Headspace teaches meditation and mindfulness through short, guided sessions (3-20 minutes). It's designed for beginners and experienced meditators alike. Best for managing everyday stress, improving sleep, and building a daily mindfulness habit. Not a replacement for therapy or medication if you have severe anxiety or depression.
Meditation & Mindfulness
About 1 in 7 people who use Headspace daily for 10 days report feeling noticeably less stressed. Effects are stronger with continued use beyond 10 days.
Headspace is best for people who:
10-session introduction to meditation (3-5 minutes each). Teaches foundational techniques: breath awareness, body scans, noting. Perfect starting point for beginners.
Evidence: Basics course alone shows 8-10% stress reduction in studies.
30-60 minute audio experiences to help you fall asleep. Sleepcasts combine ambient sounds with gentle narration. Updated nightly with new content.
Evidence: Users report 25% faster sleep onset when using sleep meditations consistently.
Short (1-3 minute) meditations for acute stress, panic, or overwhelm. Designed for in-the-moment use (e.g., before a presentation, during conflict).
Evidence: No formal studies, but widely used as acute stress intervention.
Lo-fi, ambient music designed to improve concentration. 30-90 minute playlists. Can play in background while working.
Evidence: Binaural beats and ambient music show modest improvement in sustained attention.
Guided movement sessions (5-20 minutes). Combines gentle yoga, stretching, and mindful awareness. Good for people who find sitting meditation difficult.
Evidence: Mindful movement shows similar benefits to seated meditation for stress reduction.
7-day or 14-day free trial (varies by promotion), then choose a plan:
$12.99/month
Trying it out before committing
Annual cost: $155.88/year
$69.99/year ($5.83/month)
Regular users (saves $86/year vs monthly)
$399.99 one-time
Long-term commitment, breaks even after ~6 years
$99.99/year (up to 6 people)
Couples or families ($16.67/person/year)
Not typically covered by insurance. Some HSA/FSA accounts may reimburse if prescribed by doctor as adjunctive treatment.
Headspace collects usage data and email but does not sell personal information. GDPR and CCPA compliant. Grade: B+
Not HIPAA-compliant. Do not use for clinical records or PHI. If prescribed by a doctor, discuss privacy implications.
More sleep-focused (better sleep story library), similar pricing (~$70/year). Less structured courses. Better for sleep, Headspace better for learning meditation.
Free with 100,000+ meditations (largest library). Less curated, more variety. Good if budget is tight or you want unguided options. Headspace better for beginners needing structure.
More skeptic-friendly, science-focused. Similar pricing. Smaller library but higher quality teachers. Good alternative if you find Headspace too 'soft'.
Daily mindfulness meditation shown to reduce anxiety symptoms by 18-22% in mild to moderate GAD. Best as adjunctive treatment alongside therapy/medication for moderate-severe cases.
Mindfulness-based interventions show modest benefit for preventing depression relapse. Not recommended as sole treatment for active depression.
Sleep meditation and sleepcasts help with sleep onset. Most effective combined with good sleep hygiene practices.
Focus exercises may help with attention training. Limited evidence for ADHD-specific benefit. Not a substitute for medication or behavioral therapy.