What Do You Get for Your Money?

With over one and a half million five-star reviews, Calm is one of the most popular meditation and relaxation apps available. But is it right for you? Here’s what features you can expect on the free version of the Calm app, as well as a look at its premium content. Now you’ll know exactly what you get for your money when buying the Calm app.

What Free Features Does Calm Offer?
The Calm app is totally free to try. Unlike some free trial apps, you do not need to enter credit card information to access the basic features. There are, however, several reminders on the free version that upgrading to premium is always an option. Anything you cannot access will feature the image of a lock.

Download: Calm for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
Meditations

First up, several meditation tools are available on the free version of Calm. From the Discover menu, navigate to the meditation section and then select the Less Guidance option. This provides access to the open-ended meditation timer, which can play the sound of a bell at regular intervals.
You can select the bells to sound every minute up to every eight hours. It can be used during active meditation, or you can use the regular bell sounds throughout the day as a reminder to focus on your breathing and awareness.

The app also offers several multi-day programs for meditation, and the intros are free to play. For example, the intro to 7 Days of Sleep, titled Understanding Sleep Challenges, is available to free app users. The rest of the program does require a premium subscription, however.
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Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are another feature on the Calm app, and one is available to try for free each day. You may learn how to practice box breathing, deep belly breathing, or extended exhale, for instance.
Beginner-friendly and straightforward, these exercises can help you relax and destress by focusing on your breath. The simple animation is calming, too.
Sleep Stories

Lastly, you can get a sense of the app’s Sleep Stories by listening to Blue Gold for free. Narrated by Stephen Fry, this 25-minute narrative journey through Provence is a soothing, pleasant way to relax.

You’ll get to try out the appeal of hearing these bedtime stories for listeners of any age. Nearly all other sleep stories are locked for free users, however.

“How Are You Feeling?” Self-Checks

The self-check-ins are also free to access on the free version of Calm. These prompts help you gauge your emotional well-being at the moment, as well as focus on reasons to have gratitude. You can record daily check-ins and track how your moods change over time.
Additional Free Content From Calm’s Website
For more free features, look to the Calm website. The Calm resources page includes a whole trove of free content. There’s a selection of guided meditations, many featuring the same narrators whose soothing voices fill the app. Relaxing music, content for children, and even some of the famed sleep stories are available, too.

Wonder, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, is a pleasant starting point. It’s another way to get a feel for the app’s premium content without committing to any payments.

What Paid Features Does Calm Offer?
Access to all meditations, original music, soundscapes, the Sleep Stories collection, and masterclass discussions require premium access.
All Guided Meditations

Premium subscribers can make the most of the Calm app’s selection of over 100 guided meditations. The Daily Calm presents a new 10-minute guided meditation on a different topic each day.
In addition, a selection of courses for beginners helps ease newcomers into meditation practice. Several meditation series, with a focus on everything from mindfulness to pain management, are also available.
Original Music and Soundscapes

Tailored specifically for the app, the Calm music selection features a wide range of songs for any mood. Use the Relax or Sleep categories to find wind-down tunes. There’s also a selection of calming music for focus. Gentle piano pieces, ambient pieces, electronic, and curated lo-fi beats are all available.

There’s even a selection of popular songs created or remixed specifically for Calm, featuring artists such as deadmau5, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, and Keith Urban.
Soundscapes are relaxing tracks of background music to use for sleep, focus, or relaxation. Falling rain, ocean surf, and forest ambiance are just a few of the available soundscapes.
Sleep Stories

The full selection of Sleep Stories include readings from Jane Austen and Shakespeare, as well as plenty of original tales. You can take an aural journey around cities from all over the world, or enjoy one of the popular train ride tales.

There are also plenty of sleep stories aimed at children starring sleepy sloths, classic fairy tales, and even minions. Adults are welcome to enjoy these tales, too!
Masterclass Discussions

Similar to podcasts, Calm’s masterclass discussions feature multipart audio content on a range of topics. Experts share their wisdom in a series of eye-opening and compassionate lectures. You can hear about how a psychologist and neuroscientist is rethinking depression, or learn more about mindful eating with advice from a medical doctor.

How Much Does Calm Cost?

A single yearly subscription to Calm costs $69.99 USD, and a lifetime Calm membership is available for $399.99 USD. Keep an eye out for occasional sales or discounts on subscriptions.
You can pay for premium access to the Calm app with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, as well as most major credit or debit cards. The first seven days of your purchase consist of a free trial.

At $99.99 per year, Calm family plans are also available for up to six users. These can go to any friends and family members, and they do not have to live in your household. Each member gets their own account.
In addition, students can get discounted access to Calm through Amazon Prime Student. After a three-month free trial of the premium service, Amazon Prime Student users can get a yearly subscription to Calm for $8.99 USD per year.

Other Meditation and Relaxation Apps Like Calm
If Calm isn’t quite right for you, don’t fret. There’s no shortage of meditation and relaxation apps that offer similar content. In fact, some apps like Medito are free to use forever. It all depends on what you’re looking for in your meditation experience.

Another wildly popular meditation app, Headspace also offers a variety of courses for meditation practice. A yearly subscription to Headspace is $69.99 USD, and monthly subscriptions are available for $12.99.

Should You Subscribe to Calm?
Free to try, the Calm app is a multipurpose meditation and relaxation tool. Even total newcomers to mindfulness practices can start learning with the free version’s straightforward practices and breathing timers.
People who are more practiced at meditation may find the free selections a little thin, however. If you want to access meatier content like guided meditations or original music, then paying for the premium version is a must. Anyone who is serious about making meditation a daily practice (and doesn’t mind the price) should consider a paid Calm subscription.

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