Calm vs Headspace Review: Which is Better?

Have you tried meditating? It could be the go-to solution to a lot of things that are bothering you. And there’s a lot of merit to that. Just look at the number of meditating apps and social media accounts available online. If you’re not meditating regularly, you’re perhaps trying to incorporate it into your life.

Calm and Headspace are meditating apps that have played their part in promoting this trend. You might have heard of one of them and aren’t sure which one is worth your time. Sure, you can meditate on your own, but guided meditations can be hugely beneficial. So, which app is better?

Voice

What’s the first thing you consider when figuring out which meditation app to get? Whose voice you’re going to hear, right? This, for many people, is going to be the single most determining factor. With Calm you get the voice of a woman by the name Tamara Levitt.

With a very soothing voice, she’s been responsible for millions of successful meditation sessions. She’s Canadian and her instructions are easy-to-follow. It’s a lot like listening to an audiobook you’re particularly enjoying. Calm also has a story section narrated by celebrity figures with unique and soothing voices.

The voice of Headspace is Andy Puddicombe. He has a calming British voice that’s also very easy-to-follow. A lot of users feel as if he’s sitting in the room with them, and perhaps that the guided meditations feel less scripted. Which makes sense in a way, because he’s an ordained Buddhist monk. He’s also a creator of the Headspace app.

Interface

If you’re just diving into the world of meditation apps, you don’t want to get too overwhelmed at once. Fortunately, both Calm and Headspace have very user-friendly interfaces that lead you in with simple and easy steps to follow.

When you use Calm for the first time, you’ll be asked to select your goals. It might be that you want to reduce anxiety, a modern-day plague. Or develop empathy and sleep better. Or, you might not have a specific goal in mind, but just want to learn how to meditate. This is already simplified and practical for a beginner.

Headspace has a very lively and somewhat cartoonish UI. And it might not work for some people, but it’s surely interesting, and a lot of folks will just adore it. With Headspace, you begin with the Basic course which is divided into three parts with 10 sessions each. There are courses for stress, work, anxiety, personal growth, productivity, and many others.

Another thing that the two apps have in common is that you can only be advanced to a new session if you’re done with the previous one. There’s no jumping forward. Your growth needs to be authentic. You can also download the sessions to your device and listen to them later.

Pricing & Availability

The good news is that Calm and Headspace are available on both iOS and Android. The less good news is that they’re not free. Considered a premium meditating app, Calm picked up the 2017 iPhone app of the year by Apple. It’s also valued at $250 million. The monthly subscription for Calm and Headspace is the same. It amounts to $12.99.

You can get the annual subscription too. For Calm it’s $59.99, and for Headspace, $69.99. For those sure they want to commit, there’s a lifetime subscription available too. If you want to have Calm available for the rest of your life, be ready to cough up $299.

Headspace is even more expensive: $399. But these lifetime subscriptions are for the die-hard meditation fans. Headspace offers a 30-day free trial, and Calm gives you 7 days of premium access before asking you to subscribe.

Benefits of Meditation

Here you have two quite expensive meditation apps that are popular and sell well. Yes, they are beautifully designed and very easy-to-use – which means a lot. But what’s the driving force behind such successful apps? The benefits of meditation aren’t a novelty, even though they’re being talked about now more than ever. So, what are some of the benefits of meditation?

Stress Reduction

Meditation can lower the level of cortisol in your body. That’s the stress hormone and the main culprit responsible for a lot of medical issues. It disrupts sleep, amplifies anxiety, and increases blood pressure.

Lengthens Attention Span

One expects a short attention span from a child, but the modern way of life has turned adults into toddlers when it comes to concentration. Everyone is constantly distracted and has to rely on productivity and time management solutions to stay on track. But meditation helps too.

Improves Sleep

One of the main reasons people look into meditation and meditation apps is because they’re experiencing sleeping problems. Insomnia can be difficult to cure and getting adept at meditation has shown to help a lot.

Stay Zen with Meditation Apps

It’s difficult to declare the clear winner here. Headspace is a bit more expensive, but neither of them is free nor very cheap. Do you prefer a male or female voice? Or do you like the cute and interactive UI deeper colors that rely on images of nature? With both Calm and Headspace, you get a lot of instructions and useful guided meditations.

Have you tried Calm or Headspace? Which one did you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below.