How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Insight Timer is the best truly free option, with the world's largest library of free guided meditations.
- 7 Cups offers free 24/7 chat with trained volunteer listeners, plus affordable licensed therapy as a paid step up.
- Finch makes daily self-care fun through a virtual pet, with a free core app and optional Finch Plus.
- Headspace and Calm are subscription apps with free trials and limited free content, included honestly for their quality.
- These apps support wellbeing and are not medical treatment. Anyone in crisis should contact local emergency services or, in the US, call or text 988.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Insight Timer | Free meditation library | Free | Free |
 7 Cups | Free peer support | Free | Free |
 Finch | Daily self-care habits | Free | Free |
 Headspace | Guided meditation | See website | Free trial |
 Calm | Sleep and stress | See website | Free trial |
 Happify | Science-based activities | See website | Free trial |
 MindShift CBT | Anxiety tools | Free | Free |
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The best free mental health apps
Starting priceFree
Free planFree
Insight Timer calls itself the number one free meditation and sleep app, and the free claim holds up better than most rivals. The library covers meditation, sleep, breathwork, yoga, and contemplation, with guided tracks from psychologists, spiritual leaders, and mindfulness teachers, plus live yoga streaming throughout the day for free. Users can journal, track feelings, and build a personalized practice without paying. The homepage states 360,000 tracks in one section and 250,000 in another, so the exact count is unclear, but either figure dwarfs subscription rivals. Insight Timer suits anyone who wants a large free meditation library without a trial countdown.
What we like- World's largest library of free guided meditations, with 360,000 tracks in one section and 250,000 in another
- Thousands of free sleep meditations, nature sounds, and bedtime tales
- Free live yoga and breathwork
- Journaling and mood tracking
- 30 million users
Watch out for- Track counts differ between homepage sections, so the exact library size is unclear
- Premium features exist alongside the free library
Starting priceFree
Free planFree
7 Cups connects users to caring listeners for free emotional support, around the clock and anonymously. The platform reports over 1.8 billion messages, chats, and therapy sessions, 72 million lives touched, and 563,378 trained listeners, with support groups, forums, and self-help growth paths for issues from depression and anxiety to relationships and loneliness. Teens aged 13 to 17 get dedicated listeners and community forums. Licensed therapists offer confidential online therapy for a low monthly fee for users who want professional help. 7 Cups suits anyone who needs someone to talk to right now, free, without an appointment.
What we like- Free 24/7 anonymous chat with trained volunteer listeners
- 563,378 trained listeners
- Support groups and forums for depression, anxiety, relationships, and LGBTQ+ topics
- Teen listeners for ages 13 to 17
- Affordable licensed therapy as a paid option
- 4.5 App Store rating
Watch out for- Listeners are volunteers, not therapists
- Licensed therapy costs a monthly fee
- AI counselor Noni is not a human therapist
Starting priceFree
Free planFree
Finch turns daily self-care into a game: take care of a virtual pet by taking care of yourself. The free app covers daily goals, reflections, breathing exercises, and friendship, with an optional Finch Plus upgrade for extra features. With over 500,000 ratings, Finch has found an audience among users who struggle with habit consistency and respond to gentle gamification. Finch suits users who want small daily self-care actions rather than long meditation sessions.
What we like- Free self-care pet app for iOS and Android
- Daily goals, reflections, and breathing exercises
- 500,000 plus ratings
- Optional Finch Plus for extra features
- Gamified habit building
Watch out for- Homepage is thin, so full feature and pricing details rest on app store listings
- Pet mechanic may not suit everyone
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Headspace is a mental health app with expert-led meditations and tools for stress, sleep, anxiety, thought processing, and meditation practice, founded in 2010. A subscription includes over 1,000 expert-led exercises, relaxing wind downs, soundscapes, and fan-favorite sleepcasts, with mental health coaching available as an add-on and therapy and psychiatry through employer plans. The homepage offers a try-for-0-dollar entry, but the full library requires a subscription, so Headspace is included here as a trial-quality option rather than a fully free app. Headspace suits users who want polished, expert-led guidance and are willing to pay after a trial.
What we like- 1,000 plus expert-led exercises
- Sleepcasts, soundscapes, and wind downs
- Mental health coaching add-on
- Therapy and psychiatry through employer plans
- 4.7 rating from 1,284,000 reviews
- HSA and FSA eligible
Watch out for- Subscription app with no full free plan
- Homepage shows no pricing figures
- Trial terms need a checkout check
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Calm is the number one app for meditation and sleep, with research-based tools for stress, sleep, and happier living. The library includes over 500 Sleep Stories narrated by familiar voices, soundscapes and sleep music, guided meditations for sleep, anxiety, stress, and gratitude, and in-the-moment tools like the 60-second Breathe Bubble, Panic SOS, and Body Scan. Beginners start with the 7 Days of Calm program, then move to 21 Days of Calm. Calm suits users whose main struggle is sleep or acute stress, and who will pay after a trial for the deepest sleep library in the category.
