Headspace costs $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, which works out to $5.83 a month on the annual plan. The annual plan starts with a 14-day free trial and the monthly plan with a 7-day trial. A Family plan for up to six people is $99.99 a year, verified students pay $9.99 a year, US K-12 educators get it free, and Headspace does not currently sell a lifetime plan.
Headspace has one paid tier, and every plan unlocks the same library. What changes is how you pay, how long your trial runs, and whether you qualify for a discount. Here is each option, checked against Headspace’s own pages.
Headspace subscription plans and prices
The paid subscription is called Headspace Plus. It is the standard subscription described here, not a higher tier.
According to Headspace’s help center, a subscription opens the full library: hundreds of meditations, more than 40 themed courses on topics like stress and sleep, sleep content, Move Mode workouts, Focus Mode music, and a new meditation delivered every day.
These are US prices. Elsewhere, Headspace sets prices locally: its renewal-rates article lists the annual plan at $89.99 CAD, £49.99 and €57.99, and notes that taxes may be added.
How much is Headspace per month?
On the monthly plan, Headspace is $12.99 a month, billed on the same date each month. Twelve months of that comes to $155.88.
On the annual plan, you pay $69.99 up front, which is $5.83 a month and about 55% less than paying monthly for a year. Monthly suits a short try, and annual is cheaper if you keep going.
How the Headspace free trial works
Headspace offers two trials, and the one you choose decides what you are billed afterwards. Its help center says the 7-day trial becomes a monthly subscription and the 14-day trial becomes an annual one. You are not charged until the trial ends.
Headspace’s terms allow one free trial per person, however you subscribe. The App Store listing says to turn off renewal at least 24 hours before the current period ends, and that buying a subscription during the trial forfeits the rest of it.
The 14-day annual trial is the better test because it is twice as long. If Headspace is not for you, cancel at least a day before the trial ends and you pay nothing.
What the free version includes
Very little inside the app. Headspace’s help center says the whole library is unlocked during the trial, and that you need a subscription to keep using it afterwards. It does not list any in-app content as free once the trial ends.
For free mindfulness, Headspace points people to its YouTube channel, Radio Headspace, and the articles on its website. If you already pay for Netflix, Headspace’s “Guide to Meditation” and “Guide to Sleep” series are there too.
Is there a Headspace lifetime subscription?
No. Headspace does not currently sell a lifetime plan. Its plan pages offer monthly, annual, family and student subscriptions only.
Lifetime memberships did exist at one point: Headspace’s help center still mentions current lifetime members, who are not eligible for the Family plan.
Student, family and teacher discounts
Student plan: $9.99 a year. Headspace markets this as 85% off. It is for full-time and part-time post-secondary students aged 18 and older in the US and a handful of other countries. Verification runs through SheerID, and you re-verify every year. When you can no longer verify, for example after graduating, Headspace moves you to a one-year alumni plan at 40% off the regular annual price, then to the standard annual plan. At today’s $69.99 rate, that alumni year comes to about $42.
Family plan: $99.99 a year for up to six people. That count includes the account owner, so it works out to about $16.67 per person. The owner pays and manages members, and everyone enters the same physical address when they sign up. If you pay through Apple, Google Play or Spotify, Headspace’s help center says to cancel that subscription and let it expire before joining.
Free for US K-12 educators. Headspace’s educators page offers free access to K-12 teachers and school staff in the US, for personal use and in the classroom. You sign up at headspace.com/educators by choosing your school’s state.
Guest Pass. Subscribers can share a Guest Pass from their profile in the app. According to the help center, a friend who isn’t a current subscriber and hasn’t used a Headspace free trial before gets 30 days free, then is billed for the annual plan.
Promotions. Headspace runs discounted offers from time to time. Its help center says a promotional rate renews at full price once the promotion ends, so check the renewal price before you buy.
Free Headspace through work or a health plan
Some employers, health plans and membership programs give Headspace to their members at no cost. Headspace’s help center mentions health plans like Kaiser Permanente and Cigna, along with partner codes from companies such as Vitality. Check your benefits portal before you pay.
