last updated september 29, 2026
Headspace is a subscription meditation and sleep app. it now also sells text-based mental health coaching and insurance-billed video therapy, and it has an AI companion called Ebb. veisund is a different thing: a free app where you post what's going on under a handle you choose and other people who've been through it reply. it isn't meditation, coaching or therapy. if what you actually want is guided audio, Headspace or Calm fits better. if what you want is other people, read on.
| Headspace | veisund | |
|---|---|---|
| what it is | meditation, sleep, movement and focus library; add-on coaching and therapy | peer support by post and reply, plus an evidence library |
| app price | annual or monthly subscription after a free trial (14 days annual, 7 days monthly); the dollar figure isn't published as fixed text on their subscriptions page as of 2026-09-29 | free. no subscription, no ads |
| coaching | $99.99/month: three 30-minute text-based sessions a month; no video coaching yet | none |
| therapy | licensed therapists by video; accepts insurance, FSA/HSA or self-pay; their estimator says costs can reach $149 a session; adults 18+ in the U.S., English only | none. veisund is not therapy |
| AI | Ebb, an AI companion, 18+ only | no AI replies. people reply |
| minimum age | 18, with a U.S. teen offering for 13-17 | 18 |
| who you talk to | a coach, a therapist, or Ebb | other members, under handles |
Headspace's subscription unlocks its library of meditations, sleep sounds, movement and focus music. the subscriptions page offers a 14-day free trial on the annual plan and 7 days on the monthly plan; the renewal price is filled in at checkout rather than printed on the page, so we don't quote a number. separately, Headspace sells mental health coaching at $99.99 a month for three 30-minute text sessions, and therapy with licensed therapists by video, billed to insurance, FSA/HSA or out of pocket. their therapy FAQ says it is available to adults 18+ living in the U.S., in English only. checked on 2026-09-29 against each company's own site.
in September 2026 Headspace announced on its own site that it "has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Sword." the announcement doesn't say what changes for app subscribers, and we won't guess. if you're deciding on an annual plan this month, it's reasonable to read Headspace's own FAQ on the deal first.
pick Headspace if you want structured, guided practice: courses that teach meditation, sleepcasts for falling asleep, breathing exercises for a bad moment. veisund has none of that. pick Headspace's therapy if you want a licensed clinician and your insurance is in network; a covered session through a real therapist is a different category of care from anything a peer community offers. and pick Headspace coaching if you want one consistent person checking in with you on a schedule. on veisund nobody is assigned to you.
veisund is for the moment when you don't want another audio track, you want to tell someone what happened. you post under a handle, with no real name and no phone number, and other members reply when they read it. it isn't live, and the community is still small, so replies can take a while. when a reply helps, you can mark the post resolved and credit it. there's also an evidence library: plain-language summaries of studies with the source and an evidence grade, and a lookup of drug-company payments to your own doctor from federal Open Payments data. it's free, with no subscription and no ads.
Headspace's terms describe Ebb as "an AI technology, not a human" that "does not provide medical advice, or mental health services." that's a fair description of what a chatbot is. veisund doesn't use AI to reply to you. everything you read in a thread was written by another member. neither is a crisis service: if you're in danger, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741.
For guided meditation, most full libraries are paid. If what you want is support from other people rather than audio, veisund is free: no subscription, no ads, no trial that converts. It is peer support, not meditation.
Headspace's coaching page lists $99.99 a month for three 30-minute text-based sessions, renewing monthly, with sessions that do not carry over. It says video coaching is not offered yet.
For therapy, yes. Headspace says it accepts insurance, FSA/HSA and out-of-pocket payment, and its cost estimator shows typical in-network costs by insurer, with costs that can reach $149 a session depending on coverage. The meditation app subscription itself is a separate purchase.
Headspace's terms say its products are intended for people 18 and over, with U.S. users aged 13-17 able to use a Headspace for Teens offering. Its AI companion, Ebb, is 18+ only. veisund is also 18+.
They do different jobs. Headspace teaches meditation and sleep habits and sells coaching and therapy. veisund is free peer support: you post, people who have been through it reply. Plenty of people could use both.
free. anonymous. post any hour, and people who've been there reply. 🤍
get veisund — it's freenot sure whether what you need is a therapist or people? six questions, two minutes — no diagnosis, no email.