Balance
Recorded coach options
Choose among available recorded coaches for supported sessions. Keeping personal alternate audio files is not documented.
Supporting sources:
Source checked . Availability can change.
Voice and recordings · 5-app comparison
Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: Balance vs Headspace vs Insight Timer vs Smiling Mind vs Waking Up
Retain multiple audio versions and choose which recording plays.
Your comparison
5 of 5 apps Balance 
Headspace 
Insight Timer 
Smiling Mind 
Waking Up Compare by topic
Compare custom self-hypnosis creation and editing controls; existing recordings and clinical hypnotherapy are different offerings. Choosing a self-hypnosis app
Compare guided reflection, journaling and personalization tools for exploring how you see yourself. Self-concept journal prompts
Compare creating affirmation audio, cloning your voice, recording narration and replay controls. Own-voice app guide
Compare creating and revising original guided meditations, including scripts, voices, pauses and generation allowances. Create a custom meditation
Compare creating and editing personal tapping audio, rather than access to a library of recorded sessions. Choosing an EFT tapping app
Compare creating guided rehearsal audio around your goals, context and preferred pacing. What is mental rehearsal?
Compare custom yoga guidance, practice preferences and playback. See the guide for instructor-led class libraries. Choosing a yoga app
| Features1 selected | Balance Balance Premium | Headspace Headspace individual | Insight Timer MemberPlus | Smiling Mind Free | Waking Up Waking Up membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one |
Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: details
Headspace
Recorded teacher options
Supported sessions and courses let listeners switch between available recorded teachers. This is not storage of multiple personal audio files.
Supporting sources:
Source checked . Availability can change.
Insight Timer
No listed support
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.
Supporting sources:
Source checked . Availability can change.
Smiling Mind
Recorded voice choices
Most sessions offer male/female recorded guides and a default voice setting. These are publisher recordings, not versions of user-created audio.
Supporting sources:
Source checked . Availability can change.
Waking Up
No listed support
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.
Supporting sources:
Source checked . Availability can change.
Sources and plan details
Sources for 1 features across Balance, Headspace, Insight Timer, Smiling Mind, Waking Up. Annual prices show the full yearly charge in USD. “Limited” includes conditions. “No listed support” means the feature was not found in the reviewed official documentation.
Balance 1 researched
- Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: Recorded coach options
-
Choose among available recorded coaches for supported sessions. Keeping personal alternate audio files is not documented.
Checked . Sources: [1]
Balance sources
- Using Balance and session history · Checked 2026-10-09
Headspace 1 researched
- Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: Recorded teacher options
-
Supported sessions and courses let listeners switch between available recorded teachers. This is not storage of multiple personal audio files.
Checked . Sources: [1]
Headspace sources
- Headspace teacher selection · Checked 2026-10-09
Insight Timer 1 researched
- Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: No listed support
-
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.
Insight Timer sources
- Insight Timer feature knowledge base · Checked 2026-10-09
- Insight Timer MemberPlus features · Checked 2026-10-09
- Insight Timer in ChatGPT: capabilities and limitations · Checked 2026-10-09
Smiling Mind 1 researched
- Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: Recorded voice choices
-
Most sessions offer male/female recorded guides and a default voice setting. These are publisher recordings, not versions of user-created audio.
Checked . Sources: [1]
Smiling Mind sources
- Smiling Mind voice and music settings · Checked 2026-10-09
Waking Up 1 researched
- Keep multiple audio versions and select the active one: No listed support
-
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.
Waking Up sources
- Waking Up app organization · Checked 2026-10-09
- Waking Up publisher listing and release notes · Checked 2026-10-09