Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBest for MeditationBest for StressBest for MindfulnessBest for DepressionBest For AnxietyBest for Productivity/Habits

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Table of Contents

Best for Meditation

Best for Stress

Best for Mindfulness

Best for Depression

Best For Anxiety

Best for Productivity/Habits

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While most mental health practitioners probably wouldn’t advise people spendmoretime with their smartphones, there are some apps that can turn screen time into time well-spent. These apps provide tools for people looking to improve their lives. Some are designed to help those struggling with issues likedepression,anxiety, orPTSD, while others are based onpositive psychologyand aim to increase focus, happiness, and calm throughmindfulnessandmeditation.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an estimated 48.3 million adults in the U.S. deal with some type of mental health condition each year.If you are struggling with your mental health, it is important to first seek help from a doctor, psychologist, or mental health practitioner. These apps are not meant to be a substitute for face-to-face care. But, they could be a great supplement to therapy, or a super-convenient strategy for someone looking to start new, healthier habits. One study found that 90% of people who tried a mental health app reported improvements in motivation, confidence, and attitudes about mental and emotional health.

Here, find some of the best apps in the mental health space.

Headspace

Headspaceis a great and simple app for beginning meditators looking to learn as well as more advanced meditators who want to deepen their practice. It offers meditation series that address various topics, like anxiety, stress, sleep, and physical exercise.

It has a wide array of features including “sleepcasts,” which are unique, soothing audio experiences to help you drift off, 2-3-minute mini-meditations to help you quickly achieve a mental shift, “SOS” meditations designed to help you during moments of intense stress or emotion, and educational animations to clearly explain and demonstrate mindfulness and meditation topics.

Cost: $12.99/month or $94.99/yearDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: $12.99/month or $94.99/year

Downloadherefor Apple

Downloadherefor Android

Insight Timer

More than six million people use the free meditation appInsight Timer. It offers courses on how to meditate, a fan-favorite meditation timer (for those who prefer unguided meditations), and an expansive free library of more than 35,000 guided meditations (including for sleep) with renowned teachers like Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Kristin Neff.

It will also track your progress and streaks with charts. What type of meditation works best for you is incredibly personal, and this app is great for people who are still figuring out what sorts of meditations they prefer and the types of voices and guides that are most beneficial to them.

Cost: Free or $9.99/month or $59.99/year for a premium subscriptionDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free or $9.99/month or $59.99/year for a premium subscription

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mindwas the brainchild of two mindfulness and meditation enthusiasts in Australia. They set out to make mindfulness and meditation accessible to everyone, whatever their budget, and wherever they might be. All you need is 10 minutes a day. This app offers guided meditations for adults but is mostly geared toward children to improve their mental health and academic performance. Since 2012, the app has successfully reached 4.1 million young people.

Cost: FreeDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free

INSCAPE

INSCAPEhas a brick and mortar meditation studio in New York City, but regardless of where you are in the world, with its app, you can focus on the areas in your life that you’re most looking to improve. Depending on whether you’d like to de-stress, sleep better, boost your confidence, or be more efficient at work, INSCAPE will suggest a practice that will be most beneficial to your goals. Sessions include breathing exercises,guided positive visualizations, meditations, and more.

Cost: Free 1 week trial, then $9.99/monthDownloadherefor AppleComing soonherefor Android

Cost: Free 1 week trial, then $9.99/month

Coming soonherefor Android

Stop, Breathe, Think

Cost: Packages range from as little as $4.91/month to a one-time fee of $299 for unlimited lifetime accessDownloadherefor AppleDownload here for Android

Cost: Packages range from as little as $4.91/month to a one-time fee of $299 for unlimited lifetime access

Download here for Android

Calm

An Apple Best of 2018 award winner,Calm’sofferings run the gamut from masterclasses (on things like creativity and holistic health) and guided videos on stretching, to sleep stories (think soothing bedtime stories for grownups) and meditation series that address specific areas in life, like anxiety, focus, self-esteem, and self-care. There are meditations for college students and meditations and sleep stories for kids as well. Each day, there is a new “Daily Calm” meditation with a different theme, and you can track the number of days and minutes you meditate.

