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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Balance vs Simple Habit Sleep

Balance 4.9★ · Free + IAP 85
Winner Balance
Simple Habit Sleep 4.8★ · Free + IAP · ⚠ stale 60

Balance is the stronger choice for those seeking a comprehensive and personalized meditation experience, despite recent issues with its free tier and content updates, while Simple Habit Sleep lacks sufficient review data for a direct comparison.

Full reviews: Balance · Simple Habit Sleep

Balance offers a highly-rated, personalized meditation experience with diverse programs for stress, anxiety, and sleep, praised for its guidance and effectiveness, though recent user complaints highlight issues with content stagnation and changes to its free access. Simple Habit Sleep, while also highly rated, has no user reviews provided for a detailed comparison.

Head to head

Features & Content Variety edge: BalanceR1R2R6R9
Balance Balance users praise its wide variety of techniques, plans, and singles for different moods and situations, including sleep meditations, focus sessions, and programs for anxiety and stress . Many appreciate the structured journeys and growth meditations, with options for both male and female narrators . However, a significant number of users, especially those with lifetime memberships, express disappointment over a lack of new content and stagnant meditation plans over several years R1R2R6R9.
Simple Habit Sleep No specific user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep regarding its features and content variety.
Ease of Use & Personalization edge: BalanceR25R29R60
Balance Balance is highly regarded for being easy to use and follow, with clear instructions and guidance that beginners find particularly helpful R29R25. Users appreciate the personalized nature of the app, with some feeling like a real person is guiding them R60. The app's ability to track progress and offer verbal updates is also a plus R60.
Simple Habit Sleep No specific user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep regarding its ease of use and personalization.
Effectiveness & Impact edge: BalanceR5R13R15R24
Balance Many Balance users describe the app as life-changing, helping them calm down, reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and increase focus R5R13R15R24. It has helped users cultivate presence, overcome difficult situations, and make meditation a consistent habit .
Simple Habit Sleep No specific user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep regarding its effectiveness and impact.
Reliability & Support tieR4R7R10R12
Balance Several Balance users report critical issues with the app stopping working, freezing during meditations, or being unable to access content after updates R4R7. A significant number of complaints concern billing issues, with users being charged after cancelling subscriptions or free trials, and then finding it impossible to get support or refunds R4R7R10R12.
Simple Habit Sleep No specific user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep regarding its reliability and support.
Price & Value edge: BalanceR1R2R14R18
Balance Balance is praised by users who found value in their paid subscriptions, with some considering it one of their best investments . However, many recent reviews express strong disappointment over the removal of previously free content, with users encountering paywalls for meditations they used to access freely R14R18R20. Some lifetime members feel their membership is pointless due to a lack of new content R1R2.
Simple Habit Sleep No specific user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep regarding its price and value.
Pick Balance if

you are looking for a highly personalized and effective guided meditation experience, especially if you are a beginner or want to establish a consistent meditation habit R25R29.

Pick Simple Habit Sleep if

there is no sufficient review data to recommend Simple Habit Sleep over Balance.

Evidence note: The comparison is heavily skewed towards Balance as no user reviews were provided for Simple Habit Sleep. Therefore, all 'B_take' fields state that no reviews were available, and 'edge' is assigned to A by default for most dimensions where Balance had positive feedback.

