Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Insight Timer VS Calm

Compare Insight Timer VS Calm and see what are their differences

Insight Timer logo Insight Timer

Support your meditation practice through a massive community powered app.

Calm logo Calm

Calm.com can help you reduce stress and increase calm.
  • Insight Timer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28
  • Calm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27

Insight Timer features and specs

  • Diverse Meditation Library
    Insight Timer offers a vast array of meditations, music tracks, and talks from various teachers and traditions. This diversity gives users a wide range of choices to find what resonates best with them.
  • User Community
    The app features a robust community aspect, allowing users to join groups, participate in discussions, and even see how many people are meditating in real time. This can foster a sense of belonging and mutual support.
  • Customizable Timer
    Insight Timer provides a highly customizable meditation timer that includes background sound options, interval bells, and ambient audio. This can enhance the meditation experience according to individual preferences.
  • Free Content
    A significant amount of content on Insight Timer is available for free, making meditation accessible to a broader audience without a financial commitment.
  • Expert Teachers
    The app features a wide array of expert teachers who offer high-quality, professional guidance on various aspects of meditation and mindfulness.
  • Regular Updates
    The platform is regularly updated with new meditations, music tracks, and courses, ensuring that users have access to fresh and current content.

Possible disadvantages of Insight Timer

  • Premium Subscription Cost
    While much of the content is free, some advanced features and courses require a premium subscription, which may be a drawback for users unwilling or unable to pay.
  • Interface Complexity
    For new users, the app's wide array of features and content can be somewhat overwhelming and may require time to navigate effectively.
  • Inconsistent Content Quality
    Given the wide range of teachers and user-generated content, the quality of the meditations and talks can be inconsistent, which may lead to a less reliable user experience.
  • Mobile App Only
    While highly functional on mobile devices, the lack of a fully-featured desktop version can be a limitation for users who prefer meditating or accessing content on a larger screen.
  • Notification Overload
    Some users might find the frequency of notifications and community alerts disruptive or overwhelming, detracting from a more peaceful and focused meditation experience.
  • Technical Issues
    Some users report occasional technical glitches such as app crashes, slow loading times, or issues with playback, which can interrupt the meditation experience.

Calm features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Calm offers a clean, easy-to-navigate interface that makes it accessible for users of all ages and technical abilities.
  • Wide Range of Content
    Calm provides a broad variety of meditation types, sleep stories, and relaxation music, catering to various preferences and needs.
  • High-Quality Audio
    The app's audio quality is excellent, enhancing the overall user experience and effectiveness of its meditative and sleep-inducing content.
  • Expert-Led Sessions
    Meditations and lessons are led by experienced mindfulness instructors, offering professional quality guidance.
  • Regular Updates
    Calm frequently adds new content, keeping the experience fresh and engaging for long-time users.

Possible disadvantages of Calm

  • Subscription Cost
    Calm requires a subscription for full access, which might be expensive for some users compared to other meditation and relaxation apps.
  • Limited Free Content
    The free version of the app offers limited access to its features, restricting the user's experience until they subscribe to the premium service.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users have reported occasional compatibility problems with certain devices or operating systems.
  • Data Usage
    Streaming high-quality audio content can consume a significant amount of data, which might be a concern for users with limited data plans.
  • Distracting Notifications
    Some users find the in-app notifications and suggestions for premium content distracting, disrupting the meditative experience.

Insight Timer videos

Best Meditation App: Insight Timer Review (goodbye, stress!)

More videos:

  • Review - Meditation App Review: Insight Timer
  • Review - THE BEST MEDITATION APP? HEADSPACE - WAKING UP - INSIGHT TIMER COMPARISON

Calm videos

Calm App Review 2020: A Psychologist's Honest Opinion

More videos:

  • Review - Meditation Apps: Headspace vs Calm!
  • Review - I Drank MAGNESIUM Before Bed for a Month | CALM MAGNESIUM HONEST REVIEW

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Insight Timer and Calm)
Health And Fitness
22 22%
78% 78
Meditation
22 22%
78% 78
Sleep
29 29%
71% 71
Productivity
14 14%
86% 86

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Insight Timer and Calm

Insight Timer Reviews

The 7 Best Meditation Apps of 2024
Insight Timer offers more than 150,000 free meditations—that’s a big deal, since one of the biggest complaints about other meditation apps is their lack of free content. When we tried Insight Timer, the sheer number of free options blew us away. The library allowed us to filter by need (e.g., stress, sleep, self-esteem); time, from five to 30 or more minutes; and specific...
10 Best Headspace Alternatives
If you’re on the hunt for a free alternative to Headspace, Insight Timer checks pretty much every box. In fact, Insight Timer users spend more time on the app than any of the other meditation apps combined — meaning you’re most likely to develop a simple daily meditation habit with Insight Timer.
Eight Meditation Apps That Are Cheaper (and Better) Than Headspace and Calm
Insight Timer is a community-based mindfulness meditation app and website. In an app like Headspace, you essentially have access to one or two meditation teachers. On Insight Timer, there are thousands of meditation teachers to choose from. You can even enroll in communities that practice mindfulness and meditation together.
Source: lifehacker.com
12 best mindfulness apps to help you keep calm during a crisis
Insight Timer is more of a social network for meditators. As well as a world map showing you how many people are meditating at any one time, it allows you to see who is nearby and to invite friends to join in with you. There are also community groups where you are encouraged to join meet-ups throughout the UK, or discuss anything from poetry to Hinduism.
The Best Meditation Apps of 2020
More meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else, and the app has 10 or more free guided meditations added every day. Browse thousands of meditations to begin building a simple daily habit, jump into discussion groups and community features, and use the music tracks and ambient sounds to calm your mind and promote sleep.

