Best Calm App Alternatives for Breathing Exercises and Anxiety Support (2026)

The best alternatives to Calm are Vayu, Breathwrk, Othership, Open, Headspace, Insight Timer, Medito and Balance. Medito is free. Insight Timer has a large free library. Vayu is the breathing-first pick: haptic pacing on Apple Watch and Wear OS, one free guided session, then Pro at USD 59.99 a year with a 7-day trial. Headspace is the closest like-for-like replacement.

Calm is best known for meditation, sleep stories, relaxation audio, and mindfulness. But if you are looking for a Calm alternative for anxiety, you may want something more specific: guided breathing exercises, breathwork sessions, short stress resets, smartwatch breathing cues, or free mindfulness support. For breathing-first users, Vayu is the standout option: it guides sessions with Apple Watch haptic cues, reads your HRV after each session, and adapts the next technique recommendation based on your biometrics and custom breathing intervals.

Quick Comparison of the Best Calm Alternatives for Breathing and Anxiety

APP	BEST FOR	MEDITATION	SLEEP	BREATHING EXERCISES	ANXIETY/STRESS SUPPORT	FREE PLAN / TRIAL	KEY DIFFERENCE FROM CALM
Vayu	Wearable-guided breathing and anxiety support	Yes	Yes	Strong	Strong	One free session, then Pro (7-day trial)	Uses smartwatch haptics, heart-rate/HRV feedback, and personalized breathwork instead of mainly audio content
Breathwrk	Dedicated breathing exercise library	Some	Yes	Strong	Strong	Free trial + paid plans	Focuses on breathing exercises and classes for calm, focus, sleep, and performance
Othership	Guided breathwork for emotional regulation	Some	Some	Strong	Strong	Free trial / paid plans	Music-backed breathwork sessions for nervous system regulation and emotional reset
Open	Breathwork, meditation, movement, and sound	Strong	Some	Strong	Yes	Free trial / paid plans	Combines breathwork with meditation, movement, music, and somatic practice
Headspace	Closest Calm-like app with anxiety and breathing support	Strong	Strong	Some	Strong	Free trial + paid plans	More structured meditation, sleep, stress, and mental wellness content
Insight Timer	Free meditation and breathwork library	Strong	Yes	Yes	Yes	Large free library + paid option	Large free teacher-led library with meditation, sleep, anxiety, and breathwork content
Medito	Completely free Calm alternative	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100% free	Nonprofit app with no ads, subscriptions, paywalls, or account requirement
Balance	Personalized meditation with breathing support	Strong	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free trial + paid plans	Builds adaptive meditation plans based on goals, preferences, and check-ins

1. Vayu: Best Calm Alternative for Wearable-Guided Breathing and Anxiety Support

Best for: People who want a Calm alternative focused on breathing exercises, anxiety support, smartwatch haptics, HRV-informed feedback, and personalized breathwork.

Vayu is the best Calm alternative if you want breathing exercises and anxiety support instead of another large audio meditation library. Calm is content-first. Vayu is breathing-first, using smartwatch haptics, visual cues, heart-rate/HRV feedback, and personalized breathwork recommendations to guide sessions.

Vayu is especially relevant if you want a low-distraction way to practice breathing when you feel stressed, wired, anxious, or unable to settle before sleep. Instead of relying only on phone-based audio, Vayu uses Apple Watch and Wear OS guidance to help pace inhale, exhale, and hold phases from the wrist.

Key highlights:

• Breathing-first Calm alternative for guided inhale, exhale, and hold pacing.
• Supports box breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, resonant breathing, alternate nostril breathing, Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, and custom breath ratios.
• Uses Apple Watch and Wear OS guidance for low-screen breathing sessions.
• Includes haptic cues, visual prompts, heart-rate feedback, HRV tracking, and breathing progress.
• Offers personalized recommendations based on goals like calm, sleep, focus, energy, stress reduction, and recovery.
• Useful for short anxiety resets, stress relief, sleep preparation, focus breaks, and recovery-focused breathing.
• Better fit than Calm if you want body-guided breathwork instead of mainly meditation tracks, sleep stories, or relaxing audio.

