Is Calm still worth it in 2024? Calm is probably the industry leader when it comes to meditation apps. With several competitors out there, Calm is together with Headspace still considered one of the most popular options for meditating. So the question that naturally arises is: which of them is the best? And also, is it even worth it to pay for meditating? To be fair, I’ve never tried Headspace so I can’t provide any opinion on them. But I’ve been using Calm for almost three years now and will try to answer those questions.
Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored by any company, is just my genuine opinion.
First of all, why meditate?
You probably already know what meditation is and want to start meditating, maybe you already tried. But in case you don’t know anything, according to Wikipedia:
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
Simply said, meditation is a very strong habit that will help improve many aspects of your life. Just 5 minutes of meditation per day can already reduce your levels of stress and anxiety, while increasing your ability to focus.
But meditating is tough. Primarily because in our daily life we are used to high levels of stimuli and low amounts of mindfulness. So if you’re not familiar to meditation and try to meditate for the first time, you’re most likely not going to be very successful. That’s when meditation apps enter.
Should you consider using a meditation app?
A meditation app is basically an app that helps you meditate, usually with the help of guided meditations. So, short answer: yes, you should. Specially if you are a beginner. Most meditating apps, including Calm, offer a free version or at least a free trial, so you have zero risks.
Now the longer answer. Whether you should use an app to meditate is also a philosophical question. I don’t want to specifically address this issue, but for some people meditation is a way of finding inner peace. And it might not be the best idea to find inner peace with someone telling you what to do. If you’re just trying to have some time in silence, I would recommend to simply set a timer and stay in silence for that period.
If this is not your case and you don’t bother having your silence interrupted by the instructions, then I would surely encourage you to try out some meditation apps.
Is Calm worth the price?
According to the newest update in price, Calm is charging about US$70 a year. So, is Calm worth it? As you can imagine, my opinion is that yes, it is worth it (and that’s why I’ve been a subscriber for so long). I must also say that, since I live in Brazil, I pay almost half the price it’s being charged in the US for example. Whether the price is good or not it’s a personal question, but the reason why I think it is worth the price is not just because of the features it includes.
A second, and maybe even better reason, is that paying for a meditation app is going to help you create the identity of a person that values meditation and, therefore, make you more likely to meditate and create this habit. As I’ve mentioned in my post about building the habit of reading, we tend to act according to our identity, the way we see ourselves. Thus, creating the identity of a ‘meditator’ might help you create the habit of meditating.
A third reason is because it makes it very easy to meditate. You don’t have to sit in an uncomfortable position and concentrate for two hours in your breath. You just have to sit down and press the play button into your favorite meditation and follow the instructions.
In conclusion: is calm worth it or should I change to other app? If I’d be honest, I don’t think there are many reasons why I would choose Calm over other similar products. It’s just the one I subscribed to and that I’ve seen help me achieve my goals. So, for me, it is worth every penny, but I can’t say it’s gonna change your life because it also depends on you and on your will to follow.