What we like- Over 2 million 5-star reviews
- 500 plus Sleep Stories with new stories weekly
- 60-second Breathe Bubble for immediate relief
- Panic SOS, Body Scan, and breathing exercises
- 7 Days of Calm introductory program
- Kids content with familiar characters
Watch out for- Subscription app with no full free plan
- Homepage shows no pricing figures
- Full library requires payment
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Happify, now presented on its homepage as Dario Mind from Twill, offers science-based activities and games to help users stress less, calm worries, and enjoy life more. Its tracks are designed to train people to disrupt patterns of negative thinking, manage stress, and build skills to overcome life challenges, created with experts including positive psychologists and clinical researchers. The rebrand means the Happify name may be retired, so users should confirm the current app name in the store before downloading. Happify suits users who prefer short activities and games over meditation.
What we like- Science-based activities and games to disrupt negative thinking
- Tracks created by research scientists and practitioners
- Covers stress, optimism, mindfulness, confidence, and self-esteem
- Usable on phone, tablet, or computer
Watch out for- Homepage now brands as Dario Mind (Twill), so the Happify name may be retired
- Homepage shows no pricing
- Free scope unclear
Starting priceFree
Free planFree
MindShift CBT is Anxiety Canada's free app built around cognitive behavioral therapy tools for anxiety. Its published descriptions cover structured exercises for worry, panic, perfectionism, and social anxiety, using CBT techniques to reframe anxious thoughts. The homepage returned only a bot-verification page during this review, so feature details rest on app store descriptions rather than the website. MindShift CBT suits users who want free, structured anxiety tools grounded in CBT rather than general meditation.
What we like- Free CBT-based tools for anxiety from Anxiety Canada, a nonprofit
- Structured exercises for worry, panic, and perfectionism in the app's published descriptions
Watch out for- Homepage returned only a bot-verification page, so current features rest on app store listings
- Details should be confirmed in the app before choosing
How we chose
We opened each vendor homepage and compared free scope honestly, separating truly free apps from subscription apps with trials. Two candidates were excluded because their homepages failed to load and were not retried: Sanvello and Moodfit. MindShift CBT is kept with a flag because its homepage was bot-blocked. Prices not shown on homepages are recorded as "See website".
How to pick the right mental health app
Start with the need, not the brand. For meditation and sleep without paying, Insight Timer is the clear first try. For talking to someone tonight, 7 Cups offers free listeners around the clock. For building a daily habit, Finch's pet mechanic works where streak counters fail. For structured anxiety work, MindShift CBT offers CBT tools free.
Then set honest expectations. Apps support wellbeing through meditation, habit building, peer support, and CBT exercises, but they are not medical treatment and cannot diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If symptoms persist, worsen, or interfere with daily life, a licensed professional is the right next step, and 7 Cups offers that path directly. Anyone in crisis should contact local emergency services or, in the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Finally, protect privacy: check what data an app collects and whether it shares it, since mental health data deserves stronger protection than a shopping list.
Routine matters more than app choice for most users. A ten-minute morning meditation that happens daily beats an hour-long session attempted once a week, and a single trusted listener on 7 Cups can matter more than a library of a thousand tracks never opened. Pick one app, use it for two weeks at the same time each day, and judge it on whether mood, sleep, or stress actually shifts, not on how many features it lists. Keep a simple daily note of sleep quality and mood for those two weeks, since memory alone tends to exaggerate both good and bad days, and a short written record shows whether the app is helping or merely passing time. Share the plan with a friend or family member when possible, since outside support strengthens any self-care routine and makes it easier to keep going on difficult days when motivation runs low and the habit feels pointless or slow to show clear results. Small steps still count every single day, without exception.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best completely free mental health app?
Insight Timer leads for free content, with hundreds of thousands of free guided meditations, sleep tracks, and live yoga. 7 Cups and Finch also offer strong free cores.
Are Headspace and Calm really free?
No. Both are subscription apps with free trials and limited free content. They are included here for quality, but users who need fully free tools should start with Insight Timer, 7 Cups, or Finch.
Can a mental health app replace therapy?
No. Apps support wellbeing and teach coping skills, but they cannot diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Persistent or worsening symptoms deserve a licensed professional.
What should I do if I feel in crisis?
Contact local emergency services immediately, or in the US call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 7 Cups also offers free listeners around the clock, but crisis situations need immediate human help.
Which free app is best for anxiety?
MindShift CBT offers free CBT-based anxiety tools, while Insight Timer provides free anxiety meditations and 7 Cups offers free peer support for anxious moments.
Do these apps work for teens?
Yes. 7 Cups offers dedicated teen listeners for ages 13 to 17, and Calm Kids provides child-friendly Sleep Stories, though parents should review content and privacy terms for younger users.
Sources we checked (7)
- https://insighttimer.com/
- https://www.7cups.com/
- https://finchcare.com/
- https://www.headspace.com/
- https://www.calm.com/
- https://www.happify.com/
- https://www.anxietycanada.com/resources/mindshift-cbt/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.