Good fit if: You want smartwatch-guided breathing, HRV feedback, and personalized breathwork for anxiety, stress, sleep, or focus.

May not be ideal if: You mainly want sleep stories, celebrity narrators, long meditation courses, or a large audio-first relaxation library.

2. Breathwrk: Best Dedicated Breathing Exercise App Like Calm

Best for: People who want a dedicated breathing exercise app for anxiety, stress, focus, sleep, and performance.

Breathwrk is the dedicated breathing-app option in this list. It is best for users who want structured breathing sessions for calm, focus, sleep, and stress rather than Calm’s broader meditation and sleep-story library.

Compared with Calm, Breathwrk is more specialized. Breathing is not a side feature; it is the core experience. That makes it a strong choice for people searching for apps like Calm but more focused on breathwork, breathing exercises, stress resets, and anxiety support.

Key highlights:

• Dedicated breathing exercise app for calm, focus, sleep, energy, and performance.
• Strong fit for people who want breathing techniques instead of a broad meditation library.
• Useful for short breathing resets during stress, anxiety, work breaks, or bedtime.
• More breathing-specific than Calm, Headspace, Medito, or Balance.
• Good option for users who want guided breathwork classes and repeated breathing practice.

Good fit if: You want a Calm alternative centered on breathing exercises and breathwork practice.

May not be ideal if: You want smartwatch haptics, biometric feedback, sleep stories, or broad meditation courses.

3. Othership: Best Calm Alternative for Guided Breathwork Sessions

Best for: People who want guided breathwork for emotional reset, nervous-system regulation, and stress relief.

Othership is best for users who want breathwork sessions that feel more immersive and emotional. It leans into music-backed guided breathwork and nervous-system regulation rather than Calm-style sleep stories or passive relaxation audio.

Othership is a strong fit if you want a more active breathing practice. It is not just about sitting quietly with a meditation track. It is built around guided breathwork sessions that help users shift state, release stress, and reset their mood.

Key highlights:

• Music-backed sessions for a more immersive breathing experience.
• Guided breathwork app for emotional reset and nervous-system regulation.
• Strong fit for stress relief, mood shifts, and breathwork-based calming.
• More active and breath-centered than traditional meditation apps.
• Good option for users who want guided breathwork sessions rather than simple breathing timers.

Good fit if: You want an app like Calm for immersive guided breathwork, emotional reset, and stress regulation.

May not be ideal if: You want a simple breathing timer, smartwatch-guided haptics, or a traditional meditation library.

4. Open: Best for Breathwork, Meditation, Movement, and Stress Relief

Best for: People who want breathwork, meditation, movement, music, and body-based mindfulness in one app.

Open is the best fit if you want breathwork inside a broader body-based practice. It combines breathing, meditation, movement, and sound, making it less like a sleep app and more like a somatic mindfulness app.

Compared with Calm, Open is less focused on sleep stories and relaxation audio. It is more focused on using breath, movement, music, and guided practice to shift the body and mind. That makes it a good Calm alternative for users who want anxiety support, stress relief, focus, emotional reset, and a more embodied mindfulness experience.

Key highlights:

• Good for users who want breathing practice with a physical or somatic feel.
• Combines breathwork, meditation, movement, and sound.
• Useful for stress relief, focus, presence, and emotional reset.
• More body-based than Calm’s audio-first meditation and sleep content.
• Strong option for people who want both meditation and breathwork without choosing a single-purpose breathing app.

Good fit if: You want a Calm alternative that blends breathwork, meditation, movement, and music.

May not be ideal if: You want a free app, a simple breathing timer, or smartwatch-guided breathing with biometric feedback.

5. Headspace: Best Calm-Like App for Meditation, Sleep, Anxiety, and Breathing

Best for: People who want the closest Calm-like app with meditation, sleep, stress support, and some breathing exercises.

Headspace is the best option if you want a Calm-like app that still covers meditation, sleep, stress, anxiety, and breathing exercises. It is not as breathing-first as Vayu, Breathwrk, Othership, or Open, but it is a strong fit if you want a broader mental wellness app rather than a dedicated breathwork product.

