Comparison

Calm vs Sleep Schedule

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Calm

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
Read full description

Calm is the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation. Find anxiety relief, stress relief, and better sleep through breathing exercises, sleep sounds, deep sleep music, and mindfulness programs for insomnia, beginner meditation, and beyond. Downloaded by 180 million people worldwide. Fall asleep faster with Sleep Stories, bedtime stories for adults narrated by Matthew McConaughey, Stephen Fry, P\!nk, Bob Ross, and more. Only on Calm. Manage stress, relieve anxiety, improve your sleep cycle, and refocus your attention. Apple App of the Year. Apple Editors' Choice. Happiest App in the World (Center for Humane Technology). 3M+ five-star reviews. Recommended by top psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts. SLEEP STORIES — ONLY ON CALM * Drift off to Matthew McConaughey's Wonder — a dreamy journey through the mysteries of the universe * Travel through the village of Provence with master storyteller Stephen Fry in Blue Gold * Fall asleep to the soothing brush strokes of beloved painter Bob Ross in Happy Little Zzzs * Tackle insomnia with 100+ exclusive Sleep Stories, new content added every month MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS * Beginner meditation to advanced practice — guided sessions for every experience level * Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt, Daily Jay with Jay Shetty, Daily Trip with Jeff Warren * Mindfulness topics: deep sleep, anxiety relief, stress relief, focus, breaking habits, self-care, personal growth, and more * 7- and 21-day mindfulness programs to build a lasting practice ANXIETY RELIEF & RELAXATION * Breathing exercises and breathwork to ease anxiety, stress, and insomnia * Bilateral stimulation music and neuroacoustic sounds for nervous system regulation and somatic relaxation * Guided breathwork for stress relief, anxiety relief, and deep calm * Stress management and self-healing through Dailies: programs for social anxiety, personal growth, and mood balance * Mindful movement and stretching with Daily Move SLEEP SOUNDS, MUSIC & SOUNDSCAPES * Calming music, nature sounds, and sleep sounds: ocean waves, heavy rain, campfire, and more * Exclusive focus and sleep music from top artists * Full soundscapes and sleep sounds to help you relax, meditate, and sleep soundly ALSO FEATURING * Daily Streaks & Mindful Minutes — emotion and mental health tracker * Calm saves your meditation and sleep sessions to your Apple Health app. Mental health is health. Calm is for anyone looking to improve their sleep, manage stress, and address everyday anxiety. Meditation novice or seasoned expert. Take a deep breath and find your Calm. Calm is free to download and use. There are never any ads and some of the programs and features are free forever. Some content is only available through an optional paid subscription. Be sure to check out our Apple Watch app to quick-start breathing exercises and track your meditations. Subscription pricing and terms: Calm offers an auto-renewing monthly subscription at $14.99/month and an auto-renewing yearly subscription at $69.99/year to provide you with unlimited access to the Calm Collection while you maintain an active subscription. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your iTunes Account when you confirm the initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and the cost of the renewal will be identified. You may manage your subscription and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. Read more about our terms and conditions here: Terms of service: https://www.calm.com/terms Privacy policy: https://www.calm.com/privacy

About

Sleep Schedule

This app helps you break free from late-night scrolling and morning distractions to improve sleep quality and boost productivity. It offers customizable app blocking, soothing sounds, and a sunset simulation to promote restful nights and energized mornings.

Highlights
  • Sleep Timer & Morning Blocks
  • Soothing Sounds & Sleep Stories
  • Sunset Simulation
  • Customizable Block List
  • Privacy Focused
  • Personalized Sleep Schedule
Features
Read full description

