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Headspace
Structured meditation courses for people who want to be taught, not just guided.
- Best for
- Beginners, Meditation, Focus
- Focus
- Meditation, Mindfulness, Sleep
- Cost
- Subscription
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Runs on
- iPhone, Android, Apple Watch
- Made by
- Headspace Inc.
The Oria take
The one to choose if you have tried meditating and bounced off it. The courses are ordered, the instruction is plain, and the sessions are short enough that starting is not a decision. Less useful if you already have a practice and just want a big library to wander through.
What is Headspace?
Headspace teaches meditation as a skill, through courses that build in order rather than a library you browse. Alongside the meditation it carries sleepcasts and wind-downs, short mindfulness exercises for the middle of a working day, and in some markets coaching and therapy. Everything beyond the trial needs a subscription.
What it offers
- Ordered courses that teach meditation from the beginning
- Sleepcasts and wind-down audio for bedtime
- Short exercises for focus during the day
- Over a thousand expert-led sessions
What we like
- The clearest teaching of any of the mainstream apps
- Short sessions make a daily habit realistic
- Sleep content included rather than sold separately
Things to consider
- No free tier beyond the trial
- The structure that helps beginners can feel restrictive once you have a practice
What it costs
Subscription. Free trial: 14 days.
Headspace advertises a 14-day free trial, then monthly or annual billing, with student and family plans. The Australian price is not published on its site; check in the app store.
Pricing last checked September 2026. Apps change their plans, so check before you subscribe.
Questions people ask
Is Headspace free?
No. There is a 14-day free trial, after which it is a paid subscription. A handful of sessions stay available outside the trial.
Is Headspace good for beginners?
It is the most beginner-oriented of the well-known apps. The courses run in order and explain what you are doing and why, rather than handing you a library to sort through.
Take it offline
Prefer practising with other people?
An app is a good companion between sessions. These are the places in Perth doing the same thing in a room.
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