Cost: $12.99/month, $59.99/year, or a one-time fee of $399.99 for unlimited lifetime accessDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: $12.99/month, $59.99/year, or a one-time fee of $399.99 for unlimited lifetime access

Aura

TheAura apppairs your current mental state with the best meditation or relaxation strategies to help you reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, as well as increase happiness.Auraoffers guided meditations, relaxing nature sounds, short stories to redirect your worrying mind, tranquil music, a place to note things you’re grateful for, and more.

Cost: Free or premium membership for $11.99/month, $94.99/year or one-time fee of $399.99 for lifetime accessDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free or premium membership for $11.99/month, $94.99/year or one-time fee of $399.99 for lifetime access

PTSD Coach

Happier

Happierwas created to be a “personal mindfulness coach,” and to help you observe and regulate your emotions throughout the day while maximizing joy, peace, and happiness. It offers inspirational quotes, meditation exercises, a place to record things for which you’re grateful, courses on happiness and well-being, and an opportunity to communicate with likeminded people who are also using the app.

Cost: Free, with in-app purchasesDownload here for AppleThis app is not yet available for Android

Cost: Free, with in-app purchases

Download here for Apple

This app is not yet available for Android

The Mindfulness App

The aim ofThe Mindfulness Appis to make the practice of mindfulness accessible to everyone. Research has shown that many of the benefits of mindfulness and meditation happen with consistent practice, but many people struggle to remember or make time each day. This app offers gentle reminders throughout the day, guided meditations for both experienced and novice meditators (as well as those in between), and timers for those who prefer silent meditation.

Cost: Free, offers in-app purchasesDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free, offers in-app purchases

10% Happier: Meditation

Cost: Free or premium membership for $9.99/month and $99.99/year as well as lifetime access for $399.99Downloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free or premium membership for $9.99/month and $99.99/year as well as lifetime access for $399.99

Buddhify

Instead of taking time out of your day to meditate,Buddhifyaims to seamlessly weave meditation into your life wherever you are—both physically and emotionally. All of the meditations offered, which range from just four minutes up to 30 minutes, are categorized so that you can find the perfect one for the moment you’re in.

There are sessions that are great for walking or taking a break from work, others for when you may be feeling intense anxiety, and more still for when you are trying to go to sleep. There are also meditations that can be done with other people—like friends, family, or coworkers—and you can also send meditations to people who you think might benefit from one, even if they don’t have the app.

Cost: $4.99, with optional membership at $30/yearDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: $4.99, with optional membership at $30/year

What’s Up?

This app, which is based on the principles ofcognitive-behavioral therapy, was created to help people struggling with depression. It can also help those who are dealing with anxiety, stress, anger, and other issues, as it helps to identify thought patterns that lead to negative feelings and offers up alternate ways of thinking during tough times.

It offers features like relaxing breathing techniques, a journal to keep track of thoughts and moods, guided exercises to help you feel grounded, and other inspirational materials.

Cost: Free, but offers in-app purchasesDownloadherefor AppleDownload here for Android

Cost: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Sanvello

Based on mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy, this app is designed to help people dealing with depression, anxiety, and stress. Formerly known as Pacifica,Sanvellohelps users to identify thought and behavior patterns that lead to negative feelings and then helps you to reframe those thoughts and change behaviors to help you live a life closer to the one you want.

Through the app, you cantrack your moods, do breathing exercises and meditations, set daily challenges and long-termgoals, connect with Sanvello’s peer support community, explore different self-help strategies, and track your progress.

