Newsweek Readers' Choice Names Top Mindfulness and Wellness Apps to Gift

1. Headspace

Headspace tops this roundup as the most universally giftable mindfulness app, praised as the best for beginners and given a 4.9/5 rating in a Mindspacebd Top 10 list. It offers mood-oriented meditations, sleep stories, friendly animations, structured courses, kids content and offline access, so it fits someone who wants a guided, family-friendly introduction to meditation. Pricing is inconsistent across sources: Newsweek lists an annual premium at $95.88, while a Mindspacebd entry explicitly calls out a $4.99 one-time purchase with no subscription; verify which price applies in your region before gifting. Pick Headspace for a stressed parent, a curious friend, or someone who likes structure and animation-led lessons.

2. Calm

Calm is the obvious splurge-for-sleep option: it pairs tailored meditation sessions with sleep relaxation, soothing music and nature sounds, and has a strong commercial track record. Sources note Calm offers a free tier, a premium annual subscription for $59.99, and an optional lifetime subscription priced at $399.99; Crunchbase-related coverage also flags Calm as 2017 App of the Year with more than 40 million downloads and $116 million raised. Gift Calm to someone with trouble sleeping, a heavy traveler who needs on-the-go sleep tools, or a colleague whose employer might cover a wellness subscription.

3. BetterHelp

For someone who’d benefit from professional support rather than an app-only toolkit, BetterHelp packages talk therapy into smartphone access, offering solo, couples and teen therapy options. Newsweek’s explicit phrasing is exact and unusual: "The service is billed once a month and costs between $40 and $70 per week." That billing description is worth double-checking with BetterHelp before buying as a gift, but the core idea stands: this is a practical present for someone who wants regular, scheduled talk therapy without in-office visits. Gift BetterHelp to a friend who wants therapy but needs telehealth convenience.

4. Aura

Aura is positioned for anxiety and high-stress users with a broad content mix: meditations, uplifting stories, music and more, plus a week-long free trial and an annual billing option of $59.99 after the trial. Mindspacebd also lists Aura in its Top 10 as "Best for Variety and AI Matching" with a 4.5/5 rating, which makes it a solid mid-priced pick for someone who wants a varied library and quick personalization. Gift Aura to a high-anxiety friend, a busy exec who needs bite-size mental breaks, or someone who benefits from story-led sessions.

5. Happify

Happify brands itself as a "happiness app" built around science-based, mood-boosting games and interactive experiences alongside meditation content, and it tracks user progress to reveal happiness patterns. That progress-tracking element makes Happify a smart gift for someone who likes measurable improvements and gamified routines. Gift Happify to a data-friendly friend who responds to streaks, progress charts and actively measurable mood goals.

6. Day One Journal

Day One Journal is a low-friction, editorially recognized digital journal — it’s an editor’s choice on the iPhone App Store — and it supports photo, writing and voice recording so users can reflect on both good and bad moments. Newsweek highlights journaling as a release for tension after a long day and notes the app "fits the lifestyle of any user." This is the perfect present for someone who loves analog journals but needs convenience, or for a friend starting therapy who could pair sessions with writing prompts.

7. My Gratitude Journal

If you want a tiny, affordable gift that still feels thoughtful, My Gratitude Journal costs $1.99 to download and focuses on writing down things you’re thankful for to boost perspective. Its single-price simplicity makes it a nice stocking-stuffer or a low-pressure way to introduce someone to daily reflective practice. Gift this to a college student, a budget-conscious friend, or someone who prefers a focused habit over broader wellness subscriptions.

8. Breathwrk

Breathwrk zeroes in on breath techniques — over 50 exercises, visual breathing guides, goal-focused classes for energy, calm, sleep and focus, plus offline access — and carries a Mindspacebd rating of about 4.6/5. Pricing is straight-forward: free basic access with a premium tier at $35.99 per year, available on iOS and Android. Breathwrk is the practical gift for anyone skeptical of meditation but curious about breathwork, or for athletes and shift-workers who need quick, science-backed tools for focus or recovery.

10. Balance

Balance is positioned as the "best personalized experience," using AI to tailor daily meditations to your preferences and progress, and Mindspacebd lists a first-year-free model with $69.99 per year thereafter. That AI-driven personalization makes Balance ideal for someone who wants a meditation plan that evolves, not one-size-fits-all sessions. Gift Balance to a beginner who gets discouraged by generic content or a habitual user who wants smarter recommendations.

11. Grokker

Grokker reads like a wellness library aimed at workplaces: it’s raised $22.5 million from investors including First Round Capital, SV Angel and Khosla Ventures, offers more than 3,700 exercises across mindfulness, nutrition, finance and sleep, and calls itself the "Netflix for wellbeing." It includes an enterprise dashboard with real-time tracking for engagement and program effectiveness, which is why Grokker often shows up as a corporate wellness benefit rather than a solo gift. Give Grokker as an employer-funded perk or buy a subscription for a small business interested in a turnkey wellness program.

12. Ompractice

Ompractice brings studio-style yoga home, founded by Sam Tackeff, Chris Lucas and Chris Landry, with a reach across 42 U.S. states and nearly a dozen countries. Crunchbase-related notes indicate $650,000 in funding and investor support from Springfield Venture Fund, Maroon Fund and Alchemy Group; that background underlines its studio-to-streaming positioning. Gift Ompractice to the yoga lover who travels, someone easing back into practice, or a friend who misses studio classes.

13. Humm.ly

Humm.ly blends music therapy techniques with interactive tech for mindfulness and movement, founded by Joanna Yu in 2017 and recognized as an Apple "New Apps We Love 2018" selection; Crunchbase lines show $600,000 raised with investors such as XRM Media and I2BF Global Ventures. If your giftee responds to sound-first practices — curated music for mood work — Humm.ly is a thoughtful alternative to voice-led meditation apps. Gift Humm.ly to musicians, creative friends or anyone who uses playlists to regulate mood.

14. Stop, Breathe & Think, PBC

Stop, Breathe & Think shows up in the corporate/founder landscape with $3 million in funding from investors including Amplify.LA and Launchpad Digital Health. Its long-running presence and investor backing make it a steady, reputable option for someone who needs accessible tools while waiting for traditional therapy access. Gift it to a college-age recipient or someone in transition who needs guided, approachable check-ins.

15. Meru Health

Meru Health appears in this Readers’ Choice conversation through a social nomination push, and a LinkedIn post from Sridhar Iyengar contains a strong endorsement: "I’ve known Kristian Ranta for nearly 20 years and he’s one of the most thoughtful, resourceful, and focused entrepreneurs I’ve known! His company Meru Health is transforming lives across the globe with clinically validated outcomes. Please vote for Meru in this Readers Choice competition from Newsweek so they can spread the word and help more people improve their mental health!" That kind of peer advocacy highlights Meru Health’s clinical positioning and suggests it’s a community-backed option to consider for someone who values research-backed programs. Use that endorsement as context when choosing a clinically oriented gift for a loved one with persistent depression or anxiety.