Frequently asked

Is Balance a free app?
Balance offers a free trial, often a free year, and previously had free content, but many users report that most meditations and plans are now behind a paywall, making it primarily a paid subscription app R14R17R18R20.
Does Balance offer new content regularly?
While some users initially expected new content, many lifetime members and long-term users have expressed disappointment that new meditation 'Plans' are rarely added and the content feels stagnant, with only occasional new meditations in 'Singles' R1R2R6R9.
Can Balance help with sleep?
Yes, many Balance users find the app highly effective for improving sleep, with specific sleep meditations and sounds helping them calm down, drift off, and cure insomnia R6R31R35R38.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 60 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Balance 1/5 · US Lifetime membership is a pointless: The app kept offering lifetime membership. It made it seem like I would have access to meditations as they were made available. I assumed some things may be limited compared to monthly membership but I was left with the same meditations as the free version. So what was the point of paying for the membership?
  2. [R2] Balance 5/5 · US Life changing app: February 2026 Update: This app is very stagnant. I purchased the lifetime membership back in 2020, thinking that new meditations and content would be added periodically. It’s now 2026 and none of the meditation “Plans” have changed, nor have any new ones been added. Rarely a new meditation will be added to “Singles”. I don’t know why they haven’t evolved at all since launching.
  3. [R6] Balance 3/5 · US Meh: I have the lifetime membership but honestly I don’t use this much. I use the ocean sleep soundtrack some nights but nothing else. It’s kind of a stagnant app.
  4. [R9] Balance 3/5 · GB Nothing new is released: Its good but nothingnew is ever addded
  5. [R25] Balance 5/5 · US Wonderful resource: Love my Balance App. Allows me to easily check off my daily meditation (for emotional well being, focus and physical health) and it’s something I look forward to every day. It’s especially great for beginners uwho want to learn different kinds of meditation.
  6. [R29] Balance 5/5 · US Great for beginners and novices.: This is the structure that I needed with instructions and guidance that other apps don’t include. Easy to use and follow. So far I am in love with it!
  7. [R60] Balance 5/5 · GB One of the best: I’ve tried many apps but Balance’s personalisation and courses/plan within the app are, by far, the best I’ve come across. This personalisation makes me feel like someone in real life is guiding me, and that’s what keeps me paying for it annually. It tracks my progress and gives me updates verbally which is rare with other apps. I’ve been using it since 2020 and the course/plan
  8. [R5] Balance 5/5 · US Best app Ive ever used: I cannot live without this app. I didn’t have it for like 6 months and I’ve got it again and I feel complete. I use it daily. Always grateful I did.
  9. [R13] Balance 5/5 · US Grateful to have this app: It helps me be calm, overcome my hard situations and self- reflect in the past and present.
  10. [R15] Balance 5/5 · US It helped me calm down: It is hard in the beginning but with consistency I noticed my focus and calmness increased.
  11. [R24] Balance 5/5 · US Best App On My Phone: Thus if the one app that I open in my phone that doesn't drain me attention. I has helped me calm myself, relax and focus every time I open it and use it. I cactus recommend this enough.
  12. [R4] Balance 1/5 · US Contacting the App: The free trial worked, but as soon as you pay the app stops working. Not to mention it is impossible to get any support regarding anything. Not even troubleshooting. Yes, some suggestions exist. But if the app doesn’t work. You just lost all your money on nothing.
  13. [R7] Balance 1/5 · US App stopped working: Hello Balance, a few days ago all the meditations I’ve tried on Balance have stopped working. As soon as the meditation is about to start it freezes. This is very upsetting. I have an iPhone 15. I recently updated the OS version and it still didn’t help. I uninstalled and reinstalled the App and still no luck. I also tried to open the Help in the settings menu and it also isn’
  14. [R10] Balance 1/5 · GB Charged me £65 even though I cancelled: I cancelled my Balance Mind and Meditation subscription well before the renewal date, yet the app still charged me £64.99. That is unacceptable. I then tried to contact support to request a refund and could not find clear contact details or a working support route in the app. The billing process lacks transparency and the support experience is poor. I expect
  15. [R12] Balance 1/5 · GB Cancelled renewal - payment taken anyway - careful of free trial: I tried the free trial of Balance Premium and although the app was clearly well built, I didn’t use it enough to justify renewing. I cancelled ahead of renewal date and received an e-mail saying sorry to see you cancel - but payment was taken anyway. It’s hard to believe that this company doesn’t have its subscriptions and payments
  16. [R14] Balance 2/5 · GB Nothing is free anymore: I had this app last year and it helped me so much with sleep and general intros to meditation. Have been feeling like getting back into meditating so I re-downloaded the app, only to find that nearly all the meditations and plans etc. that used to be free are now behind paywalls. There’s literally only like 3 that are free, not even the daily meditation is free which last
  17. [R18] Balance 1/5 · GB No longer free access: I've been using balance for years and have utilised the free sleep meditation. I log onto the app today to find a paywall and I can no longer access the basic meditations! Really disappointed, app is now deleted!
  18. [R17] Balance 5/5 · US Best Meditation App: I’ve used a lot of apps in the past (headspace, petit bamboos, brain Fm etc.) and this is my favorite. I’m also very grateful for the free year - I’m now on a paid subscription!
  19. [R20] Balance 1/5 · GB No longer free access?: I’ve been using this app for a long time. Had paid access and free access. I can’t afford the subscription right now. I use this every single day and I come to use it tonight and I am completely unable to. There is an offer to subscribe for a year, which is a good offer and if I weren’t poor I would take it! But you cannot get past this. There’s no skip or decline. Very dis
  20. [R31] Balance 5/5 · US It is great: I find Balance as a great meditation app to help you calm down or go back to sleep. I like to use sleep for kids as I am a kid. I think that it really helps me to get calm. I think one of my favorites is “Wind Down” because it does wind me down. I would recommend. I like using the girl voice Leah but the guys voice, Ofosu is great too. I would recommend this app for anyone wondering.
  21. [R35] Balance 5/5 · US Incredible: I use this every night to go to sleep. Cured my insomnia. It’s actually so good. I recommend it to every one.
  22. [R38] Balance 5/5 · US Love this app!: I love this app! The meditation series are great and I love the sleep sounds. They are very relaxing and help me sleep. This is really a great wellness app 🥰

Synthesized from 60 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store