Abide vs Calm
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Abide
Christian meditation and sleep app with Bible-based guided meditations, sleep stories and an audio Bible.
Calm
Subscription app for guided meditation, Sleep Stories, breathing exercises and relaxing music.
The short answer
Abide is a Christian meditation and sleep app built on Bible verses, with a free audio Bible and reading plans; Calm is a secular meditation app with a very large sleep library and wider device support. Christians who want quiet time rooted in Scripture should pick Abide, which is also cheaper per year. Everyone else, or anyone wanting the biggest sleep catalogue, will find more in Calm.
Abide or Calm: our take
The deciding question is whether you want faith-based content. Abide offers guided meditations built around Bible verses, a daily meditation and devotional, and biblical sleep stories, organised by needs such as anxiety, grief, stress and prayer. It is run by Guideposts, a long-running Christian nonprofit publisher. Calm is secular: guided meditations on themes like focus and gratitude, a Daily Calm session each day, the 60-second Breathe Bubble, and 7 Days of Calm followed by 21 Days of Calm as starter programs. Its biggest strength is sleep, with 500+ narrated Sleep Stories plus soundscapes and sleep music.
Both are freemium with most content behind a subscription. Abide's free tier is more useful on its own, because the full audio Bible, daily devotions and reading plans can be used without paying; Premium, which unlocks most meditations and sleep stories, has a 7-day free trial and costs $39.99/year on the yearly plan. Calm's yearly web plan is $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial, and it also sells a family plan and a lifetime membership. Calm prices can differ between its website and the app stores.
Platforms favour Calm. Abide is mobile only, on iPhone and Android. Calm runs on iOS, Android and the web, and also on Apple TV, Apple Watch and Wear OS. Neither is a study tool: Abide users who want deeper Bible study will need a separate app, and Calm users who mainly want meditation instruction may find its sleep-heavy library more than they need.
Choose Abide if you are a Christian who wants meditation and bedtime content grounded in Scripture, or if you want a free audio Bible in the same app. Choose Calm if you prefer secular mindfulness, want the largest sleep library, or want to use it on a TV, watch or computer.
Which should you pick?
Choose Abide if…
- Christians who want Scripture-based meditation and bedtime stories instead of secular mindfulness
- Biblical sleep stories for winding down at night
- Free full audio Bible and reading plans
Choose Calm if…
- People who want a large library of sleep stories, music and guided sessions in one paid app
- You need Web, which Abide doesn't list
- Very large sleep library: Sleep Stories, soundscapes and music
- Clear starter programs: 7 Days and 21 Days of Calm
About each app
What is Abide?
Abide is a Christian take on apps like Calm and Headspace. It offers guided meditations built around Bible verses, a daily meditation and devotional, and biblical sleep stories meant to help you wind down at night, with topics such as anxiety, grief, stress and prayer. It also includes a full audio Bible, daily devotions and Bible reading plans that can be used without paying. Most of the meditation and sleep library needs Abide Premium, a subscription with a free trial, billed monthly or yearly. Abide is run by Guideposts, a long-running Christian nonprofit publisher. It suits Christians who want quiet-time and sleep content rooted in Scripture rather than secular mindfulness. Those who want deeper Bible study will need a separate app. It is available for iPhone and Android.
What is Calm?
Calm is one of the two best-known subscription meditation apps, and it leans harder toward sleep than most. Alongside guided meditations it has a large library of Sleep Stories (narrated bedtime stories, from classic literature to nature essays), soundscapes, sleep music and a short Breathe Bubble exercise for in-the-moment breathing. New users are pointed to 7 Days of Calm and then 21 Days of Calm, two introductory programs, before the wider library of sessions on themes like focus and gratitude. A Daily Calm session is added every day. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web, and also on Apple TV, Apple Watch and Wear OS. On calm.com the yearly plan starts with a free trial and then bills annually; a family plan and a lifetime membership are also sold. The trade-off: almost everything worth using sits behind the subscription, and prices can differ between the website and the app stores. If you mainly want meditation instruction rather than sleep content, the sleep-heavy library can feel like more than you need.