If you have this kind of access, sign up through the link your employer or plan provides, or choose “Access through work or health plan” when you log in to the app. If you were already paying through Apple or Google Play, cancel that subscription yourself. If you later leave the employer, Headspace says you can keep using it by paying for Headspace Plus at the standard $69.99 a year. A paid membership you had before does not restart on its own.
Two other routes are narrower. Headspace’s Medicare page says the app is fully covered for eligible people on Original Medicare, though not Medicare Advantage, through a program called CMS ACCESS that starts with two short screening questionnaires. And Headspace’s help center says a limited US audience aged 18 and over can pay for the annual plan with HSA or FSA funds, after a short eligibility form at checkout.
Do prices differ on the web and in the app?
The headline prices match. In the US, the App Store lists $12.99 a month and $69.99 a year, and Headspace’s help center gives $69.99 a year as the standard rate for people who subscribe directly.
The differences are in the details. Headspace’s help center says pricing and payment options may differ when you buy through Apple or Google Play, and that discount and gift codes only work on the website. Where you buy also decides where you cancel.
How to cancel Headspace
Cancel in the same place you subscribed. Headspace’s help center gives these steps.
On the web. Log in at headspace.com in a desktop or mobile browser, not the app. Go to headspace.com/subscription/manage and click Cancel Membership. If the button is missing, email help@headspace.com.
On iPhone or iPad. Open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, choose Headspace, and tap Cancel Subscription.
On Android. Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Choose Headspace and tap Cancel subscription.
Headspace’s terms say you keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for. Only the Family plan’s owner can cancel it, and members keep access until that period ends. If your access comes from an employer, there is nothing to cancel; it ends when your organization’s agreement does.
Can you get a Headspace refund?
Usually not. Headspace’s terms say subscriptions are not refundable unless the law requires it. For subscriptions bought on headspace.com, its help center adds that you can email help@headspace.com if you believe there are special circumstances, and the team will review your case individually.
If you paid through Apple or Google Play, Headspace cannot issue the refund itself. Its help center sends you to Apple Support or Google Play Support, which apply their own policies.
Why is Headspace so expensive?
On the annual plan, it is less expensive than it first looks. At $69.99 a year, Headspace costs $5.83 a month, in line with Calm’s annual plan. The monthly plan is where it feels pricey, at more than twice the annual cost over a full year.
What you are paying for is a curated library with one consistent teaching style and structured courses that build step by step, rather than a huge open catalog. Whether that is worth it comes down to how often you will use it, which our guide to whether Headspace is worth it works through. Our full Headspace review rates it 8.8 out of 10.
Headspace vs Calm on price
| Plan detail | Headspace | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $12.99 | $16.99 (App Store) |
| Annual | $69.99 | $69.99 to $79.99 |
| Family (6 people) | $99.99/year | $119.99/year on the web |
| Lifetime | Not sold | $499.99, website only |
| Free trial | 7 days (monthly), 14 days (annual) | 7 days in the app; 7 or 14 days on the web |
| Free without paying | Little inside the app | 230+ meditations, 8 sleep sessions |
Headspace is cheaper for families, at $99.99 a year against Calm’s $119.99. Annual prices are close: Calm’s App Store listing shows Calm Premium options at $69.99 and $79.99, and Calm’s help center says its web trial converts to $79.99 a year.
Calm’s monthly plan is $16.99 on the App Store, though Calm’s help center doesn’t list a monthly price and the listing also shows an unlabeled $14.99 Calm Premium option. Calm’s help articles also give both 7 and 14 days for the web trial, so check the plan and trial length at checkout.
Calm’s clear advantage is what stays free. After its trial, Calm keeps a free sampler of more than 230 meditations, which Headspace does not match inside its app. For how the two differ beyond price, see our Calm vs Headspace comparison.
Free alternatives to Headspace
If price is the sticking point, you can meditate well without paying. Insight Timer has the biggest free library of the major apps, and its free version is the main product rather than a sample. Non-profit apps such as Medito and Healthy Minds Program are free all the way through. Our roundup of the best free meditation apps compares them.
