# Alternatives to Waking Up Sam Harris' theory-plus-practice course. Waking Up ranks #5 of 7 in Meditation apps, with an Alt Score of 75. It is proprietary, freemium from $19.99/mo and available on iOS and Android. 8 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/waking-up/ Category: Meditation apps ## Overview - **Who it's for**: People who want to build a daily meditation practice as well as those curious about the underlying theory of mind and consciousness — from complete beginners to experienced meditators. It takes a secular approach, requiring no religious or spiritual belief. - **What you get**: A 30-day guided introductory course taught by Sam Harris, followed by an ongoing daily meditation practice. The library also includes theory lessons and conversations on consciousness, philosophy, and living well, taught by Harris and other teachers, researchers, and philosophers. Sessions cover topics like sleep, anxiety, relationships, and specific meditative traditions (Zen, Vipassana, etc.), organized into browsable courses and playlists. - **How it works**: You practice through guided audio meditations in the app, moving from the foundational course into a self-directed mix of daily practice and theory content. Access is via annual subscription with a free trial and scholarship memberships for those who can't afford it. ## Profile - **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-09) - **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-09) - **Starts at**: $19.99/mo (verified 2026-07-09) - **Platforms**: iOS, Android - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-09) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Insight Timer](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/insight-timer.md) | 90 | ? | iOS, Android, Web | | 2 | [Calm](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/calm.md) | 85 | Proprietary | iOS, Android | | 3 | [Headspace](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/headspace.md) | 75 | Proprietary | iOS, Android, Web | | 4 | [Medito](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/medito.md) | 75 | AGPL-3.0 | iOS, Android | | 5 | [Balance](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/balance.md) | 70 | Proprietary | iOS | | 6 | [Healthy Minds](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/healthy-minds.md) | 50 | ? | iOS, Android, macOS | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Meditation apps checklist | Waking Up | Insight Timer | Calm | Headspace | Medito | Balance | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Donationware | Freemium | | Starts at | $19.99/mo | Free | $14.99/month | $12.99/month | Free | $69.99/year | | License | Proprietary | ? | Proprietary | Proprietary | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary | | Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android | iOS | | Guided session library | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Sleep content | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Courses & programs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Offline downloads | ? | Yes | ? | Partial | Yes | ? | | Free tier depth | Partial | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | Partial | | Background sounds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Wearable integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Partial | | One-time purchase option | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | | Teacher variety | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | ? | ## Sources Sources for Waking Up. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Starts at**: $19.99/mo — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Monthly Subscription $19.99” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Version 3.22 Jun 3” - **License**: Proprietary — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Copyright © Waking Up LLC” - **Pricing model**: Freemium — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Free · In‑App Purchases” - **Platforms**: iOS, Android — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Waking Up: Meditation & Wisdom Waking Up LLC In-app purchases 4.6 star 41.6K reviews Everyone info 1M+ Downloads Install” - **Guided session library**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “A vast library of meditations, theory sessions, life courses, conversations, and Q&As” - **Sleep content**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Sleep Talks—drift off while listening to calming lessons and background sounds - Guided Sleep Meditations—structured practices for deep and restorative rest” - **Courses & programs**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Introductory Course—a transformative 28-day program, for both beginners and experienced meditators” - **Free tier depth**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “the app is free to download and the first 5 sessions are completely free … To unlock the full app you have to pay for membership” - **Background sounds**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “set one background sound for Practice sessions and a different one for Theory and Life” - **Wearable integration**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Note: :"Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad","operatingSystem":"Requires iOS 16.0 and watchOS 6.0 or later" - Quote: “availableOnDevice” - **One-time purchase option**: No — (verified 2026-07-09) - Note: ,"Monthly Subscription $19.99","Family Yearly Subscription $229.99" — Only subscription tiers; no one-time purchase. - Quote: “Waking Up Yearly Subscription $149.99” - **Teacher variety**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Practice—Vipassana, Zen, Dzogchen, Advaita Vedanta (Joseph Goldstein, Diana Winston, Adyashanti, Henry Shukman, Richard Lang) • Theory—(Alan Watts, Charlotte Joko Beck …)” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/