We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Mindfulness and Meditation With So Many Meditation Apps Out There, We've Narrowed Down Our 5 Favorites We tested them so you don't have to By Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens is the Mental Health/General Health Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 10, 2023 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Alicia Bigelow, ND Medically reviewed by Alicia Bigelow, ND Alicia Bigelow, ND is a functional and integrative medicine physician with over 20 years of experience in patient care. Formerly, she served as a clinical and academic faculty member at NUNM. Currently, she offers consultations through the non-profit organization, Right to Heal. She also provides IV ketamine treatment to patients with depression, anxiety, and PTSD at Cascade Psychedelic Medicine in Portland, OR. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Verywell Mind / Jhett Thompson There are a ton of meditation apps out there that say they’ll ease us into mindfulness skills by letting us choose which exercises to do on our own time and at our own pace. But which ones are the best? For the 2023 Online Therapy + Wellness Awards, we tested 17 different meditation and mindfulness apps for a month to figure out which ones actually make meditation and mindfulness not so scary, not to mention downright useful. Here are the apps that came out on top. These meditation and mindfulness apps are part of our 2023 Online Therapy + Wellness Awards, celebrating the best tried and tested mental health apps and services on the market. See Full List of Winners Our Top Picks Most User-Friendly App: Headspace We felt like Headspace’s variety of meditations, affordability, and evidence backing it make it an awesome resource—we especially appreciated that it had tons of variety in its exercises and let us design our own path through its mindfulness resources. Price: $12.99 per month, $69.99 per year I'm a Therapist Who Tried Headspace to Help Conquer My Stress Sign Up Now Best for Beginners: The Mindfulness App Overall, we felt like this app offers exactly what it says it does—an easy and welcoming introduction to mindfulness. Price: $10 per month, $60 per year Are You a Meditation Beginner Like Me? Then Try Out The Mindfulness App Sign Up Now Best for Breathwork: Breathwrk We felt that Breathwrk delivered on its promises to help us calm down, improve our breathing, learn more mindfulness techniques, and fall asleep more quickly. Price: Free version available, $12 per month, $69 per year I'm an Insomniac Who Tried the Breathwrk App to See if It Could Help Me Sleep Sign Up Now Best for Focus: Insight Timer We were impressed with how many meditation and mindfulness exercises Insight Timer offers (many for free) that helped us destress so that we could focus without our anxiety creeping in. Price: $9.99 per month, $59.99 per year I’m a Therapist and I Tried Insight Timer to Improve My Sleep and Mindfulness Sign Up Now Best Variety: Breethe We got more out of Breethe than we thought we would just because of the sheer amount of resources available—we didn't expect so many options from the app, and we were pleasantly surprised at how many meditations we were able to do on our own so soon after starting. Price: $12.99 per month, $89.99 per year, lifetime membership for $179.99 I Questioned the Usefulness of Meditation Until I Tried Breethe Sign Up Now By Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens is the Mental Health/General Health Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit