health. The Meditation 101 program includes five guided audio sessions, each lasting about 10 minutes.
Why we love it: The self-care content and lessons go outside the scope of just meditation.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it lacks flashy graphics, highly produced sound effects and video content.
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Medito: Meditation & Sleep
For another free option
Medito provides a handful of meditation courses, guided meditations seven to 15 minutes in length, a meditation timer, soundscapes for self-guided mediations, daily inspirational quotes, and more – all completely free.
First, choose a mood or objective, such as achieving calmness, improving sleep, gaining better mental focus, or lowering anxiety. Next, select how much time you have available to meditation (between three and 30 minutes). Finally, press play to start.
Medito’s introductory meditation and mindfulness course offers 10 modules, each with a handful of short (10 minutes or less) sessions.
Why we love it: Medito offers a complete suite of meditation tools without a paid subscription requirement, multiple male and female meditation guides, and comes from reputable experts and sources, including UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the app features a selection of colorful artwork, but there’s no video-based content.
Open: Breathwork + Meditation
For tracking progress
This app bridges science and spirituality with the technology already built into your smartphone. It automatically tracks your progress, generates reminders, and can share data with the Apple Health app, so all of your health, fitness, meditation, and exercise data can be stored, viewed, and analyzed from one place. It also integrates with the Oura ring, to track how meditation improves your sleep.
While anyone can use the app anywhere, the content ties in with optional in-person workshops and sessions taught at Open’s studio in Los Angeles.
Why we love it: The app provides high-quality content, and integrates with other apps and hardware you may already own.
It didn’t make the final cut because … except for a few introductory tutorials, a paid subscription is required to fully utilize the content and tools offered by this app.
Unplug Meditation
For more video courses
The paid version of Unplug includes more than 1,400 videos, with instruction from more than 130 teachers covering over 40 specialized topics – from enhancing your mood, to improving sleep, reducing anxiety and stress, and lowering blood pressure.
As you’d expect, the app also includes a meditation timer, soundscapes for self-guided meditations, and meditation goal and session tracking. I also found the integrated gratitude journal and ambient sound library (featuring everything from ocean waves to birds chirping) to be nice additions.
Why we love it: Unplugs offers the most complete and diverse collection of video content.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the app doesn’t include a better way to match its incredible library with your meditation goals.
GongMaster: Meditation Timer
For no-frills meditating
GongMaster: Meditation Time is a straightforward meditation timer without too many options; you just get a timer adjustable between one minute and 60 minutes, and a choice of one to three intermediate gongs. The gong sounds can be customized, along with the app’s background wallpaper, but that’s it.
Why we love it: It’s simple to use, no internet access is required, and the singing bowl and gong sounds are robust and extremely relaxing.
It’s a shame that… there are no meditation-friendly soundscapes.
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App price: Free
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Subscription price: None
What other meditation apps did The Guardian test?
What you need to know
What is meditation?
While there are many ways to practice meditation, it basically involves finding a quiet spot, getting into a comfortable position, focusing on a specific object or mantra, and then harnessing your breath and focusing your mind. Objectives can include achieving calmness, stress reduction, better sleep, improved mindfulness, gratitude or even inner peace.
The trick is to find one meditation technique that works for you, and then engage in meditation sessions on a regular basis.
How can a meditation app help me?
The instruction and guided meditations offered by apps feature the same techniques you’d learn working with a spiritual guru or trained meditation instructor. Once you learn the basics of meditation, the same app can offer calming music, sound effects, abstract visuals, and a timer to help you achieve the best results and center your focus.
Some people prefer guided meditations, which is when a meditation expert uses their voice to talk you through a meditation session with a specific goal in mind. Many apps featured in this roundup offer these, too.
How much do meditation apps cost?
Some meditation apps are free, but the majority charge an ongoing subscription fee for content, which is usually continually updated. You can often save money by prepaying for a month, six months, or a year in advance.
Remember, the best meditation apps are not always the most expensive. Always use an app’s free trial period to determine if it teaches meditation techniques you relate to, and offers the tools you want.
When and where to use a meditation app
It’s important to find a quiet place to meditate. Some techniques recommend a comfortable chair, others instruct meditators to lie down. Find a location and body position you find calming and comfortable, which will make it easier to focus your mind and calm your body.
A good app will recommend how often and how long you should meditate, but focus on a schedule that works best for you. When you’ve discovered meditation techniques you find useful, you can also meditate at specific times when you’re feeling extra anxious, highly stressed, or need to regain control over your emotions.
Are meditation apps really effective?
Yes, but installing a meditation app on your phone or mobile device is just an important first step. To get the most out of meditation, it’s necessary to practice consistently. While you may start to feel relaxed or more in control after just a handful of sessions, meditating on a regular schedule will yield the biggest benefits.
Can a meditation app help me sleep better?
Self-guided or guided meditation before bed can help calm your mind and relax your body. This in turn can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Using a proper meditation technique can also help you reduce stress, tension, and anxiety, slow your heart rate and steady your breathing – all of which can contribute to better sleep.
Can a meditation app eliminate all of my stress?
Realistically, no app or practice can eliminate your stress or anxiety entirely. Instead, meditation can help you learn to identify the causes of that stress and anxiety, and then assist you in minimizing their impact.
By learning how to achieve a calmer state of mind, you can better manage your stress, control your negative thoughts, and lower your heart rate to achieve a more peaceful existence.
Mindfulness is rarely a replacement for prescription medications. Consult with a medical professional to learn how meditation can become a part of your overall treatment for handling the psychological or physical issues you’re dealing with.
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Based just outside Boston, Massachusetts, Jason R Rich is an internationally recognized smartphone and consumer technology expert with over 30 years of experience. He has contributed articles and reviews to a wide range of media outlets, and has authored numerous books.
