The Headspace app, for both iOS and Android, teaches the fundamentals of meditation through daily 10-minute sessions. It's backed by scientific studies, highly popular, and free until a monthly subscription option kicks in.
Good for beginners, the iOS Mindfulness App starts with a 5-day introduction to mindfulness, along with guided meditations, timed sessions, and customizable meditations.
Stop, Breathe & Think is an iOS/Android app that provides basic free meditations in addition to two subscription tiers. With over 55 meditations, customizable options, breathing and progress tracking tools, and informational videos, this app has a lot to offer and tons of positive reviews.
Ten Percent Happier promises to deliver on its name, offering over 500 guided meditations, including short ones to squeeze into a busy schedule. The app offers sleep meditations, progress tracking tools, personal coaching, daily habit building tools and more once you get past the free level.
Mindfulness Coach was developed by the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs. The popular, free iOS app teaches mindfulness with the goals of “reducing stress, improving emotional balance, increasing self-awareness, helping with anxiety and depression, and coping more effectively with chronic pain.”
iOS and Android-friendly Relax Melodies is an app that provides music for you to practice mindfulness and meditation on your own. Since there are no guided meditations, this one is best for those who already know how to meditate or who want to do it on their own.
Insight Timer is a free iOS and Android app aimed at more experienced meditators, offering session timers with gentle notification sounds like Tibetan bowls, ambient music and sounds, and some guided meditations.