# Calm vs Resonate

The clearest difference is ads: Resonate at none against Calm's shown. Resonate also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Calm's advantage is ratings volume (2M vs 16) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calm sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Resonate sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Calm against 4.8 for Resonate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calm has 2M ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Calm's written reviews are positive against 80% of Resonate's.

Calm ships an update every 4 days, Resonate weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calm | Resonate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calm/id571800810/reviews)** | [4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resonate-visual-breathing/id1621272262/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2M** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 171 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Calm.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/571800813) | [Rockwell Ventures](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447164748) |

## What reviewers say

### Calm

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #57 Top Free · Health & Fitness, #137 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


### Resonate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resonate-visual-breathing/id1621272262)

This app guides you to breathe at your resonant frequency using visuals and audio for deep relaxation. It can help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, promote better sleep, and boost energy levels.

**Highlights:** Visual breathing guidance, Relaxing audio, Track Mindful Minutes with HealthKit, Reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, Improves sleep quality, Boosts energy levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calm free?

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

### Is Resonate free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calm or Resonate?

Calm is rated higher. Calm averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2M ratings, while Resonate averages 4.8 from 16 ratings.

### Do Calm or Resonate have ads?

Calm shows ads; Resonate does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calm or Resonate?

Calm ships an update every 4 days, and Resonate weekly. Most recently, Calm was updated on October 25, 2026 and Resonate on October 24, 2026.

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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.*