Calm Reviews

The 7 Best Meditation Apps of 2024
What's keeping you up at night? Anxious thoughts? Lack of focus? A stressed-out psyche? Calm’s guided meditations will have you sleeping soundly and feeling more relaxed almost instantly. When we tried Calm, we were immediately impressed with the breadth of content available—everything from soothing soundscapes to narrated meditations to sleep stories. Since we have always...
10 Best Headspace Alternatives
With over 4.5 million subscribers, Calm is a meditation and mindfulness app that specializes in sleep meditations and sleep stories for adults and children. Some of these stories are narrated by popular celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey and LeBron James. Calm also features a collection of background music for sleep.
Eight Meditation Apps That Are Cheaper (and Better) Than Headspace and Calm
Ten Percent Happier is not a cheaper alternative to Headspace or Calm, exactly—the annual membership is $99—but it’s certainly better than both of those options when it comes to targeted meditation training. The app curates a selection of diverse teachers, that help you practice mindfulness. There are more than 500 guided meditations in the app.
Source: lifehacker.com
12 best mindfulness apps to help you keep calm during a crisis
We loved Calm when we tested it previously, particularly its guided Daily Calm sessions, which helped us unwind and refocus our attention. But the app has bolstered its already-great offering this year, with the addition of a new daily meditation series called the Daily Trip. Narrated by Canadian author and meditation teacher Jeff Warren, the Daily Trip offers a more...
The Best Meditation Apps of 2020
This award-winning app has calming exercises, breathing techniques to help you relax, and even a Calm Kids section with meditations for kids between 3 and 17. The Sleep Stories section features a great mix of voice talent — you may recognize actors Matthew McConaughey or Jerome Flynn — to lull you to sleep. For a mindful experience you can access right from your Apple Watch,...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Insight Timer should be more popular than Calm. It has been mentiond 62 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Insight Timer mentions (62)

  • How to condition your mind for optimal performance
    My routine involves using noise cancelling headphones and using an app on my phone called Insight timer. Depending on if I'm working in the office or working from home, I'll always find 5-10 minutes at the same time every day to sit and complete a guided session. It doesn't need to be a long session, it just needs to be regular. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night brain going full speed ramble about nothingness, then get irritated because you can't go back to sleep!???
    I use Insight-Timer. It's a great app. The Yoga Nidra helps me focus my mind on the " right here, right now" by focusing my attention on my breath and physical sensations I feel in different parts of my body. I usually fall asleep before the end of the meditation (about 10-15 minutes) and sometimes my wife tells me I'm out in less than 2 minutes. Https://insighttimer.com or check the app store. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Any suggestion?
    Insight Timer is free and has literally thousands of meditations, music, sounds, etc. It's fun to poke around and find a style/person that's helpful. I found that I like guided meditations with background music so I can turn off the rest of my brain. When you feel a migraine come on or even have a worry about one happening you can pop on a track and get yourself out of that negative feedback loop. Wishing you... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How is the McNair unit?
    This is a list of resources that provide mental health education, as well as strategies and tools to manage mental health. • Anxiety BC: http://anxietybc.ca • BIPOC Mental Health: https://www.ubcpactra.ca/bipoc-and-lgbtq-mental-health- Supports/ • Centre for Clinical Interventions: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking- After-Yourself • First Nations Mental Health:... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • i never accepted or dealt with it, and now i’m having an identity crisis.
    What can you do for yourself tonight to make today more manageable? Can you manage a small snack, a glass of water, a cup of tea? What helps you feel more in control of the space you're in in your apartment? Would it feel safer to block your door with something heavy? What feels comforting right now? Do you have a favorite blanket to wrap yourself in, a favorite stuffed animal, or even a comfort movie or show? How... Source: almost 2 years ago
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Calm mentions (8)

  • Alternatives to scrolling Reddit?
    Meditation. try the calm app or calm.com for sleep stories or sleep body scans. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Redeeming Benefit via App Store?
    If I purchase the Calm membership through the app store, will the rebate still post? I saw in the details it specified "calm.com." Does anyone know for sure? Source: over 2 years ago
  • [NeedAdvice] 1 Thinking too much is destroying my life. How can I shut down thinking and start living outside of my head?
    I found Waking Up to require more effort than calm.com (or headspace). The latter apps tend to focus on simple things: e.g. Focus on your breathing whereas Waking Up is actually much more about challenging your beliefs of what it even means to exist. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Some Free Dumps for you Guys + Selling Calm.com 1 Year Family Account
    Also for now I am selling Calm.com 1 Year Family Account for $7. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Yoga as an exjw
    I don't do full yoga but trying out calm.com and just some mind clearing meditation daily is great for unclenching the upper stomach muscles around the diaphragm that you don't realize clench from day-to-day stress. I remember wanting to try it when I was younger because I've always had an issue with holding onto anger and frustration but was told the whole "emptying your mind lets Satan in" business. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Insight Timer and Calm, you can also consider the following products

Headspace - Meditation made simple. Brilliant things happen in calm minds.

Synctuition Meditation Program - Synctuition Meditation Program is a world’s most leading meditation app that comes with brand new 3D sounds that enhance the quality of sleep significantly.

Medito - 100% Free Meditation App that will improve your Mental wellbeing with the help of Guided Meditations, Breathing Exercises, Mindfulness Practices, Relaxing Sounds, and more.

Pacifica - Stress and anxiety relief through beautiful CBT tools

Let’s Meditate: Guided Meditation - Let’s Meditate: Guided Meditation developed and published by the Heal Me Team for Android devices only.

Simple Habit - Our mission is to empower humans to stress less, achieve more, and live better. Meditate today!