Side by side
| Attribute | Abide | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Christians who want Scripture-based meditation and bedtime stories instead of secular mindfulness | People who want a large library of sleep stories, music and guided sessions in one paid app |
| Status | Active | Active |
Abide vs Calm pricing
Abide: free plan + paid
Calm: free plan + paid
- Yearly price (web): $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial source
Platforms
| Platform | Abide | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
Abide facts
4 of 4 verified- Yearly price
- $39.99/year
- Checked Nov 8, 2026abide.co(opens source in a new tab)
- “After your free trial, the yearly subscription is $39.99 and automatically renews each year until cancelled.”
- Owner
- Guideposts
- Checked Nov 8, 2026abide.co(opens source in a new tab)
- “Guideposts – A Church Corporation”
- Free content
- Audio Bible and reading plans
- Checked Nov 8, 2026abide.co(opens source in a new tab)
- “Terms Listen to Full Audio Bible Full Free Audio Bible, Daily Devotions, and Daily Bible Reading Plans Access for Free Why Christian meditation?”
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Checked Nov 8, 2026abide.co(opens source in a new tab)
- “Fatma Start 7-day free trial Start your free trial of Abide Premium Get 7 days free, then only $39.99 per year.”
Calm 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)
- “7-Day Free Trial then $79.99 billed annually”
- Sleep Stories
- 500+ narrated Sleep Stories
- Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “If you're having trouble falling asleep, our 500+ Sleep Stories ®, soundscapes, and guided sleep meditations can lull you to sleep.”
- Devices
- iOS, Android, web, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Wear OS
- Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Calm is available on iOS, Android, Web, in addition to Apple TV, Apple Watch, Google WearOS, and Samsung Health.”
- Starter programs
- 7 Days of Calm, then 21 Days of Calm
- Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “beginning with the 7 Days of Calm , our introductory program that offers the basics of meditation, and then move on to the 21 Days of Calm .”
- Breathing tool
- 60-second Breathe Bubble
- Checked Nov 8, 2026calm.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “If you're spiraling in negative thoughts and need immediate relief, our 60-second Breathe Bubble grounds you in the moment and helps your body return to a state of relaxation.”
Pros and cons of Abide
- Biblical sleep stories for winding down at night
- Free full audio Bible and reading plans
- Content grouped by needs like anxiety, grief and stress
- Most meditations and sleep stories need Premium
- No study tools beyond reading plans
- Mobile only
Pros and cons of Calm
- 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
- Most content needs a paid subscription
- Prices differ between web, App Store and Google Play
- Sleep-heavy library is more than some meditators need
Other apps to consider
HallowInstead of Abide
Larger prayer and meditation library with a Catholic focus and well-known narrators.
Insight TimerInstead of Abide
Huge free library of meditations, including Christian teachers, without a paywall for most content.
HeadspaceInstead of Calm
The other big subscription app, with more structured beginner courses and a cheap student plan.
BetterSleepInstead of Calm
Lets you build your own mix of sleep sounds rather than picking fixed tracks.
Happier MeditationInstead of Calm
More teaching and practical courses from well-known teachers, with three courses free.
Abide vs Calm: common questions
Is Abide better than Calm?
Abide is a Christian meditation and sleep app built on Bible verses, with a free audio Bible and reading plans; Calm is a secular meditation app with a very large sleep library and wider device support. Christians who want quiet time rooted in Scripture should pick Abide, which is also cheaper per year. Everyone else, or anyone wanting the biggest sleep catalogue, will find more in Calm.
Is Abide free?
Abide has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Calm free?
Calm has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Abide or Calm open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Abide and Calm support?
Abide: iOS and Android. Calm: iOS, Android and Web.