Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Calm vs BetterSleep

Calm 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner Calm
BetterSleep 4.7★ · Free + IAP 45

Calm is generally preferred for its content and ability to deliver on its promise of relaxation, despite its premium cost, while BetterSleep struggles with recent paywall implementations that have alienated long-time users.

Full reviews: Calm · BetterSleep

Calm offers a wide variety of guided meditations, sleep stories, and daily practices that users find effective for relaxation and sleep, though many lament its high cost and confusing interface. BetterSleep, once a beloved free app for customizable sound mixes, has recently introduced extensive paywalls, leading to widespread user frustration and a significant decline in satisfaction.

Head to head

Features & Content Variety edge: CalmR2R3R5R6
Calm Calm offers a wide range of content, including daily meditations, sleep stories with celebrity narrators like Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey, and breathing exercises R2R3R23R35. Users appreciate the variety and the ability to find content that helps them relax and sleep R5. However, some users feel the selection of new content, especially sleep stories, is limited and repetitive over time R6.
BetterSleep BetterSleep was previously praised for its extensive library of sounds and the ability to layer them into custom mixes . Users found this customization highly effective for sleep and anxiety . However, recent updates have placed almost all sounds and features behind a paywall, severely limiting free options and making it difficult for users to create their preferred mixes R63R67R70.
Ease of Use & Interface tieR7R10R18R37
Calm Many Calm users find the app's layout confusing, busy, and disorganized, making it difficult to find specific content or navigate effectively R7R10R37. Some also report issues with pop-ups and constant requests to rate or share, which detract from the calming experience R18R37.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users have expressed frustration with the app's disorganized layout, tiny fonts, and frequent changes to the interface . Some also report issues with music playing automatically during onboarding, which cannot be turned off .
Reliability & Performance tieR15R25R33R44
Calm Calm users report various technical issues, including the app glitching, crashing, or kicking them off R25R33. Some experience meditations dropping in between sessions , and issues with streak tracking R15 or playlist functionality R44.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users frequently report app crashes, freezing, and sounds cutting out . There are also complaints about the app opening on its own and sleep recording not saving .
Price & Value edge: CalmR4R10R13R16
Calm Calm is frequently criticized for being expensive and having most content locked behind a paywall, with very little available for free R4R10R13R16. Users feel forced to subscribe to access useful features, and some express disappointment with the value for the price R4.
BetterSleep BetterSleep has seen a significant backlash due to recent updates that have placed almost all content, including basic sounds, behind a paywall R63R66R67R70. Many long-time users, who previously enjoyed a good selection of free content, feel alienated and describe the app as a "money grab" .
Customer Support & Subscriptions tieR1R19R31R42
Calm Calm users report significant difficulties with customer service, particularly regarding payment issues, cancellations, and refunds, often encountering AI chatbots instead of human support R1R19R31. Some describe the cancellation process as purposefully difficult and deceptive R19R42.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users report issues with unauthorized subscription renewals and a lack of support for previous lifetime purchases . Many are frustrated by the inability to try the app without providing payment information for a trial .
Pick Calm if

You are willing to pay for a premium subscription to access a wide range of guided meditations, celebrity-narrated sleep stories, and daily practices that users find effective for relaxation and sleep R2R5R23. You prioritize diverse content and don't mind a potentially busy interface R35.

Pick BetterSleep if

You are looking for a sleep tracking feature and are willing to pay for a subscription to access customizable sound mixes and sleep stories, despite recent changes .

Evidence note: The evidence for BetterSleep is heavily skewed by recent negative reviews regarding its shift to a paywall model, which has overshadowed previous positive sentiment about its content and customization features. Calm's reviews, while also noting paywall issues, are more balanced with consistent praise for its core content.