To see Headspace’s price beside sleep, focus and brain training apps, see our wellness app costs guide.
Common questions
What does the Headspace app cost? The app is free to download, but after the free trial its content needs a subscription: $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US.
Is Headspace Plus different from Headspace? No. Headspace Plus is the name Headspace uses for its standard paid subscription, which its help center lists at $69.99 a year.
Can I share my subscription? The standard plan is for one person. To share, you need the $99.99 Family plan, which covers up to six people. Headspace says Family plans cannot be bought as gifts, though individual subscriptions can be gifted on its website.
Are Headspace’s coaching and therapy included? No. They are separate services, billed separately from the meditation subscription. Headspace lists its mental health coaching subscription at $99.99 a month, with a limited-time first month at $49.99 for new coaching members. Therapy through Headspace is for US adults. You can use insurance or pay out of pocket, and Headspace says the cost varies with your age, coverage and location, with a price estimate shown before you book. If you need lower-cost therapy, community mental health centers often charge on a sliding scale based on income, and our guide to the cheapest online therapy covers more options.
The bottom line
Headspace costs $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month in the US, and the annual plan is the better deal for anyone who keeps using it. Start with the 14-day trial on the annual plan, note the date it ends, and cancel where you signed up if it is not for you.
Before paying full price, check for something cheaper. Students pay $9.99 a year, families can share one $99.99 plan, US K-12 educators get it free, and many people already have it through work or a health plan.
Sources
- Headspace: Subscriptions
- Headspace: Family plan
- Headspace: Student plan
- Headspace: Headspace for educators
- Headspace: Mental health coaching
- Headspace: Headspace for Medicare
- Headspace: Terms and conditions
- Headspace: Sleep & Meditation on the App Store
- Headspace help center: What will be the cost for my subscription renewal?
- Headspace help center: What does the Headspace Family plan offer?
- Headspace help center: How do I purchase a Headspace subscription?
- Headspace help center: Does my subscription automatically renew?
- Headspace help center: What’s included for free?
- Headspace help center: What do I get with a Headspace subscription?
- Headspace help center: What is the price for a Headspace subscription?
- Headspace help center: How do I receive the Student rate?
- Headspace help center: Does the Student Plan automatically renew?
- Headspace help center: I’m a teacher/educator, how do I sign up for the discount?
- Headspace help center: Do I qualify for the family plan if I have an iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or corporate subscription?
- Headspace help center: How does the Guest Pass feature work?
- Headspace help center: How can I gift a Headspace subscription?
- Headspace help center: I get Headspace through my employer/partnership, but it’s asking me to pay
- Headspace help center: What happens if I leave my current employer?
- Headspace help center: What payment methods do you accept?
- Headspace help center: Can I use HSA/FSA funds to purchase a Headspace subscription?
- Headspace help center: How do I cancel my subscription?
- Headspace help center: How can I turn off the auto-renew feature for my subscription?
- Headspace help center: How do I cancel my Family Plan?
- Headspace help center: I purchased my subscription via the Apple App Store and I want a refund
- Headspace help center: I purchased my subscription via Google Play and I want a refund
- Headspace help center: How much does the mental health coaching subscription cost?
- Headspace help center: Will payment for my Coaching subscription and Headspace subscription be withdrawn separately?
- Headspace help center: How do I begin therapy directly through Headspace?
- Calm on the App Store
- Calm help center: Calm Family Plan price, invites and how to share Premium
- Calm help center: Calm Lifetime Membership cost and benefits
- Calm help center: Calm Lifetime Membership price, upgrade steps and cancellation warning
- Calm help center: How to check Calm Premium subscription pricing
- Calm help center: How to purchase a monthly subscription
- Calm help center: Calm web free trial sign-up and cancellation steps
- Calm help center: How a free trial via Apple works
- Calm help center: What free content is available on the Calm app?
One important note: if you are in crisis or considering harming yourself, please reach out now. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Immediate human support is available.