Looking for an elevating meditation experience? We offer real life meditation sessions, breathwork and yoga nidra classes from £5.
There are many other players in the market. To help you decide, we have reviewed some of the market leaders, exploring their unique features, costs, and content variety.
Insight Timer: Ideal choice for those who value variety and a donation-based model
Headspace: Created by a former Buddhist monk, the app provides clear, step-by-step guidance on the fundamentals of meditation.
Calm: Calm is the industry leader. It is best known for its "Sleep Stories"—soothing bedtime tales narrated by world-class voices—alongside beautiful nature soundscapes and "The Daily Calm,"
Read on to explore our full expert breakdown
Source: SensorTower.com * Worldwide, November 2025
Benefits and Drawbacks of Meditation Apps
The Benefits of Meditation Apps
Accessibility & Convenience: You have a world-class meditation teacher in your pocket 24/7. Whether you’re on a lunch break, commuting, or in a rural area without a local studio, you can find a moment of peace instantly.
Vast Variety of Content: Unlike a local class that might stick to one style, apps offer everything from Vedic chanting and Zen paths to biometric-synced breathwork and celebrity-narrated sleep stories.
Personalized Experience: Modern apps in 2025 use AI and wearable integrations (like Apple Watch or Oura) to recommend specific sessions based on your current stress levels, heart rate, or sleep quality.
Low Barrier to Entry: Apps are a low-cost, low-pressure way for beginners to "dip their toes in" and build a basic mindfulness skill set before committing to an in-person retreat or course.
The Drawbacks of Practicing with an App
The "Engagement Gap": Research shows that while millions download these apps, sustaining a habit is difficult. Many users pay for an annual subscription but find their usage drops off significantly after the first few weeks.
Lack of Personal Guidance: An app cannot see your posture or provide real-time emotional support. For those navigating deeper psychological challenges, the lack of a live teacher’s nuance can be a limitation.
Digital Distractions: It can be ironic to use a screen to "disconnect." Push notifications and the temptation to check other apps can pull you out of the present moment, making the phone a potential source of stress rather than a solution.
Subscription Fatigue: With many premium apps moving toward higher-priced annual models, you may find yourself paying for features or libraries you rarely use.
Calm is a mindfulness app that offers an extensive library of stories to help you fall asleep, and meditation tutorials in video or audio format to help you achieve a state of calm and inner peace.
Insight Timer is a meditation app available to people on a donation basis. It started as an actual timer for meditation but expanded into providing recorded and live events in meditation, breathworks and yoga.