Stop Scrolling Before Bed and Wake Up Refreshed! Embrace Peaceful Nights for a Healthier You. Calm Cycle transforms your evenings and mornings to help you sleep better and wake up refreshed. 7.5 hours. That’s the average time you’ll spend scrolling or stressed before bed and after waking up. With Calm Cycle, you’ll break free from bad habits, find restful sleep, and start each day feeling focused and recharged. BENEFITS 92% of users fall asleep faster 90% wake up with more energy 88% improve their mental clarity throughout the day 83% spend less time scrolling and more time living KEY FEATURES Sleep Timer & Morning Blocks: • Prevent app usage before bedtime to improve your sleep quality. • Block apps in the morning so you can start the day with purpose. • Take control of your evenings and mornings by eliminating distractions. Soothing Sounds & Sleep Stories: • Drift off to sleep with calming white noises and guided meditations. • Discover bedtime stories crafted to ease your mind and help you unwind. Sunset Simulation: • Mimic the natural rhythm of the sun to gently prepare your mind and body for sleep. • Wake up with a gradual light increase, feeling refreshed and ready to go. BENEFITS Better Sleep: 92% of users fall asleep faster and wake up rested. Less Screen Time: Spend less time scrolling and more time living. Improved Mental Health: Enjoy lower stress and better mindfulness. Boosted Productivity: Wake up energized and ready to tackle your day. CREATE A PERSONALIZED BLOCK LIST Customize your app blocking experience to suit your needs: Stop distractions from social media: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok Avoid streaming platforms: YouTube, Netflix Stay off dating apps: Tinder, Bumble, Hinge And much more, including news, messaging, and gaming apps. PRIVATE & SAFE Calm Cycle uses Apple’s Screen Time API to monitor and block apps discreetly. Your data never leaves your device. Installation is quick and effortless, and your privacy is always protected. Subscription pricing and terms: Limit Screen Time offers an auto-renewing yearly subscription at $69.99/year to provide you with unlimited access to the all To-do Lock features while you maintain an active subscription. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your iTunes Account when you confirm the initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and the cost of the renewal will be identified. You may manage your subscription and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. Need help? Contact us here: https://screentimecontrol.app/contact-us Read more about our terms and conditions here: Privacy policy: https://screentimecontrol.app/privacy-and-policy/ Terms and conditions: https://screentimecontrol.app/terms-and-conditions

Screenshots

Calm4 screens
Sleep Schedule4 screens

Verdict

The call

Calm and Sleep Schedule both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of Calm's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sleep Schedule's. Calm also leads on ratings volume (2M vs 11) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). Sleep Schedule's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Calm holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calm has 2M ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Calm's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sleep Schedule's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calm ships an update every 4 days, Sleep Schedule every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Calm versus Sleep Schedule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalmSleep Schedule
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2M ratings) — better4.6 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews64.1% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2M — better11
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB79 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCalm.comScreen Time Control LLC

Customer experience

Calm

All ratings1,981,815 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews3,855 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral7.5%
Negative28.4%

Sleep Schedule

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Calm

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add repeat button for sleep stories
  • Separate kids and adult content
  • Allow creating custom playlists
  • Improve search and navigation
  • Add more diverse narrator voices
Show 1 more
  • Provide text-based instructions for techniques

Sleep Schedule

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Calm

Subscriptions8
  • Calm Subscription$14.991 Month
  • Calm Premium$14.991 Month
  • Calm Premium$16.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Calm Premium$29.991 Month
  • Calm Premium$69.991 Year
  • Calm Premium7 Days trial2 variants$69.991 Year
  • Calm Premium7 Days trial3 variants$79.991 Year
  • Calm Premium$79.991 Year
7 purchases

Sleep Schedule

Subscriptions4
  • Premium2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Premium$8.991 Month
  • Premium$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time3
  • Lifetime$19.99
  • Lifetime$29.99
  • Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Calm free?
Calm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sleep Schedule free?
Sleep Schedule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Calm or Sleep Schedule?
Calm is rated higher. Calm averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2M ratings, while Sleep Schedule averages 4.6 from 11 ratings.
Do Calm or Sleep Schedule have ads?
Both Calm and Sleep Schedule show ads.
Which is updated more often, Calm or Sleep Schedule?
Calm ships an update every 4 days, and Sleep Schedule every 11 days. Most recently, Calm was updated on September 24, 2026 and Sleep Schedule on June 5, 2026.

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