Calm vs Insight Timer
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Calm
Subscription app for guided meditation, Sleep Stories, breathing exercises and relaxing music.
Insight Timer
Free meditation app with a huge library of guided tracks from thousands of teachers, plus a timer.
The short answer
Calm suits people who want a polished, sleep-focused library with Sleep Stories, music and clear starter programs, and who are happy to pay a subscription. Insight Timer suits people who want a huge, mostly free library from thousands of teachers plus a flexible timer for unguided sits. The biggest difference is the model: Calm is a curated paid app, while Insight Timer is an open, largely free platform.
Calm or Insight Timer: our take
Calm leans hard towards sleep. Alongside guided meditations it offers 500+ narrated Sleep Stories, soundscapes, sleep music and a 60-second Breathe Bubble. New users are guided through 7 Days of Calm and then 21 Days of Calm before the wider library, and a Daily Calm session is added every day. Insight Timer works the other way round: approved teachers publish their own tracks, giving more than 200,000 guided meditations, talks and music tracks from 18,000+ teachers across sleep, breathwork, yoga nidra and many traditions. Its original timer, with interval and ending bells and ambient sounds, is still there for unguided practice, alongside live events and community groups.
Pricing follows from that. On calm.com the yearly plan is $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial, and almost everything worth using sits behind it; family and lifetime plans are also sold, and prices can differ between the website and the app stores. Insight Timer is mostly free to play. Member Plus costs $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month and adds courses, offline listening and extra journaling features.
Both run on iPhone, Android and the web. Calm also runs on Apple TV, Apple Watch and Wear OS.
The trade-offs mirror each other. Calm offers a consistent, curated experience and a clear path for beginners, but costs more and its sleep-heavy library can be more than a pure meditator needs. Insight Timer costs little or nothing, but quality varies widely between teachers and its size makes it hard to know where to start. Pick Calm for sleep help and a guided, polished routine; pick Insight Timer for variety, a free library and a good timer, especially for those who already know what kind of practice they want.
Which should you pick?
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 Insight Timer if…
- People who want a large free library and a flexible timer without paying for a subscription
- Most of a 200,000+ track library is free
- Thousands of teachers across many styles and traditions
About each app
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 Insight Timer?
Insight Timer started as a meditation timer and grew into one of the largest free libraries of guided meditation. Approved teachers publish their own tracks, so the app holds more than 200,000 guided meditations, talks and music tracks from over 18,000 teachers, covering sleep, breathwork, yoga nidra and many traditions. Most of it is free to play. The original timer is still there for unguided sits, with interval and ending bells and ambient sounds. There are also live events and community groups. A paid tier, Member Plus, adds courses, offline listening and extra journaling features. The app is made by Insight Network Inc. and runs on iPhone, Android and the web. The trade-off is the flip side of the open model: quality varies a lot from teacher to teacher, the sheer size can make it hard to know where to start, and there is less of a guided path than in Headspace or Calm.
Side by side
| Attribute | Calm | Insight Timer |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | People who want a large free library and a flexible timer without paying for a subscription |
| Status | Active | Active |
Calm vs Insight Timer pricing
Calm: free plan + paid
- Yearly price (web): $79.99/yr after a 7-day free trial source
Platforms
| Platform | Calm | Insight Timer |
|---|---|---|
| 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.”
Insight Timer facts
8 of 8 verified- Free content
- 200,000+ tracks, mostly free
- Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Most of the meditation content (over 200,000 tracks and resources) is free and doesn’t require a paid subscription.”
- Paid tier
- Member Plus, $59.99/yr
- Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “However, a subscription option called Member Plus is available. This plan costs $59.99 a year”
- Paid features
- Courses, advanced journaling, offline listening
- Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “This plan costs $59.99 a year and gives you access to premium features including courses , advanced journaling, and offline listening.”
- Company
- Insight Network Inc.
- Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Insight Network Inc.”
- Starting price
- $9.99 a month (MemberPlus)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$9.99 per month — Our monthly plan”
- MemberPlus annual plan
- $59.99 a year
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$59.99 USD per year — Our annual plan”
- Free plan
- Yes
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Insight Timer is Free Insight Timer is free and accessible to everyone”
- Teachers
- 18,000+
- Checked Nov 8, 2026insighttimer.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “18,000+ world-renowned meditation teachers”
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
Pros and cons of Insight Timer
- 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
- Quality varies widely between teachers
- Size makes it hard to find a clear starting path
- Courses and offline listening need Member Plus
Other apps to consider
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.
Plum Village AppInstead of Insight Timer
Completely free like Insight Timer's core library, but focused on one Zen tradition instead of thousands of teachers.
HallowInstead of Insight Timer
Catholic-focused guided prayer and Christian meditation, with a free version.
Calm vs Insight Timer: common questions
Is Calm better than Insight Timer?
Calm suits people who want a polished, sleep-focused library with Sleep Stories, music and clear starter programs, and who are happy to pay a subscription. Insight Timer suits people who want a huge, mostly free library from thousands of teachers plus a flexible timer for unguided sits. The biggest difference is the model: Calm is a curated paid app, while Insight Timer is an open, largely free platform.
Is Calm free?
Calm has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Insight Timer free?
Insight Timer has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Calm or Insight Timer open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Calm and Insight Timer support?
Calm: iOS, Android and Web. Insight Timer: iOS, Android and Web.