# Insight Timer vs Calm

The clearest difference is ads: Insight Timer at none against Calm's shown. Insight Timer also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Calm's advantage is ratings volume (2M vs 447K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Insight Timer sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Calm sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Insight Timer against 4.8 for Calm. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 447K and 2M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Insight Timer's written reviews are positive against 64% of Calm's.

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, Calm every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Insight Timer | Calm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (447K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899/reviews)** | [4.8 (2M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calm/id571800810/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 447K | **2M** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 64.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #21 | **#8** |
| Size | 232 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Insight Network Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/983080487) | [Calm.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/571800813) |

## What reviewers say

### Insight Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #92 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

Access thousands of guided meditations, music tracks, and talks from world-renowned experts to calm your mind, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep. Daily new content is added, catering to both beginners and experienced practitioners.

**Highlights:** Thousands of guided meditations, Music tracks and ambient sounds, Meditation timer, Community discussion groups, Progress tracking, Offline listening (premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $9.99 | per month |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $59.99 | per year |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $59.99 | per year |
| MemberPlus Family | $89.99 | per year |
| Teacher Donation (XS) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Meditation Course: Single Use | $4.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (S) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Meditation Course: Multi Use | $19.99 | one-time |
| Truth Anxiety course – Own | $19.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (M) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (L) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (XL) | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💤 Great for sleep and relaxation
- 🌍 Diverse range of teachers and content
- 🕰️ Customizable timer with bells/chimes
- 🆓 Generous free content
- 🧠 Helps with anxiety, stress, and mental health

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Overly commercialized with constant upselling
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with mandatory account creation
- 🔀 Confusing and cluttered user interface
- 🐛 Bugs, crashes, and technical issues
- 🔒 Paywall blocking access to core features

**Reported bugs**

- Timer frequently pausing or shutting down during use
- Inconsistent tracking of meditation streaks and progress
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Inability to leave reviews for meditations

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort/filter bookmarked meditations
- Option to disable opening quotes and mood check-ins
- Improved offline functionality and caching
- More customization options for the timer
- Better community features and social integration


### Calm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calm/id571800810)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #54 Top Free · Health & Fitness, #136 Top Grossing (US App Store)

This app offers guided meditations, sleep stories, music, and breathing exercises to help users reduce stress, anxiety, and improve sleep. It caters to all experience levels, integrating mindfulness into daily routines for enhanced mental well-being.

**Highlights:** Guided meditations, Sleep Stories, Breathwork exercises, Relaxing music, Stretching exercises, Mindfulness programs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calm Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Calm Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Calm Premium | $16.99 | per month |
| Calm Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| Calm Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Calm Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Calm Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Calm Premium | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💤 Helpful for sleep
- 🧘‍♀️ Effective for meditation and relaxation
- 🎨 Variety of content (sleep stories, meditations, music)
- 🙏 Positive impact on mental health
- 🤗 Soothing narrators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Limited free content
- 🕰️ Difficulty finding specific content
- 🔁 Repetitive sleep stories
- 🙃 Accessibility issues for disabled users

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Playback issues with audio and video
- Difficulty cancelling subscription

**Requested features**

- Add repeat button for sleep stories
- Separate kids and adult content
- Allow creating custom playlists
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more diverse narrator voices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Insight Timer free?

Insight Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Calm free?

Calm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Insight Timer or Calm?

Insight Timer is rated higher. Insight Timer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 447K ratings, while Calm averages 4.8 from 2M ratings.

### Do Insight Timer or Calm have ads?

Calm shows ads; Insight Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Insight Timer or Calm?

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, and Calm every 4 days. Most recently, Insight Timer was updated on September 25, 2026 and Calm on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Insight Timer or Calm?

Insight Timer currently peaks at #21 in the App Store charts, and Calm at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*