Calm vs Hallow

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Calm

Subscription app for guided meditation, Sleep Stories, breathing exercises and relaxing music.

Free plan + paid

Visit Calm Calm profile

Hallow

Catholic prayer and meditation app with guided prayers, Bible content, music and sleep audio.

Free plan + paid

Visit Hallow Hallow profile

The short answer

Calm is a secular meditation and sleep app with a large Sleep Stories library; Hallow is a Catholic prayer app that delivers the Rosary, Scripture and Christian meditation in a similar guided-audio format. Pick Calm for non-religious relaxation and sleep; pick Hallow if you want a daily prayer habit rooted in Catholic tradition. Hallow also has a more generous free tier.

Calm or Hallow: our take

These apps share a format, not a purpose. Hallow was built for Catholics and other Christians who want a daily prayer habit in the style of Calm or Headspace: the Rosary, daily Gospel readings and reflections, the Examen, Lectio Divina, Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year, plus Christian meditation, music, sleep stories and seasonal prayer challenges. Calm is secular and leans heavily toward sleep, with 500+ narrated Sleep Stories, soundscapes and music, alongside guided meditations, the 7 Days and 21 Days of Calm starter programs, a new Daily Calm session each day and a 60-second Breathe Bubble.

The free tiers differ a lot. Calm keeps almost everything worth using behind the subscription; on the web the yearly plan is $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial, and app-store prices can differ. Hallow's free version includes hundreds of sessions, including Bible in a Year and the daily Rosary, and its subscription costs $9.99/month or $69.99/year in the US, with a family plan at $119.99/year for up to 6 members. Calm also sells a family plan and a one-time lifetime membership.

Calm runs on more devices: iOS, Android, the web, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Wear OS. Hallow covers iPhone, Android and a web app, and adds community spaces for parishes and schools with their own prayer requests and recordings.

The choice comes down to what you want from the habit. People looking for sleep help and secular mindfulness will be better served by Calm, especially if they listen on a TV or watch. Catholics who want guided prayer and Scripture will find Hallow's content far more relevant, and its free tier is enough to test that. Users of other faiths or none will find Hallow's Catholic focus limiting.

Choose Calm if…

People who want a large library of sleep stories, music and guided sessions in one paid app
Very large sleep library: Sleep Stories, soundscapes and music
Clear starter programs: 7 Days and 21 Days of Calm

Choose Hallow if…

Catholics and Christians who want guided daily prayer, Scripture and faith-based meditation
Large library of guided Catholic prayers and Bible content
Free version includes Bible in a Year and the daily Rosary

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.

What is Hallow?

Hallow is a Catholic prayer app that turns traditional devotions into guided audio sessions. It offers the Rosary, daily Gospel readings and reflections, the Examen, Lectio Divina, Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Christian meditation, music and sleep stories, plus seasonal prayer challenges that large numbers of users follow together. Parishes and schools can set up community spaces with their own prayer requests and recordings. It was launched at the end of 2018 by Hallow, Inc. and is aimed at Catholics and other Christians who want a daily prayer habit in the style of Calm or Headspace. The app is free to download and has a free version with hundreds of sessions; an optional subscription unlocks the full library, with monthly, annual and family plans and a free trial on individual plans. It runs on iPhone and Android, with a web app for listening in a browser.

Side by side

Attribute	Calm	Hallow
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	iOS, Android, Web	iOS, Android, Web
Best for	People who want a large library of sleep stories, music and guided sessions in one paid app	Catholics and Christians who want guided daily prayer, Scripture and faith-based meditation
Status	Active	Active

Calm vs Hallow pricing

Calm: free plan + paid

Yearly price (web): $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial source

Calm pricing page

Hallow: free plan + paid

Free plan: Yes, hundreds of sessions source
Starting price: $9.99/month or $69.99/year (US) source
Family plan: $119.99/year for up to 6 members source
Free trial: Yes, on individual plans source

Hallow pricing page

Platforms

Platform	Calm	Hallow
Web
iOS
Android

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.”

Hallow facts

5 of 5 verified

Free plan: Yes, hundreds of sessions; Checked Nov 8, 2026help.hallow.com(opens source in a new tab); “ Hallow is free to download , and you can choose between: The free version of Hallow , which includes hundreds of prayers and features at no cost.”
Starting price: $9.99/month or $69.99/year (US); Checked Nov 8, 2026help.hallow.com(opens source in a new tab); “Individual Monthly Plan: $9.99/month”
Family plan: $119.99/year for up to 6 members; Checked Nov 8, 2026help.hallow.com(opens source in a new tab); “Friends & Family Annual Plan: $119.99/year Covers up to 6 members”
Free trial: Yes, on individual plans; Checked Nov 8, 2026help.hallow.com(opens source in a new tab); “Free trial All individual Hallow Subscriptions begin with a free trial.”
Launched: End of 2018; Checked Nov 8, 2026hallow.com(opens source in a new tab); “We launched the app at the end of 2018, and have just been working to make it better ever since.”

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

More Calm alternatives

Pros and cons of Hallow

Large library of guided Catholic prayers and Bible content
Free version includes Bible in a Year and the daily Rosary
Parish and school community features
Family plan covers up to six people
Much of the library sits behind a paid subscription
Content is centred on Catholic tradition, less suited to other faiths or secular users
Subscriptions auto-renew after the trial unless cancelled

More Hallow alternatives

Other apps to consider

Headspace
Instead of Calm
The other big subscription app, with more structured beginner courses and a cheap student plan.
Insight Timer
Instead of Calm
A mostly free library of more than 200,000 tracks, including sleep content, if you don't want a subscription.
BetterSleep
Instead of Calm
Lets you build your own mix of sleep sounds rather than picking fixed tracks.
YouVersion Bible App
Instead of Hallow
Free Bible app with reading plans and devotionals across many translations, no subscription needed.
Glorify
Instead of Hallow
Daily devotional routine with meditations and worship music for non-Catholic Christians.
Abide
Instead of Hallow
Protestant-friendly Christian meditation with biblical sleep stories and a free audio Bible.

Calm vs Hallow: common questions

Is Calm better than Hallow?

Is Calm free?

Calm has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is Hallow free?

Hallow has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is Calm or Hallow open source?

Neither is open source.

Which platforms do Calm and Hallow support?

Calm: iOS, Android and Web. Hallow: iOS, Android and Web.