Calm vs Headspace: what subscribers complain about
The two biggest meditation apps both sell yearly subscriptions. Which one do reviewers fault for billing, price, content or the app itself?
Shared comparison by OneStar · updated Oct 26, 2026By OneStar
CalmCalm.com, Inc. · Health and Fitness · Free · out since 2013
Calm is the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation.
Store ratings: App Store 4.8 · Google Play 4.52,620 reviews read · Oct 26, 2025 to Oct 25, 2026Open the Calm reportHeadspaceHeadspace Inc. · Health and Fitness · Free · out since 2012
Welcome to Headspace, your expert-led guide to mental health, mindfulness, and meditation.
Store ratings: App Store 4.8 · Google Play 4.31,989 reviews read · Oct 26, 2025 to Oct 25, 2026Open the Headspace reportCalm leads on 7 of 7 measures.
Scorecard
Each value comes with its 95% range. A leader is named only when the gap holds up to the test.
| Measure | Calm | Headspace |
|---|---|---|
| ComplainShare of reviewers who complain about something, lower is better | 55%Leads95% range 53% to 57% | 95%95% range 94% to 96% |
| PraiseShare of reviewers who praise something, higher is better | 56%Leads95% range 54% to 58% | 27%95% range 25% to 29% |
| Said they leftShare of reviewers who say they quit or are leaving, lower is better | 5%Leads95% range 4% to 6% | 9%95% range 8% to 10% |
| Blame a changeShare of complaints tied to an update, redesign or price change, lower is better | 18%Leads95% range 16% to 20% | 37%95% range 34% to 39% |
| SpecificShare of reviews that name something concrete | 97%95% range 96% to 98% | 98%95% range 97% to 99% |
| Ask for featuresShare of reviewers who ask for something new or something back | 8%95% range 7% to 10% | 9%95% range 8% to 11% |
| SentimentMean feeling in the review text, 0 very negative to 4 very positive, higher is better | 2.16Leads | 0.89 |
| Star ratingMean stars of the reviewers the sample stands for, higher is better | 3.25Leads | 1.87 |
| Developer repliesShare of reviews with a developer reply, unweighted, higher is better | 13%Leads95% range 12% to 15% | 2%95% range 2% to 3% |
Top findings
- Fewer Calm reviewers complain: 55% against 95% for Headspace.
- Headspace is weak on crashes and bugs: 43% of reviewers mention it against 6% for Calm, and those reviews average 0.2 stars lower.
- Calm is weak on pricing and fees: 20% of reviewers mention it against 16% for Headspace, and those reviews average 1.8 stars lower.
- Headspace draws more complaints about performance and battery: 6% of reviewers against 1% for Calm.
Where complaints differ most
Share of each app's complaints
Crashes and bugsClear gap
Pricing and feesClear gap
Charges and refundsClear gap
Where praise differs most
Share of each app's praise
Helps me learn or get things doneClear gap
General praiseClear gap
Content variety and depthClear gap
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