Headspace alternatives, by the reason you are leaving
Slumber Studios makes Slumber, Deep Sleep Sounds, and Bedtime Fan. This page puts Slumber beside Headspace, says who should stay with Headspace, and points to apps we do not make.
Why people leave Headspace
Headspace covers meditation, sleep, focus, and movement. If you use only part of it, the reason you are leaving decides what fits next, so this page is sorted by reason.
You only open it at bedtime. If you open Headspace only for its sleep content, an app built around bedtime audio does that part for less at US prices. Slumber is ours, and its US prices are in the table below.
You want a free tier, not a trial. Headspace opens its library during the trial or with a subscription; outside those, it offers previews. If you want to use something free every night, Insight Timer, which is not ours, has a large free library of meditations and bedtime stories. Our own Deep Sleep Sounds gives you 35 sounds free.
The price after the trial. The annual plan renews at a price that makes sense for a daily meditator and less sense for a once-a-week sleeper. Compare the annual prices in the table against how often you open the app.
You want a story with a plot. Headspace's sleepcasts are built without one: by Headspace's own description they have no clear beginning, middle, or end, and are remixed each time you listen. If a story that goes somewhere is what puts you under, a story-first app fits better. Slumber adds new stories and meditations every day.
Slumber and Headspace, side by side
| Feature | Slumber (ours) | Headspace |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Slumber Studios | Headspace Inc. |
| US prices |
|
|
| Content | Sleep stories, Meditations, Sounds and noise, Music | Meditations, Sleep stories, Music, Sounds and noise, Courses |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad, Android | iPhone and iPad, Android |
Slumber (ours)
Free to download. A subscription opens the full library of sleep stories, meditations, soundscapes, and music.
- Annual + Family Sharing: iOS only (Apple Family Sharing)
Our own record.
Headspace
Free to download, but the library opens only during the free trial or with a subscription; outside those, Headspace offers previews of its meditations, sleep content and focus music.
- Monthly: after a 7-day free trial
- Annual: after a 14-day free trial
- Family: up to 6 members; Headspace's help center renewal table lists $99.00 and its family-plan page $99.99
- Student: verified post-secondary students
- Subscribe to Headspace (monthly, annual, trials)
- Headspace Help Center: 2026 renewal rates (Solo, Family, Student)
- Headspace Help Center: what the Family plan offers
- Headspace content previews
- Headspace Family plan page ($99.99 a year, 6 people)
- Headspace on sleep stories and sleepcasts
- Headspace on the App Store (free with in-app purchases)
- Headspace's in-app trial screen, Adapty paywall library (in-app, captured July 27, 2026)
US App Store prices in USD unless a row says otherwise; Google Play and each company's website can differ. Last checked November 5, 2026.
Who should stay with Headspace
Stay if you use the structured courses, from the Basics sessions up, or if the movement and focus content is part of your day. Stay if you are a student: the student plan costs less per year than any other plan in this comparison. Stay if you share a family plan, which covers six members; Slumber matches that only through Apple Family Sharing on iOS.
Where Slumber fits
Slumber starts from the pillow. Soft voices read slow stories, and the methods under them are the ones with research behind them: slow breathing, muscle relaxation, and guided imagery. New stories and meditations arrive daily. Episodes download for offline play, and you decide whether the background sound continues after the story. At US prices the annual plan costs less than Headspace's, and there is a lifetime option.
Slumber has no structured course and no family plan outside Apple Family Sharing. If either of those is why you pay for Headspace, keep Headspace.
Common questions
Is Slumber cheaper than Headspace?
At US prices, yes, on both the monthly and the annual plan. The table on this page shows both apps' current US prices with the date they were checked. Headspace's student plan is cheaper per year than any Slumber plan. Prices vary by country.
Does Headspace have a free version?
Headspace offers previews of its library, and a free trial of 7 days on the monthly plan or 14 days on the annual plan. After the trial, the full library needs a subscription.
Can I use Slumber offline?
Download any episode in Slumber and it plays without Wi-Fi. Manage downloads under Profile, then Settings, then Manage Storage on iPhone, or Profile, then Manage Storage on Android.
How do I cancel Headspace before switching?
Cancel from the store you subscribed through, the App Store or Google Play, or from your Headspace account if you subscribed on the website, so it does not renew. Then subscribe to Slumber in the app.
Start with a story tonight
