Both Calm and Waking Up with Sam Harris are excellent meditation apps with a wide range of features. Calm is suitable for users looking for sleep stories and integration with wearable devices, while Waking Up with Sam Harris is ideal for those interested in Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita practices. Waking Up with Sam Harris also provides subscriptions for free to anyone who cannot afford it.
| Attribute | Calm | Waking Up with Sam Harris |
|---|---|---|
| Guided Meditation Variety | Offers both guided and unguided meditations (3-30 minutes) focusing on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques. Meditations cover topics like anxiety, stress, and sleep. | Mindfulness, Headless Way, metta (compassion) meditations, Zen koans, meditations for children, body scanning, visual field meditation, loving-kindness meditation. |
| Meditation Teacher Expertise | Instructors include Tamara Levitt, Jay Shetty, and Chibs Okereke. Tamara Levitt has over 20 years of experience in meditation and mindfulness. | Sam Harris has practiced meditation for over 30 years and has studied with various teachers. He holds a degree in philosophy and a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Features a curated library of guided meditations from practitioners. |
| Beginner-Friendly Content | Suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. Teaches the foundations of mindfulness meditation and tailors tracks to different experience levels. | 28-part introductory course teaching basic mindfulness principles. Clearly structured guided meditations with an easy-to-navigate interface. Harris includes his own mistakes and insights. |
| Advanced Meditation Techniques | Offers programs for both beginner and advanced users. Advanced techniques include visualization, mantra meditation, and movement meditation. Deep breathing exercises are also featured. | Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita practices. Explores consciousness and the mind's relationship to it, incorporating Dzogchen techniques. Self-timer for deepened meditative experience. |
| Sleep Stories/Soundscapes | Well-known for sleep stories, some narrated by celebrities. Offers a variety of soundscapes and music tracks to promote relaxation and sleep. | Includes lessons and conversations on sleep. |
| Mindfulness Exercises | Includes breathing exercises and practical mindfulness exercises for daily life, such as body scans, walking meditations, and the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. | Practical mindfulness exercises for daily life. Short daily audio messages to integrate meditation. |
| Personalized Recommendations | Provides personalized recommendations based on user preferences. | Provides personalized recommendations based on individual preferences and goals. |
| Progress Tracking Features | Tracks meditation progress, including consecutive days of use, minutes of meditation, and number of sessions. Offers mood check-ins. | Tracks meditation progress and provides insights into user habits. Tracks mindfulness days, minutes, and total sessions completed. Users can save meditation sessions to their Apple Health app. |
| Offline Content Availability | Content can be downloaded for offline use. | Content can be downloaded for offline use. |
| Integration with Wearable Devices | Integrates with wearable devices with heart rate monitors to provide real-time biofeedback. Compatible with Apple Watch and Wear OS. | Apple Health or Google Fit integration available for in-depth progress tracking. |
| Subscription Cost | Offers a 7-day free trial. Subscription options include monthly ($14.99), yearly ($69.99), and lifetime ($399.99) plans. Discounts are available for students and families. | Annual subscription: $129.99, Monthly subscription: $19.99. Subscriptions are free to anyone who cannot afford it. |
| User Interface and Experience | Has an easy-to-use interface. The app's design is visually appealing and simple to navigate. | Clean, minimalist design with straightforward navigation. Intuitive user interface. |