BetterSleep alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank All meditation and mindfulness apps

Top picks

Best overall
Calm
Yearly price (web): $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial
Best free option
Headspace
Family plan: $99.99 a year for up to 6 people

Common reasons people leave BetterSleep: most content needs a Premium subscription after the trial, and subscription renews automatically unless cancelled in time. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces BetterSleep, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Calm currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Calm	Free plan + paid	$79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial	No	iOS, Android, Web	5 of 5	68.8
2	Headspace	Free plan + paid	$99.99 a year for up to 6 people	No	iOS, Android, Web	6 of 6	64.8
3	Insight Timer	Free plan + paid	$9.99 a month (MemberPlus)	No	iOS, Android, Web	8 of 8	61.8
4	Sleep Cycle	Free plan + paid	—	No	iOS, Android	4 of 4	51.2

1. CalmTop pick
Best for: People who want a large library of sleep stories, music and guided sessions in one paid app
Free plan + paidiOS, Android, Web
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from BetterSleep
Bigger library of celebrity-read sleep stories and guided meditation courses.
Pros
Very large sleep library: Sleep Stories, soundscapes and music
Clear starter programs: 7 Days and 21 Days of Calm
Runs on phones, web, Apple TV and smartwatches
Family plan and a one-time lifetime option
Cons
Most content needs a paid subscription
Prices differ between web, App Store and Google Play
Sleep-heavy library is more than some meditators need
Visit Calm Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Calm a good BetterSleep alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Yearly price (web)
$79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial
Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
Sleep Stories
500+ narrated Sleep Stories
Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
Devices
iOS, Android, web, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Wear OS
Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starter programs
7 Days of Calm, then 21 Days of Calm
Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
Breathing tool
60-second Breathe Bubble
Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Headspace
Best for: Beginners who want structured courses and a tidy app, and students on the cheap plan
Free plan + paidiOS, Android, Web
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from BetterSleep
Stronger structured meditation programmes alongside sleep sounds.
Pros
Structured beginner courses starting from Basics
Sleep, focus music and movement sessions in one app
Family plan for six and a low-cost student plan
14-day free trial on the yearly plan
Cons
Little free content without a subscription
App increasingly promotes coaching and therapy services
Courses can feel basic for experienced meditators
Visit Headspace Compare with BetterSleep Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Headspace a good BetterSleep alternative?
Verified facts
6 of 6 verified
Free trial
14 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
Family plan
$99.99 a year for up to 6 people
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
Student plan
$9.99/yr for verified students
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
Minimum age
18+, with limited exceptions
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
Owner
Part of Sword
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
Student discount
$9.99 a year for verified students
Checked Nov 8, 2026headspace.com(opens source in a new tab)
3. Insight Timer
Best for: People who want a large free library and a flexible timer without paying for a subscription
Free plan + paidiOS, Android, Web
61.8
score / 100
Why switch from BetterSleep
Huge free library of sleep meditations and music, no subscription required.
Pros
Most of a 200,000+ track library is free
Thousands of teachers across many styles and traditions
Customisable timer for unguided sessions
Live events and community groups
Cons
Quality varies widely between teachers
Size makes it hard to find a clear starting path
Courses and offline listening need Member Plus
Visit Insight Timer Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Insight Timer a good BetterSleep alternative?
Verified facts
8 of 8 verified
Free content
200,000+ tracks, mostly free
Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Paid tier
Member Plus, $59.99/yr
Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Teachers
18,000+
Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Paid features
Courses, advanced journaling, offline listening
Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Company
Insight Network Inc.
Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$9.99 a month (MemberPlus)
Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
MemberPlus annual plan
$59.99 a year
Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free plan
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
4. Sleep Cycle
Best for: People who want sleep stats and a gentler alarm using only their phone, without buying a wearable.
Free plan + paidiOS, Android
51.2
score / 100
Why switch from BetterSleep
Focuses on tracking sleep and waking you gently, with sounds as an extra.
Pros
Works with just a phone on the nightstand; no wearable required
Smart alarm wakes you in a light sleep phase within a set window
Records snoring and sleep talking and tracks them over time
Long track record and large user base
Cons
Most history, trends and audio content need a Premium subscription
Microphone tracking works best when you sleep alone
No desktop or web app for reviewing data
Visit Sleep Cycle Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.341
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Sleep Cycle a good BetterSleep alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Free trial
30 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026sleepcycle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Smart alarm window
30 minutes
Checked Nov 8, 2026sleepcycle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Wearable required
No
Checked Nov 8, 2026sleepcycle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Snore recording
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026sleepcycle.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best BetterSleep alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best BetterSleep alternative for most people

Calm

Bigger library of celebrity-read sleep stories and guided meditation courses.

Best BetterSleep alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Headspace

Stronger structured meditation programmes alongside sleep sounds.

Best BetterSleep alternative for iPhone and Android

Insight Timer

Huge free library of sleep meditations and music, no subscription required.

Best BetterSleep alternative for working in the browser

Calm

Bigger library of celebrity-read sleep stories and guided meditation courses.

BetterSleep alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to BetterSleep?

Calm ranks first right now. Bigger library of celebrity-read sleep stories and guided meditation courses. Headspace and Insight Timer follow it in our ranking.

BetterSleep vs Calm: what's the difference?

Both BetterSleep and Calm are free with paid plans. Verified prices: BetterSleep $59.99 a year per Premium membership (regular price), Calm $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial. Only Calm runs on Web.

Is BetterSleep free?

BetterSleep is free with paid plans. Free version: Limited free content after the trial; Paid plan: Premium, auto-renewing subscription; Starting price: $59.99 a year per Premium membership (regular price); Family plan: $119.99 a year for 5 Premium memberships. Checked on BetterSleep's own site, November 2026.

How much do BetterSleep alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked BetterSleep alternatives: Calm, $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial; Headspace, $99.99 a year for up to 6 people; Insight Timer, $9.99 a month (MemberPlus). Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to BetterSleep?

Yes. Calm (free plan + paid), Headspace (free plan + paid), Insight Timer (free plan + paid) and Sleep Cycle (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to BetterSleep?

None of the 4 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from BetterSleep?

The complaints we hear most: most content needs a Premium subscription after the trial; subscription renews automatically unless cancelled in time; no desktop app.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces BetterSleep, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.

Top picks

Quick comparison

1. CalmTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. Headspace

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. Insight Timer

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. Sleep Cycle

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

The best BetterSleep alternative for…

Best BetterSleep alternative for most people

Best BetterSleep alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Best BetterSleep alternative for iPhone and Android

Best BetterSleep alternative for working in the browser

BetterSleep alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to BetterSleep?

BetterSleep vs Calm: what's the difference?

Is BetterSleep free?

How much do BetterSleep alternatives cost?

Is there a free alternative to BetterSleep?

Is there an open-source alternative to BetterSleep?

Why do people switch from BetterSleep?

How is this list ranked?