Comparison

Calmind vs Altering

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

Head to head
About

Calmind

This app uses science-backed flashlight stimulation and binaural beats to guide users into deep relaxation and sleep. It offers a structured daily wellness plan including guided breathing, journaling, and nature sounds. Designed for those who struggle with stress, sleep, or quieting their minds, it provides a unique approach to mental wellness.

Highlights
  • Flickering Light Stimulation (FLS)
  • Binaural beats and ASMR
  • Structured daily wellness plan
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Gratitude journal
  • Nature soundscapes
  • 500+ customizable sessions
Features
Read full description

Unlock deep relaxation in 10 minutes using science-backed flashlight meditation. Turn your phone into a mental wellness device – no meditation experience needed. Calmind uses scientifically-designed Flickering Light Stimulation (FLS) to guide your brain into deep relaxation in minutes. Unlike any other app, Calmind transforms your phone's flash into a personal wellness tool that quiets mental noise instantly – no sitting still, no clearing your mind required. Not peace of mind. Peace FROM mind. ———————————— HOW IT WORKS Your phone's flashlight emits precise light patterns that gently synchronize your brainwaves – guiding you into a semi-meditative state within minutes. Paired with binaural beats, ASMR, and ambient soundscapes, each session delivers a deeply immersive experience you have to feel to believe. ———————————— YOUR DAILY WELLNESS PLAN Calmind structures your day so you never have to guess what to do: → Vision: Your daily FLS light session (Relax, Sleep, Focus, Migraine Relief, Mind Exploration, Mood Elevation, Cognitive Clarity, Neuronal Health) → Breathe: Science-backed breathing exercises to calm your nervous system instantly → Safeplace: Your private gratitude journal for daily reflection and emotional clarity → Stories: Guided audio experiences for winding down before sleep → Nature: Relaxing nature sounds and ambient soundscapes 500+ customizable sessions. One structured daily plan. ———————————— WHO IT'S FOR Calmind was built for people who: - Have tried meditation and couldn't stick with it - Struggle to fall asleep or quiet racing thoughts - Want fast stress relief without pharmaceutical solutions - Are curious about altered states of consciousness – drug-free - Deal with anxiety, burnout, or chronic mental fatigue ———————————— WHAT USERS ARE SAYING "As a psychonaut, I found Calmind to be incredibly rewarding. During my first session, I experienced an unexpected emotional release." — Matthew M. "I've tried many relaxation apps, but nothing compares to Calmind. It helped me achieve a deeper connection with myself." — Anna W. "It's like having a reset button for my brain." — Grace K. ———————————— GO PREMIUM Unlock the full Calmind experience with Premium: - Unlimited access to all 8 FLS programs and 500+ sessions - Full library of binaural beats, ASMR, and nature soundscapes - Exclusive sleep stories and guided audio experiences - Regular new content and program updates Your first FLS session is always free. Your Safeplace journal is free forever. ———————————— START YOUR RESET TODAY Download Calmind and experience deep relaxation in your first session. Whether you're battling insomnia, anxiety, burnout, or just need a mental reset – Calmind is the most uniquely effective wellness app you haven't tried yet. ———————————— IMPORTANT: Not suitable for individuals with epilepsy or photosensitive conditions. Recommended for users 18+. Consult a healthcare professional if you have concerns. Terms: https://calmind.com/terms-and-conditions/

About

Altering

Cultivate a daily creative habit to reduce stress, boost well-being, and enhance productivity. Engage in playful exercises designed to foster creative flow without judgment, strengthening your creative abilities and mental resilience. This app offers an active alternative to meditation, focusing on focused creation and idea generation.

Highlights
  • Daily creative exercises
  • Develops creative flow
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
  • Improves well-being
  • Boosts productivity
  • Active rest alternative
Read full description

A daily habit of creative flow has been proven to reduce stress, improve well-being, and boost productivity. Anyone can do it You don’t need to consider yourself an artist to feel all the benefits of playful creative practice. Our exercises help you drop straight into creative flow, free of judgement and restrictions. Build your creative muscle over time through regular practice and strengthen the neural pathways that bring you satisfaction and joy. Struggled to meditate in the past? Try active creative flow instead. It has many of the same benefits, without having to quiet your mind. Instead, you’ll spend your time focused, flowing, and making new connections between ideas. Exercises in creative consciousness Altering teaches you to approach challenges with an open, creative mind. You’ll learn to embrace the blank page and get confident generating novel ideas. Detox your downtime Make Altering your healthy distraction that you won’t need to feel guilty about. Use your creative time as a daily hit of active, refreshing rest. Subscriptions Subscriptions automatically renew, unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage your subscription from your Apple account settings. Payment will be charged to your Apple account. Privacy policy: https://altering.io/privacy-policy Terms of service: https://altering.io/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Calmind4 screens
Altering4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Altering at fortnightly against Calmind's every 6 weeks. Calmind's advantage is ratings volume (61 vs 6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Calmind sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Altering sells 2 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Calmind against 4.5 for Altering. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calmind has 61 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Calmind's written reviews are positive against 89% of Altering's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calmind ships an update every 6 weeks, Altering fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Calmind versus Altering: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalmindAltering
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (61 ratings)4.5 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings61 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB38 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBrainmediaAltering Ltd

Customer experience

Calmind

All ratings45 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral5.6%
Negative11.1%

Altering

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Calmind

Subscriptions7
  • Calmind Premium$9.997 Days
  • Calmind Subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Calmind premium$14.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Calmind Premium3 Days trial$44.993 Months
  • Calmind Premium3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Calmind Premium1 Year trial$89.991 Year
  • Calmind Premium$89.991 Year
One-time1
  • Calmind Premium$299.00
2 purchases

Altering

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Calmind free?
Calmind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Altering free?
Altering is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Calmind or Altering?
Altering is rated higher. Calmind averages 4.4 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Altering averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Calmind or Altering have ads?
Neither Calmind nor Altering shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Calmind or Altering?
Calmind ships an update every 6 weeks, and Altering fortnightly. Most recently, Calmind was updated on November 6, 2026 and Altering on November 4, 2026.

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