Choose Headspace if you want something similar to Calm, but with a more structured, course-based feel. It works well for beginners who want guided meditation, sleep support, stress tools, anxiety content, and occasional breathing exercises in one app.

Key highlights:

• Closest Calm replacement for broad meditation, sleep, and mindfulness.
• Includes guided meditations, sleepcasts, wind-down content, stress tools, and mental wellness resources.
• Offers breathing exercises and anxiety-related guidance.
• Better for structured meditation than dedicated breathwork depth.
• Strong option for users comparing Calm vs Headspace for stress, sleep, and mindfulness.

Good fit if: You want a Calm alternative that still feels like a full meditation and sleep app, with breathing and anxiety support included.

May not be ideal if: You want breathwork depth, smartwatch haptics, HRV feedback, or custom breathing ratios.

6. Insight Timer: Best Free Calm Alternative for Breathwork and Anxiety Meditations

Best for: People who want a free Calm alternative with meditation, breathwork, sleep, anxiety, and stress-support content.

Insight Timer is one of the strongest free Calm alternatives because it gives users access to a large library of meditation, sleep, breathwork, yoga, music, and mindfulness content. Compared with Calm, it is more open and teacher-led. That means more variety, but also more browsing and self-selection.

For breathing exercises and anxiety support, Insight Timer works best if you want access to many breathwork teachers, guided meditations, sleep tracks, anxiety meditations, and stress-relief sessions without starting with a paid subscription.

Key highlights:

• Strong free Calm alternative for meditation, breathwork, sleep, and anxiety support.
• Large teacher-led library with many styles and session lengths.
• Includes breathwork tracks, sleep meditations, anxiety content, music, and mindfulness practices.
• Better for variety than a tightly curated Calm-like experience.
• Useful if you want free breathing and meditation content before paying for an app.

Good fit if: You want a free app like Calm with a large library of guided meditations, breathwork, sleep tracks, and anxiety-support content.

May not be ideal if: You want a simple curated path, biometric feedback, smartwatch haptics, or a breathing-first product experience.

7. Medito: Best Completely Free Calm Alternative for Breathing and Mindfulness

Best for: People who want a completely free Calm alternative for meditation, breathing exercises, sleep, stress, and anxiety support.

Medito is a strong choice if price is the main reason you are leaving Calm. It is a nonprofit mindfulness app with guided meditations, sleep stories, courses, breathing exercises, and stress/anxiety sessions.

Medito is less specialized than Vayu, Breathwrk, or Othership for breathwork, but it is one of the best options for users who want free breathing exercises alongside meditation and sleep support. It is especially useful for beginners who want a no-cost way to build a basic mindfulness and breathing habit.

Key highlights:

• Completely free Calm alternative.
• Includes guided meditation, sleep stories, mindfulness courses, and breathing exercises.
• Good for users who want stress and anxiety support without a subscription.
• Simple option for beginners who want short practices and daily calm.
• Better for free access than advanced personalization or biometric feedback.

Good fit if: You want a free app like Calm for meditation, breathing exercises, sleep, stress, and anxiety support.

May not be ideal if: You want wearable guidance, advanced breathwork programs, custom ratios, or HRV-informed sessions.

8. Balance: Best Personalized Meditation App with Breathing Exercises

Best for: People who want personalized meditation with breathing exercises, sleep support, and stress relief.

Balance is a good Calm alternative if you want guided meditation that adapts to your goals and preferences. It is not a dedicated breathwork app, but it includes breathing exercises as part of a broader personalized meditation experience.

Compared with Calm, Balance is more coaching-driven. It asks about your goals, experience, and preferences, then builds meditation recommendations around stress, sleep, focus, mood, and relaxation. That makes it useful for people who want anxiety support and breathing exercises, but still want meditation to remain the core experience.

Key highlights:

• Personalized meditation plans based on goals and check-ins.
• Includes breathing exercises for stress, focus, energy, and relaxation.
• Supports sleep, mood, stress, and beginner meditation goals.
• More adaptive than a static content library.
• Better for personalized meditation than dedicated breathwork depth.

Good fit if: You want personalized meditation with breathing exercises, sleep support, and stress relief.

