last updated september 29, 2026
Headspace and Calm are the two big meditation and sleep apps, and for the core library they are close: guided meditations, sleep content, focus music, auto-renewing subscriptions. the differences that matter are elsewhere. Calm has a genuine free tier; Headspace's free access is a trial. Headspace sells therapy, psychiatry and coaching alongside the app; Calm's clinical-style product, Calm Health, is invitation-only through insurers and employers. and in September 2026 Headspace's help center confirmed that Sword, a digital health company, acquired Headspace.
from Headspace's site, help center and terms, and Calm's help center and terms. checked on 2026-09-29. neither company prints a standard individual subscription price on a page we could read: both show it at checkout, and Calm says it varies by country.
| Headspace | Calm | |
|---|---|---|
| free without paying | a free trial of the full library; after that, free resources are off-app (YouTube, Radio Headspace, articles) | a standing free tier: 230+ meditations, 8 sleep sessions, day 1 of every program |
| standard subscription | annual or monthly; price shown at checkout, varies by region | annual or monthly; price shown at checkout, varies by country |
| published prices | student plan $9.99 a year (US) | lifetime $499.99 one-time; family plan $99.99 a year for 6 accounts |
| trial | 14-day free trial on the plans page | 7-day free trial |
| therapy | yes: $0-35 a session for most members with insurance, $149 without; 45+ plans | not in the consumer app; Calm Health is invitation-only through insurers, care teams or employers |
| AI companion | Ebb (adults 18+, US/UK/Canada/Australia, English) | none described in the pages we read |
| age | 18+; 13-17 only through certain benefit sponsors with parent consent (US) | under the age of majority needs a parent or guardian to agree to the terms |
| ownership news | acquired by Sword (help center, September 2026); no immediate changes to pricing or access | no change announced |
Calm's help center lists what stays free after you decline to pay: "230+ meditations," "8 free sleep sessions," "Day 1 of all programs," a Daily Calm preview, a breathing tool and background scenes. padlocks mark the rest. Headspace's help center describes its free access differently: "You can unlock the entire Headspace library during your free trial," and once the trial ends, it points you to a subscription or to free resources outside the app, like its YouTube channel and articles. if you want to meditate indefinitely without paying, Calm is the one built for that.
Headspace offers individual therapy for adults over video, and its help center publishes the price: "Most Headspace members pay between $0–$35 per session when using insurance," and "out-of-pocket sessions cost $149." it says it is in-network with more than 45 plans, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Calm's consumer app does not offer therapy. Calm Health, which uses PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screening and CBT, ACT and DBT-based programs, is "an invitation-only app available through your health insurance plan, physician/care team, or employer." if you can't get an invitation, you can't use it.
Headspace's help center has a new section titled "Sword Acquisition." it describes Sword as a company providing care in physical health, women's health, cardiometabolic health and mental health, and says there are "no immediate changes to your Headspace subscription, billing, pricing, or access through your employer or health plan as a result of this announcement." it also says an existing Headspace subscription does not include Sword's other apps. that is the full extent of what the company has said; anything beyond it would be speculation.
Headspace fits you if you want the app and the option of licensed therapy or coaching from the same company, if your insurance is one of the plans it accepts for therapy, if you are a US college student (the $9.99 a year student plan), or if you want an AI companion that suggests content based on what you share (Ebb, adults only).
Calm fits you if you want to use a meditation app for free for as long as you like, if sleep content is the main reason you are here (its full library has 300+ sleep stories), if you would rather pay once than renew (the $499.99 lifetime membership, which is final sale), or if you want to share one plan with up to five other adults.
meditation apps are solo tools. if what you actually want is other people, people who have dealt with the thing you are dealing with, an app full of recordings won't give you that. veisund is a free app (iOS and Android) where you post under a handle you choose, with no real name and no phone number, and other members reply when they read it. it is not live chat and nobody is waiting on the other end; the community is still small, so replies can take a while. you can mark a post resolved and credit the reply that helped. the web side is an evidence library: plain-language study summaries with the source and an evidence grade, plus a lookup of drug-company payments to your own doctor from federal Open Payments data. it is not therapy, not a crisis service, has no licensed clinicians providing care, prescribes nothing and bills no insurance. if you are in crisis, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741.
Partly. Calm keeps a free tier with 230+ meditations, 8 sleep sessions and the first session of every program. The full library needs Calm Premium, which has a 7-day free trial. Checked on 2026-09-29.
Headspace offers a free trial of its full library. After the trial, its help center points to a paid subscription or to free resources outside the app, such as its YouTube channel and articles.
Headspace says most members pay $0 to $35 per session with insurance and $149 per session without it. It is in-network with more than 45 plans and therapy is HSA/FSA eligible by reimbursement.
Yes, according to Headspace's own help center, which has a Sword Acquisition section. It says there are no immediate changes to subscriptions, pricing, or access through employers and health plans.
Calm's help center lists the lifetime membership at $499.99 USD one-time, plus tax, for the consumer Calm app only. It is final sale and non-refundable. The family plan is $99.99 a year for six accounts.
Both have anxiety content. The practical difference: Headspace also sells licensed therapy if meditation is not enough, while Calm's consumer app does not. For anxiety that is disrupting your life, a licensed clinician is the right next step, not either app alone.
veisund is free peer support under a handle: post what you're carrying, and people who've been through it reply. it isn't therapy or a crisis service — in the US, call or text 988.
get veisund — it's freenot sure whether what you need is a therapist or people? six questions, two minutes — no diagnosis, no email.