Aura vs Calm vs Insight Timer vs Smiling Mind vs Waking Up

Aura documents monthly subscriptions through Apple/Google, but not on its website; the reviewed current official sources do not publish an unambiguous US monthly amount. The $5.83 figure is an annual-plan monthly equivalent and is not used here.

Plan: Aura Premium

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

The free mobile version includes one new three-minute session every two hours. Premium unlocks the larger library.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No matching personal recording or AI narration-production tool was listed. Selecting a recorded teacher is a different capability. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No user script-writing, editing or narration-production control matching this criterion was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No matching conversational AI capability was listed. Content recommendations alone do not establish an assistant that creates or edits recordings. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No matching conversational AI capability was listed. Content recommendations alone do not establish an assistant that creates or edits recordings. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No matching personal practice cover-generation or cover-version control was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Download tracks in advance and access them under Downloaded Tracks without a connection.

Plan: Aura Premium

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

Aura: The consumer app personalizes recommendations from coach-created recordings. Its broad library includes meditation, hypnosis, prayer and breathwork, but recommendation personalization is not custom script generation. No matching control for AI memories, saved creation preferences or a personal technique recipe was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Monthly subscriptions exist, but the reviewed official pricing guide sends users to localized checkout and does not state a current US monthly amount. The previously checked US web offer is annual; an ambiguous App Store purchase amount is not treated as a monthly quote.

Plan: Calm Premium

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2]

A selection of sleep stories, music and other content is free; Premium unlocks the full catalogue.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No matching personal recording or AI narration-production tool was listed. Selecting a recorded teacher is a different capability. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No user script-writing, editing or narration-production control matching this criterion was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No matching conversational AI capability was listed. Content recommendations alone do not establish an assistant that creates or edits recordings. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No matching conversational AI capability was listed. Content recommendations alone do not establish an assistant that creates or edits recordings. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No matching personal practice cover-generation or cover-version control was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Download eligible recordings in advance for offline playback within the mobile app.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4]

Calm: The consumer app offers recorded meditations, stories, music, timers and check-ins; this comparison excludes the separate Calm Health and Calm Sleep apps. No matching control for AI memories, saved creation preferences or a personal technique recipe was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

MemberPlus individual: USD 9.99 billed monthly, published for the published US individual subscription. Promotions, taxes and other regions or purchase channels may differ.

Plan: MemberPlus individual · Region: United States

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

Free tracks are available without a subscription; MemberPlus adds premium content and functions.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2], [3]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No matching personal recording or AI narration-production tool was listed. Selecting a recorded teacher is a different capability. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No user script-writing, editing or narration-production control matching this criterion was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Official ChatGPT and Claude connections let users discuss their needs with those assistants and retrieve suitable existing tracks. A native Insight Timer chatbot is not documented.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [5], [6]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No matching conversational AI capability was listed. Content recommendations alone do not establish an assistant that creates or edits recordings. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No tool for making a new personalized script and guided recording in this format was listed. Existing library recordings, recommendations and timers do not meet that creation definition. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No matching personal practice cover-generation or cover-version control was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

MemberPlus supports downloading eligible recordings for offline listening.

Plan: MemberPlus

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3]

Insight Timer: The consumer product supplies teacher-recorded practices, timers, routines, journaling and library tools. Teacher publishing and assistant discovery connections are identified separately where relevant. No matching control for AI memories, saved creation preferences or a personal technique recipe was listed. This is an assessment of the reviewed published feature scope, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4], [3], [5]

The compared consumer app is free. Paid organizational services are outside this plan comparison.

Plan: Free

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

The app is free for individual and family use.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. Recorded teachers, audio playback and sleep-sound recording are distinct from producing or importing a personal narration. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. The reviewed tools do not list a personal script-writing and narration-generation workflow. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. The assessment concerns the exact conversational AI action in this row. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. The assessment concerns the exact conversational AI action in this row. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. Choosing publisher artwork is distinct from generating, uploading or versioning personal cover art. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

The publisher lists downloads for offline use, including offline Favorites for downloaded sessions.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [4]

Smiling Mind: Its free consumer app offers publisher-made sessions, mental-fitness activities and configurable routines. Recommendations and listening history do not establish conversational memory or custom technique creation. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1], [2], [3]

The direct website advertises US$19.99 billed monthly. The annual amount is not its monthly equivalent; App Store prices can differ.

Plan: Waking Up membership · Region: US

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [1]

Financial assistance is available when membership is unaffordable; this is not an unrestricted free tier.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [2]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. Recorded teachers, audio playback and sleep-sound recording are distinct from producing or importing a personal narration. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. The reviewed tools do not list a personal script-writing and narration-generation workflow. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. The assessment concerns the exact conversational AI action in this row. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. The assessment concerns the exact conversational AI action in this row. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. These criteria require a newly personalized script and narrated recording, rather than a selection from existing sessions. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. Choosing publisher artwork is distinct from generating, uploading or versioning personal cover art. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]

Download individual sessions or entire series for offline playback within your membership access.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [5]

Waking Up: Its documented offering consists of recorded teaching, configurable listening, playlists, and a meditation timer. Recommendations and listening history do not establish conversational memory or custom technique creation. Our review found no listed support for this criterion; this is a published-feature assessment, not an explicit vendor denial.

Checked 2026-10-09. Sources: [3], [4]