Calm is a great app. It’s also $70 a year.

That’s a lot for guided breathing and sleep stories.

Here are alternatives that cost less (or nothing) and work just as well.

Quick Comparison

AppPriceMeditationSleepBreathingRating
MeditationAppFree✅✅✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Insight TimerFree✅✅✅⭐⭐⭐⭐
Headspace$70/yr✅✅✅⭐⭐⭐⭐
Smiling MindFree✅Limited✅⭐⭐⭐⭐
UCLA MindfulFree✅NoNo⭐⭐⭐

What Calm Actually Offers

Before finding alternatives, let’s be clear what we’re replacing:

  • Guided meditations (hundreds of them)
  • Sleep stories (celebrity narrated)
  • Breathing exercises
  • Daily calm (new content daily)
  • Masterclasses (extended programs)
  • Music/soundscapes

The question: Do you actually use all of this?

Most people use 2-3 features. No need to pay for everything.

The Best Free Alternatives

1. MeditationApp

Price: Free Best feature: Clean, focused meditation

I built this because I wanted Calm’s core features without the bloat.

What you get:

  • Guided meditations for stress, sleep, anxiety
  • Breathing exercise library
  • Sleep content
  • Progress tracking
  • No ads, no aggressive upsells

What you don’t get:

  • Celebrity sleep stories
  • Thousands of sessions
  • Masterclasses

Best for: People who want meditation basics without subscription pressure.

Download →

2. Insight Timer

Price: Free (Premium available) Best feature: Massive free library

The largest free meditation library in the world.

What you get free:

  • 100,000+ guided meditations
  • Timer for unguided practice
  • Music and ambient sounds
  • Community features

What’s paid:

  • Courses
  • Offline access
  • Advanced features

The catch:

  • Quality varies wildly (user-uploaded)
  • Interface can be overwhelming
  • Lots of woo-woo content mixed in

Best for: People who want endless variety.

3. Smiling Mind

Price: Completely free Best feature: Programs for specific needs

Australian nonprofit. 100% free, no upsells.

What you get:

  • Programs by age group (kids through adults)
  • Workplace programs
  • Relationship programs
  • Sport-focused programs

What you don’t get:

  • Sleep stories
  • Music/soundscapes
  • Fancy interface

Best for: Families with kids, workplace wellness.

4. UCLA Mindful

Price: Free Best feature: Research-backed content

Created by UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.

What you get:

  • High-quality guided meditations
  • Evidence-based approach
  • Clean, simple interface

What you don’t get:

  • Sleep content
  • Breathing exercises
  • Variety

Best for: People who want scientifically grounded meditation.

Cheaper Premium Alternatives

If free isn’t quite enough:

Headspace ($70/year or $13/month)

Same price as Calm, different style:

  • More structured programs
  • Animated guides
  • Different voice/vibe (Andy Puddicombe)
  • Sleeper content

Choose Headspace over Calm if: You prefer structure and programs over browsing content.

Balance (Free first year)

What you get:

  • Personalized meditations (AI adapts to you)
  • Daily sessions that evolve
  • High production quality

The catch: $70/year after the free year

Choose Balance if: You want personalization and will actually use it for a year.

Ten Percent Happier ($100/year)

What you get:

  • Dan Harris’s skeptical approach
  • Real teacher access
  • High-quality teachers

Choose this if: You’re skeptical about meditation and want a logical approach.

Features You Actually Need

Be honest about what you use:

FeatureDo you use it?Free alternative
Guided meditationProbablyAll free apps
Sleep storiesMaybeYouTube, podcasts
Breathing exercisesYesBreathingExercises app
Daily contentRarelyNot needed
CoursesOnceFree YouTube programs

Most people need: meditation + breathing + maybe sleep sounds.

You don’t need 50,000 sessions.

The Sleep Story Alternative

Calm’s sleep stories are genuinely good. But they’re not unique.

Free alternatives:

  • YouTube: “Sleep Story” (thousands available)
  • Podcasts: “Sleep With Me,” “Nothing Much Happens”
  • WhiteNoise: Sleep sounds without stories

The celebrity factor is nice but not necessary for falling asleep.

My Recommendation

If you’ve never meditated: Start with MeditationApp (free). See if you stick with it.

If you want variety: Use Insight Timer (free). Endless content.

If you want structure: Try Headspace or Balance’s free year.

If you’ve outgrown free apps: Calm is legitimately good. Just wait for a sale ($40/year on Black Friday).

FAQ

Is Calm worth $70/year? If you use it daily, yes. If you use it weekly, probably not.

What’s the best completely free meditation app? Insight Timer for variety. MeditationApp for simplicity. Smiling Mind for families.

Can I get Calm’s sleep stories for free? Not the exact ones, but similar content exists on YouTube and podcasts.

Is Headspace better than Calm? Different styles. Headspace is more structured, Calm is more exploratory. Try both free trials.

Do free apps have ads? MeditationApp and Smiling Mind: No ads. Insight Timer: Some promotion for premium.

Related reads:

— Dolce