The Best Mindfulness Apps of 2025

Three illustrated mobile app screens showing wellness goals, activity tracking, and daily reports with characters meditating, reading, and gardening

Introduction

The global wellness apps market hit US $11.27 billion in 2024 and is still growing 14.9% a year.
With hundreds of options fighting for attention, we ranked the seven stand-outs on user base, scientific evidence, and brand-new 2025 features.

As mindfulness researcher Dr Judson Brewer notes:
“I would keep curiosity as the last thing for changing bad habits.”

Use that same curiosity as you search through the best options to practice Mindfulness below.

Begin: The Family-First, Offline-Friendly Newcomer

Begin Mindfulness Icon
  • Five hubs in one app: Meditation, Breathing, Sleep, Kids, and Pets are stitched together so parents, children, and even anxious dogs share a single calm space.
  • Offline-by-default playback: Any track placed in the “Today” playlist is downloadable, making Begin the only 2025 release you can use on airplanes or off-grid hikes without toggling settings. 
  • Pet-calming soundscapes: Audio engineered to lower canine and feline stress sits next to bedtime stories for toddlers—no other app targets the entire household. 
  • Mood-based “Moodscapes”: Choose Calm, Focus, Energize, or Sleepy playlists and the engine auto-curates content. 
  • Evidence-informed brevity: Most exercises run 1–10 minutes, echoing research that micro-practices reliably boost adherence for busy families. 

Calm: 100 Million Download Heavyweight

  • 500 + Sleep Stories and growing library of music & soundscapes. 
  • Real-time HRV prompts on supported smartwatches trigger guided breathing exactly when your variability dips, translating wearables’ raw numbers into actionable relaxation cues. 
  • 60-second “Breathe Bubble”: A one-tap SOS to down-shift the nervous system during acute stress. 
  • Broad device ecosystem: iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Samsung Health, Sonos, and Apple TV keep Calm within reach anywhere. 

Headspace: Science First

  • 500 + Sleep Stories and growing library of music & soundscapes. 
  • Real-time HRV prompts on supported smartwatches trigger guided breathing exactly when your variability dips, translating wearables’ raw numbers into actionable relaxation cues. 
  • 60-second “Breathe Bubble”: A one-tap SOS to down-shift the nervous system during acute stress. 
  • Broad device ecosystem: iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Samsung Health, Sonos, and Apple TV keep Calm within reach anywhere. 

Insight Timer: Free-Library Giant

  • 230 k + guided tracks from 17 000 teachers span every tradition and length imaginable, still entirely open access. 
  • 2025 redesign adds one-tap timer start so you get from home screen to practice in a single press. 

Balance: Your Daily Audio, Built Fresh

  • Adaptive questionnaire each morning tailors a brand-new session from thousands of clips—no two routines repeat. 
  • Immersive vibration-based meditations and interactive “Wind Down” singles add multisensory variety. 
  • Skill tracking dashboard shows exactly which aspects of mindfulness you’re strengthening. 

Happier: Journalism-Style Depth

  • Monthly “practice check-ins” adjust your plan based on self-reported wins and roadblocks. 
  • Library of 500 + meditations & story-driven courses brings real-life context, parenting, running and dishwashing, to the cushion. 

What's the Choice for You?

If you need…

Try this first

  • One app for everyone—including kids and pets, even offline
Begin
  • Celebrity-read sleep stories & smartwatch biofeedback
Calm
  • Clinically validated courses plus on-demand coaching
Headspace
  • Largest open-access meditation catalog
Insight Timer
  • Fresh, personalized plans every day
Balance
  • Story-driven lessons and monthly accountability nudges
Happier