Headspace
1 comparison available
About Headspace
Headspace is a leading meditation and mindfulness app co-founded in 2010 by Andy Puddicombe (a former Buddhist monk) and Rich Pierson, headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Headspace is known for its structured 'foundations' courses that teach meditation from scratch using animated explainers and a progressive curriculum — making it particularly accessible for beginners. Headspace offers guided meditations, sleepcasts (narrated sleep content), focus music, exercise mindfulness, and SOS meditations for acute anxiety. Headspace has published multiple peer-reviewed clinical studies demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing stress, anxiety, and burnout. Headspace merged with Ginger (mental health coaching) in 2021 to form Headspace Health. The combined entity serves 100+ million users and 2,500+ enterprise clients. Headspace Premium costs $69.99/year or $12.99/month. Headspace for Work (enterprise) includes coaching and therapy referrals alongside guided meditation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Headspace good for beginners?
Yes — Headspace is specifically designed for beginners. The 'Basics' course (10-30 sessions) walks you through meditation fundamentals with animated explainers that make abstract concepts concrete. Andy Puddicombe's calm voice and approachable teaching style make it one of the most accessible introductions to meditation available. After Basics, structured courses for specific goals (stress, sleep, focus, relationships) build progressively. If you're new to meditation, Headspace's structure is one of its greatest strengths.
Does Headspace actually work?
Headspace has published multiple peer-reviewed studies (in collaboration with Oxford, Carnegie Mellon, and Kaiser Permanente) showing statistically significant reductions in stress (14%), burnout (46%), and anxiety after 30 days of use. Mindfulness meditation's effectiveness is well-established in clinical literature. Apps make it more accessible, but consistency matters — daily practice of 10 minutes shows better outcomes than sporadic longer sessions. Headspace's gamification and streaks help with habit formation.
Top Alternatives to Headspace
All Comparisons
Calm vs Headspace
technology