May not be ideal if: You want a free app, smartwatch-guided breathing, advanced breathwork, or a large open teacher library.

Best Calm Alternative for Breathing Exercises

• Choose Vayu if you want guided breathing with smartwatch haptics, heart-rate/HRV feedback, personalized recommendations, and low-screen practice.
• Choose Breathwrk if you want a dedicated library of breathing exercises and classes.
• Choose Othership if you want guided breathwork sessions that feel more immersive and emotional.
• Choose Open if you want breathwork combined with meditation, movement, music, and body-based mindfulness.
• Choose Insight Timer if you want free breathwork content from many different teachers.

Best Calm Alternative for Anxiety and Stress Support

• Vayu is the strongest fit if you want breath-based anxiety support with wearable guidance, breathing feedback, and personalized breathwork.
• Headspace is a strong fit if you want broader mental wellness content, meditation, stress tools, and anxiety-focused guidance.
• Insight Timer is a strong free option if you want a wide library of anxiety meditations, breathwork sessions, and stress-relief content.
• Medito is a good completely free option for basic breathing exercises, mindfulness, sleep, and stress support.
• Balance is useful if you want a personalized meditation plan with breathing exercises included.

Best Affordable Calm Alternatives

Affordable Calm alternatives are best for users who want meditation, sleep support, breathing exercises, or stress relief without committing to a higher-cost subscription. The right choice depends on whether you care most about guided breathing, meditation depth, sleep content, or personalization.

• Vayu is a strong affordable option if you want breathing-focused support rather than paying mainly for a large audio meditation or sleep-story library.
• Balance is a good affordable option for users who want personalized meditation plans, sleep support, breathing exercises, and beginner-friendly daily guidance. It can be a strong fit if you want a more adaptive meditation app experience rather than a broad content library.
• Insight Timer is one of the best affordable Calm alternatives because much of its meditation, sleep, breathwork, and mindfulness content is available for free. Users who want more features can upgrade, but it remains useful without requiring a paid plan from the start.
• Headspace can be worth considering if you want a polished Calm competitor with guided meditation, sleep content, mindfulness courses, stress support, and broader mental wellness resources. It may not be the cheapest option, but it can be affordable if you use family, student, annual, or promotional plans.

Best Free Calm Alternative for Breathing Exercises

• Medito is the better choice if you want a completely free, simple, nonprofit app with guided meditations, breathing exercises, sleep stories, and stress/anxiety support.
• Insight Timer is the better choice if you want a much larger free library with many meditation teachers, breathwork tracks, sleep content, and anxiety-support practices.
• Vayu is not a free app: you get one free guided session, then Pro at USD 59.99 a year with a 7-day trial. Its in-browser breathing timer is free without an account.

Apple Watch Haptics, HRV Tracking, and Custom Breathing Intervals

Vayu is the only Calm alternative in this comparison that combines Apple Watch haptic guidance, HRV-informed recommendations, and fully custom breathing intervals in one app. Each session uses haptic pulses to pace inhales, holds, and exhales directly from the wrist. No screen needed during the session itself.

HRV (heart rate variability) is read from your watch after each session. Vayu uses that data to recommend the right breathing protocol for your next session. If your recent HRV is low or your heart rate is elevated, it surfaces calming techniques like resonance frequency breathing or 4-7-8. If you want a focused or energizing session, it shifts toward different patterns accordingly.

Custom intervals let you set your own inhale, hold, exhale, and hold-out durations instead of being locked to preset patterns. Optimal breathing ratios vary by person, goal, and physiological state. Most Calm alternatives use fixed audio-guided timers. Vayu treats the interval as a variable you control, informed by what your biometrics say.

Calm vs Breathing Apps

Calm is mainly an audio-first relaxation app for meditation, sleep stories, music, and mindfulness. Breathing-first apps focus more on active breath pacing: inhale timing, exhale timing, holds, breathing patterns, wearable cues, body feedback, or short stress resets.

That difference matters if you are looking for a Calm alternative for anxiety. You may not need more relaxing content. You may need a more structured way to practice breathing when you feel stressed, wired, or unable to settle before sleep.