Cost: Free with full access memberships ranging from $3.99 up to $199.99 for a lifetime subscriptionDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free with full access memberships ranging from $3.99 up to $199.99 for a lifetime subscription

MoodTools

MoodToolsoffers thePatient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)to help you determine if you are suffering from depression, and then track the severity of your symptoms over time. It offers activities to boost your mood, helpful videos (like TED Talks and meditations), a place to record and keep track of your moods and feelings, as well as a feature that helps you develop a wellness and safety plan for times of crisis.

Cost: Free, or donation-based subscriptions starting at $4.99, or pro mode membership for $29.99/year or $199.99/lifetimeDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free, or donation-based subscriptions starting at $4.99, or pro mode membership for $29.99/year or $199.99/lifetime

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax teaches diaphragmatic breathing, a technique that increases oxygen capacity that’s been shown to lower the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and help relieve stress. This type of breathing can help people who are experiencing panic, anxiety, PTSD, or anger. The app features videos, reading materials, and ways for users to track their progress.

Cost: FreeDownloadherefor AppleDownload here for Android

Panic Relief

The app offers various resources to help you to understand what is happening in your body during a panic attack as well as activities—like breathing and relaxation exercises, as well as positive visualization—to help you to soothe and calm yourself, and in some cases, stave off some symptoms.

Brain.fm

Cost: Free, with pro subscriptions ranging from $6.99/month to $49.99/yearDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free, with pro subscriptions ranging from $6.99/month to $49.99/year

Fabulous

From struggling to pop out of bed in the morning to managing stress, focus, and establishing productive routines, this app is ready to help you ditch what’s not serving you and do more of what is.

Cost: Free with membership options starting at $9.99/month up to $96.99/yearDownloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free with membership options starting at $9.99/month up to $96.99/year

HabitBull

Whether you’re trying to break a caffeine habit or are trying to establish new, healthy patterns like exercising or meditating,HabitBullwill help keep you on track. Once you are able to clearly see the patterns in your life, it will be easier to address them head-on. With inspiring quotes, charts of your progress, reminder notifications, and easy-to-see streaks, this app helps hold you accountable to the goals you’ve set while motivating you to achieve them.

Cost: Free, premium access for $4.99 or 1 year subscription for $19.99Downloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free, premium access for $4.99 or 1 year subscription for $19.99

Productive

Productiveis a clear, simple app that helps you to manage your to-do lists, set goals and routines, and track your progress. It offers users help in breaking negative habits and forming new, healthier habits. Users can specify what time of day they want to partake in a particular activity, for how long, and how often, and the app shows users their successful streaks, sends them motivating reminders, and charts their growth.

Cost: Free, but offers in-app purchases and upgrades ranging from $3.99 to $19.99Downloadherefor AppleDownloadherefor Android

Cost: Free, but offers in-app purchases and upgrades ranging from $3.99 to $19.99

Streaks

This visually striking app won an Apple design award in 2016. With a clear and bold interface,Streakshelps you track the consecutive days—or streaks—on which you successfully don’t engage in negative habits and do follow through with new, positive behaviors. Streaks reads your data in Apple’s Health app, and motivates you to continue on to reach your goals.

Cost: $4.99DownloadHerefor AppleThis app is currently unavailable on Android

Cost: $4.99

DownloadHerefor Apple

This app is currently unavailable on Android

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Crookston BT, West JH, Hall PC, et al.Mental and emotional self-help technology apps: cross-sectional study of theory, technology, and mental health behaviors.JMIR Ment Health. 2017;4(4):e45. doi:10.2196/mental.7262

Edenfield TM, Saeed SA.An update on mindfulness meditation as a self-help treatment for anxiety and depression.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2012;5:131-41. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S34937

Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al.The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults.Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

Seppälä EM, Nitschke JB, Tudorascu DL, et al.Breathing-based meditation decreases posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in U.S. military veterans: a randomized controlled longitudinal study.J Trauma Stress. 2014;27(4):397-405. doi:10.1002/jts.21936

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