Frequently asked

Is Calm free to use?
Calm offers a limited selection of free content, but most features, including many meditations and sleep stories, are locked behind a paywall, requiring a subscription R4R10R13R16.
What kind of content does Calm offer?
Calm offers a variety of content including daily guided meditations, sleep stories narrated by various voices including celebrities like Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey, breathing exercises, and background soundscapes R2R3R23R35.
Has BetterSleep changed its pricing model recently?
Yes, BetterSleep has recently implemented significant paywalls, moving almost all its sounds and features, which were previously free or part of a limited free tier, behind a paid subscription R63R66R67R70.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 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. [R2] Calm 5/5 · US Great daily practice: I love Tamara's daily calms. My husband and I start our day with it, and have noticed more that when we do not do it we miss the sense of calm it brings. It's like a balm that is missed.
  2. [R3] Calm 3/5 · US Sleep: Wow, I like a few of the sleep stories, most of them are annoying. They do not relax you at all. Harry Styles has a good one because it’s joined with some background music and it’s very relaxing.. It it would be nice to have more his sleep story. Matthew McConaughey is pretty good too. The rest of them are just either bad or mediocre. Please offer more of a selection.!
  3. [R5] Calm 5/5 · US Calm: Calm is exactly what I want when I fall asleep and wake up
  4. [R6] Calm 3/5 · US Too much repeating!: I am hearing repeats, need new ones!!!
  5. [R7] Calm 2/5 · US Disorganized: Please please please fix the organization because it is impossible to find anything in this app. I used to love Calm, but now it’s just random lists of different options with no useful organization. And the search function is useless.
  6. [R10] Calm 1/5 · US Anxiety-inducing: The layout is confusing and VERY busy. The opposite of “calm.” There are so many pop-ups, and almost everything is hidden behind a paywall. I downloaded the app to help diminish stress, but it only made it worse. Just download Headspace.
  7. [R18] Calm 3/5 · US Pop ups: Always asking to rate to share. I would like to use the app to help myself first without the interruption s.
  8. [R37] Calm 2/5 · US Disappointing and aggravating: For a Calm app, it’s awfully busy and stimulating, too many notifications, too much tracking, every time I open it another request from the app when I’m just trying to calm down. It doesn’t even scroll smoothly and that is aggravating to my senses. Too much content without straightforward ways to personalize or organize for quick access when it’s 2am and the dog nex
  9. [R15] Calm 3/5 · US Frustrated, but mostly happy: The app has been great for my mental health… until now. I have been on a long streak of daily meditations, but even though I’ve use the app every day, the app ended my streak… all my days are checked and everything! Why did you end my streak? This is disheartening and totally blows my motivation. They could design a way for us to fix this. Maybe have the app ask,
  10. [R25] Calm 1/5 · US Glitching on Day 1: This is not with the money as glitchy as this thinks is. I downloaded the recent app and it should be updated???? This is not worth the cash.
  11. [R33] Calm 3/5 · GB It broke: Basically whenever I go on calm it Immediately kicks me off . I’ve been on calm for 6 years and now it’s just broken so I have no calm and just prerecorded stuff (1/2 a sleep story).
  12. [R44] Calm 2/5 · US Playlists broken: Can’t add content to playlists anymore. Reported to Support and was sent a link to a list of new bug fixes, none of which reference playlists. Documentation on playlists hasn’t updated since 2024.
  13. [R4] Calm 2/5 · US $$$: Years ago when calm first started they actually had inspirational quotes after you finished a meditation. But now that version costs money lol. I get app developers need to make money, but the concept of charging to stay “calm” is just lame to me. Barely anything is free on this app.
  14. [R13] Calm 1/5 · US Forces you to subscribe: If you don’t save items to your favorites in the first few days, you won’t be able to access them once your free days end. Now, they’ve limited the number of free items and the number of times you can listen to them too, so you’re forced to pay.
  15. [R16] Calm 1/5 · US Frustrating: I cant access only 2/3 meditations. All i see is more adds and locked screens
  16. [R1] Calm 2/5 · US DITCH THE AI, PLEASE: I simply wanted to talk to a person about a payment issue on your support page. But after clicking the little chat box, the issue became something more. There is NOTHING natural or CALMing about talking to a freaking AI! Get rid of it!! I signed up for a year subscription on a promotion, thinking this app might help ground me, this app might help me better connect with those
  17. [R19] Calm 1/5 · US Problematic Subscription Renewals: Unauthorized renewal charges, impossible to speak to customer service, navigate cancellation, or get refunds. Feels purposefully difficult and deceptive. Many, many complaints across the web from other customers concerning these very same issues. I do not recommend this company.
  18. [R31] Calm 1/5 · US Don’t Sign Up Through Social Media!: Don’t sign up through social media! I signed up through Facebook. It gave me a deal. I signed in using the same Apple ID I used to pay for the prescription. Locked out. Asking for a subscription. Then they said to check my email and it was 40% off a subscription, but I had already PAID at this point! After two days my payment is still pending. I’m contacting my
  19. [R42] Calm 2/5 · US Avoid!: This company appears to be income driven as opposed to user experience and satisfaction driven. They do not use ratings or reviews for any of the content most of which deals directly with the users mental health. Additionally they use manipulative techniques for promotional goals, and the cancellation process is drawn out and confusing. There are better apps out there which would be better
  20. [R23] Calm 5/5 · US Get now: This app is amazing it has really helped me to sleep better and they have so many voices to listen to they even have harry styles this is the best
  21. [R35] Calm 5/5 · US The best app ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: This app helps a lot and it even has breathing sessions and we’re my kid is hyper before bed it always calms theme down
  22. [R63] BetterSleep 3/5 · US Goodish: Good in all but I have to pay to get more sounds and to listen to what happened last night. Good music…. That I can listen to but bad that I have to pay for 90% of things
  23. [R66] BetterSleep 3/5 · US Good app: Used to be free. Now costs. Not worth the money.
  24. [R67] BetterSleep 2/5 · US A little disappointed: I’ve had this app in the past and loved it but when I recently redownloaded it I was very disappointed. All of the sounds cost money. There was only about 10 free options.
  25. [R70] BetterSleep 2/5 · US Pay wall: I used to love this app so much. It helped me many times when I traveled. Now you have to pay for pretty much every sound. It ruins the entire app to me and I’ll be looking for something different.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store