Medito vs Headspace: a free nonprofit meditation app or a paid one with more structure?

Medito and Headspace side by side

	Medito	Headspace
Who runs it	Stichting Medito, a nonprofit foundation in Amsterdam, founded 2020	Headspace, a for-profit company
Price	Free. No paywall, ads, trial, or premium tier	US$12.99 a month or US$69.99 a year (US App Store, Oct 26, 2026)
Account needed	No	Yes
What you get	Guided sessions, courses including 30-day challenges, sleep stories and sounds, breathing, a timer, offline mode	Structured courses, single sessions, sleepcasts, focus music, movement, and more
Extra support	None; funded by donations	Ebb AI companion; text coaching and therapy at extra cost
Source code	Open source	Proprietary
Size	About 4.1 million downloads (Medito site)	One of the largest meditation apps
Research on the app	A randomized trial of a free 30-day digital mindfulness program, published 2024	Many studies, including randomized trials run by Headspace researchers

Sources: Medito Foundation, Medito’s About page, the US App Store listings for Medito and Headspace, and Headspace’s AI page.

What “free” means at Medito

Most free meditation apps are free tiers of paid ones. Medito is different. Its foundation states there are no paywalls, no ads, no trials, and no premium tier, and the app works without creating an account (Medito Foundation). It is funded by donations; Medito says fewer than 1 percent of its users have ever donated (Medito donations). The code is open source, so anyone can inspect how it works.

The trade-offs are the ones you would expect from a small nonprofit. The library is smaller than Headspace’s, the US App Store listing shows English only, and there are no extra services like coaching.

What you pay for with Headspace

Headspace’s main advantage is a carefully designed curriculum. Its courses build a skill over many sessions, and the production quality is consistently high. On top of the library, Headspace offers Ebb, an AI companion that you can talk with and that recommends content, plus coaching and therapy services priced separately. Headspace’s website lists a 7-day trial on monthly plans and 14 days on annual plans (Headspace subscriptions).

What the research says

Both apps have been studied, with different kinds of evidence.

Medito. In a pre-registered randomized trial with 1,247 participants from 91 countries, a free 30-day digital mindfulness program (the program listed on Medito’s research page) improved well-being, depression, and anxiety compared with a control group who listened to excerpts of an audiobook. Improvements in well-being and depression were still present at two months. Only 300 people completed the post-program measures, which limits how far the results generalize (Remskar and colleagues, 2024).

Headspace. Headspace has a large research program. One example: in a randomized trial by Headspace researchers, ten days of its introductory course reduced irritability and some aspects of stress compared with an audiobook about mindfulness (Economides and colleagues, 2018). Industry-run studies are useful but are best read alongside independent ones.

Neither body of evidence shows that one app works better than the other. The bigger factor for most people is which one they actually keep using.

Who should choose which

• Choose Medito if you want to meditate without paying, without ads, or without creating an account; you value an open-source nonprofit; or you are trying meditation for the first time and do not want to commit.
• Choose Headspace if you want a structured path through many courses, the most polished production, an AI companion, or coaching in the same app, and the price is fine for you.
• Try both if you are unsure. Medito costs nothing, and Headspace has a free trial.

If you are comparing more apps, our Headspace vs Calm vs Balance comparison and Manai vs Insight Timer cover other popular choices, including Insight Timer’s large free library.

Where Manai fits

Medito and Headspace both offer recorded sessions written for a general audience. Manai creates practices written for your situation: you describe what you want help with, and Manai writes and narrates a meditation, visualization, affirmations, or similar practice around it, with the pauses and voice you choose. You can read the script first and save the final version to replay. Some people use a library app for daily basics and Manai for specific moments, like the night before an exam.

Original illustrative request, not a tested example:

Create a six-minute meditation for the morning of my driving test. Start with my feet on the floor, then slow breathing, then picture checking the mirrors calmly before pulling away. Plain language, no music, and end with one sentence I can repeat in the car.

Manai has a free plan to try this, and you can create a practice in Manai in a few minutes. See also Manai vs Headspace.

Frequently asked questions

Is Medito really free?

Yes. The Medito Foundation says the app has no paywalls, ads, trials, or premium tier, and you do not need an account. It is funded by donations from a small share of users.

Is Medito as good as Headspace?

Medito covers the essentials well, including guided sessions, courses, sleep content, and a timer, and a randomized trial of its 30-day program found benefits. Headspace has a larger, more polished library and extra services. For many people, the free app is enough; others prefer Headspace’s structure.

Who makes Medito?

Medito is made by Stichting Medito, a nonprofit foundation registered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, founded in 2020. Its code is open source.

How much does Headspace cost?

On the US App Store on October 26, 2026, Headspace listed US$12.99 a month and US$69.99 a year, plus a separately listed Headspace Plus annual option. Its website lists a 7-day trial on monthly plans and 14 days on annual plans.

Does Medito have sleep content?

Yes. Medito includes sleep stories, sleep sounds, and sessions for winding down, along with a timer with ambient sounds. Content can be downloaded for offline use.

Create your personal practice with Manai →