HomeHeadspace vs Calm
Headspace vs Calm
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As of October 21, 2026, Headspace's US App Store listing is $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year. The Ebb page sells that same annual plan and describes Ebb as an AI companion inside the app. Calm's plans page shows a limited-time 7-day trial that becomes $79.99 a year, and Calm for Life at $39.99 once. Calm's lifetime help article, updated January 16, 2026, still says $499.99. Buy Headspace if you want the course library, a published monthly price, and Ebb. Buy Calm if Sleep Stories are the reason, and only after the checkout shows which lifetime price you are actually paying.
| Compared | Headspace | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Freemium. The US App Store listing says $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year, for the United States. The 2026 renewal article lists a solo year at $69.99, a family renewal at $99.00, and a student year at $9.99. The family plan page says $99.99 a year for up to 6 people. The Ebb page prices the annual plan at $69.99 after a free trial. | Paid. On October 21, 2026 the plans page showed a limited-time 7-day trial that becomes $79.99 billed annually, and Calm for Life at $39.99 once. No monthly dollar price was on that page. The billing article updated July 10, 2026 also describes a 7-day annual trial and says monthly plans exist, without a price. The lifetime article updated January 16, 2026 still says $499.99. |
| Trial | The Ebb page says the annual plan starts after a free trial. The day count was not on the App Store text that loaded. | The plans page says 7 days, then $79.99 a year, and marks it limited time. The billing article updated July 10, 2026 says the same 7 days. An older web-trial article still says 14. |
| Monthly price | Published: $12.99 on the US App Store listing. | Not on the plans page that loaded. The billing article says monthly plans exist and does not print the dollar amount. |
| One-time price | No lifetime price on the pages checked. A student year is $9.99 on the 2026 renewal article. | Plans page: $39.99 once. Help article updated January 16, 2026: $499.99 once. Those pages disagree. |
| Family | The family page says up to 6 people for $99.99 a year. The renewal article lists the family rate at $99.00. | The lifetime help article says Calm for Life is an individual account and does not cover a family plan. |
| The AI the company names | Ebb, called an empathetic AI companion, on the subscription page at the $69.99 annual price. | The homepage and the plans page do not name an AI companion. |
| Sleep | Wind downs, soundscapes, and sleepcasts, on the Ebb page. Not a story library with a published count. | The homepage says 500-plus Sleep Stories, with new ones added. |
| Phone | iPhone, iPad, and Android, on the Headspace homepage. Apple Watch is on the App Store listing. | The homepage lists iOS, Android, web, Apple TV, Apple Watch, WearOS, and Samsung Health. |
Headspace checked 2026-10-21. Calm checked 2026-10-21. Headspace price source · Calm price source. Regional store prices can differ.
Pick Headspace if
- You want a named course, and you want the monthly price written down before you install.
- You want Ebb, and you are fine that it is a meditation companion, not a training plan.
- A student year at $9.99, from the help article, is the price you can actually use.
Pick Calm if
- Sleep Stories are the feature you came for, and the homepage's 500-plus count is the one you are buying.
- You would rather pay once, and you will read the checkout against both the $39.99 plans page and the $499.99 help article.
- You need the app on a TV or a watch as well as the phone. Calm's homepage lists those. Headspace's listing confirms Apple Watch, not the TV.
Read the listings
- Headspace
- Calm
- Mental fitness and meditation
Meditation, sleep stories, and generated movement practices for stress, focus, and a steadier head.
Questions
- Is Headspace or Calm cheaper?
- As of October 21, 2026, Headspace's published year is $69.99 and its month is $12.99, on the US App Store listing. Calm's plans page shows $79.99 a year after a 7-day trial and does not show a monthly price. Headspace is the cheaper year if you compare those two figures. Calm for Life is $39.99 on that same plans page, which would be the cheaper way in if the checkout charges $39.99. The help article updated January 16, 2026 still says the lifetime price is $499.99. Do not treat those as the same offer.
- Does Calm have a lifetime membership?
- Yes, under the name Calm for Life. On October 21, 2026 the plans page said $39.99 billed once. The help article updated January 16, 2026 said $499.99. The same help center says the lifetime purchase does not cancel an Apple, Google, or web subscription by itself, and that it does not cover a family plan. Headspace's pages checked do not sell a lifetime price. They do sell a student year at $9.99.
- Which is better for sleep, Headspace or Calm?
- This directory ranks Headspace second for mental fitness and Calm fourth, because Headspace is the structured course and Calm is the sleep-story library. That is not a sleep study. Calm's homepage says the library is 500-plus Sleep Stories. Headspace's Ebb page describes wind downs, soundscapes, and sleepcasts, and does not publish a story count. For a sleep score from a strap or a ring, start with the WHOOP vs Oura comparison. Neither meditation app replaces that.
- Do Headspace and Calm use AI?
- Headspace publishes Ebb, which the subscription page calls an empathetic AI companion, at the same $69.99 annual price as the rest of the subscription. Calm's homepage and plans page, checked the same day, do not name an AI companion. Neither app writes a workout or a meal plan. The mental fitness ranking is the longer list, including Balance and Insight Timer.