App comparison
AI meditation app subscription costs compared
Meditation app subscriptions in October 2026 run from free library access to about US$45 a month, and the app that creates personal audio with AI is not the expensive one. Manai's Plus plan is US$12.99 monthly or US$79.99 yearly, while Calm, Headspace, Balance, and Aura cluster around US$50 to US$80 a year for recorded libraries, Waking Up is US$129.99 a year on the web, and Reveri's interactive self-hypnosis is US$44.95 monthly. The useful comparison is what a subscription buys: a catalog to listen to, or room to create practices around your own words and keep them.
What a subscription actually buys
Three different products hide behind the word “subscription.” A library app sells access to recorded sessions by teachers. An adaptive app sells a method that responds to you within its own structure. A personal guide sells creation plus a relationship: goals, memory, revision, and a saved practice to return to. Manai is the third kind, and its allowances are counted in creation minutes with unlimited listening.
Prices alone cannot tell you which kind you need. Decide that first, then compare within the kind. This table sticks to apps you will still find next year; smaller AI generators come and go, and our AI meditation app comparison covers their workflows separately.
The prices, as displayed on October 11, 2026
Swipe or scroll the table to see every column.
| App | Creates or adapts audio for you? | Free tier | Monthly | Yearly | Where the price appeared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manai | Yes: scripts, narration, pauses, and sound from your conversation | Yes, limited creation and listening | Plus US$12.99; Pro US$19.99 | Plus US$79.99; Pro US$139.99 | Manai pricing |
| Reveri | Adapts: an AI delivers Dr. Spiegel’s self-hypnosis method around your answers | Seven-day trial | US$44.95 | US$149.99; lifetime US$449 | Site pricing |
| Calm | No | Yes, a small free selection | App Store: Calm Premium US$14.99 | App Store: US$79.99 and US$69.99 tiers; lifetime US$499.99 on the support site | Support site and App Store |
| Headspace | No; its Ebb companion recommends content | Fourteen-day trial | App Store: US$12.99 | US$69.99; student US$9.99; family US$99.99 | Subscriptions page |
| Insight Timer | No | Yes, a large free library | App Store: US$9.99 | US$60 | Member Plus page |
| Balance | Assembles sessions from a recorded library | Free trial | App Store: US$11.99 | App Store: US$49.99 with a seven-day trial; US$69.99 tier | App Store listing |
| Aura | No; AI personalizes recommendations | Yes, short daily sessions | App Store: US$11.99 | US$69.99; family US$129.99 | Aura FAQ |
| Waking Up | No | Five free sessions; seven-day trial | US$19.99 | US$129.99 on the web; US$149.99 on the App Store | Checkout page |
Scope: US dollar prices as displayed; App Store entries do not label billing periods, so a period is inferred only from the item name. Calm’s individual web price is shown only after creating an account, so its monthly and yearly figures come from the App Store.
What the cheap tiers leave out
Free tiers differ in kind. Insight Timer’s free library is large and usable on its own. Calm’s and Aura’s free selections are small samples. Manai’s Free plan includes limited creation and ten minutes of listening a day, which tells you more about a creation app than a free tier that lets you listen to one recording.
Trials also differ: Headspace offers fourteen days, most others seven. A trial is only useful if you can test the thing you would pay for, so make your first practice during it, not a tour.
Compare creation, not just access
A library subscription has no natural ceiling: listen as much as you like. A creation subscription is bounded by how much new audio it will produce. Manai’s Plus plan includes approximately 125 personalized creation minutes a month, and Pro approximately 300, both with unlimited listening; replaying a saved practice does not use creation minutes. Our cost guide works out what that means per recording.
None of the library apps in the table writes a practice around your words. Balance assembles sessions from recorded pieces, Headspace and Aura use AI to recommend, and Reveri adapts a fixed method to your answers. Manai’s conversation lets you revise exact wording, place silence, choose a narrator, and keep a saved practice tied to a goal. Our Manai vs Calm and Manai vs Headspace comparisons go into those differences.
Three honest ways to save
Pay yearly only after a month. Yearly plans are charged up front. Use a monthly plan or the trial first, then switch once you know you open the app.
Check the web price. Waking Up prices its web checkout below its App Store price, and Reveri notes that store and web prices are set per region. Calm and Headspace sell family plans on the web.
Ask about assistance. Waking Up offers free membership on request, Reveri lists free memberships for people who cannot pay, and several apps mention financial assistance by email.
Frequently asked questions
Which app is cheapest for personalized audio?
Among the apps in this table, only Manai creates audio from your own words, and only Reveri adapts a method to your answers. Manai Plus was US$79.99 yearly and Reveri US$149.99 yearly on the day we checked.
Is Manai more expensive than Calm or Headspace?
Manai Plus at US$79.99 a year was close to the Calm App Store tiers and above Headspace’s US$69.99. The products differ: Manai creates practices around your words with unlimited listening, while Calm and Headspace sell recorded libraries.
Why do website and App Store prices differ?
Companies set them separately, and app stores list several tiers at once. Waking Up and Reveri both display different web and store prices. Confirm the figure at checkout on your device.
Does Manai’s creation allowance expire?
Allowances are per subscription month. Saved recordings remain in your Library and can be replayed without using creation minutes. See current plans for the details.
Are these prices still current?
They were displayed on October 11, 2026. Prices, tiers, and trials change often and vary by country. Treat the table as a dated snapshot, not a guarantee.
Create your personal practice with Manai →
Manai offers educational wellness practices. It is not medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. If a practice feels uncomfortable, stop. Seek qualified support for health concerns or urgent distress.