How We Feel vs Headspace
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
How We Feel is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.6. How We Feel wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Headspace on 3.
Anyone who wants to understand their moods without paying or oversharing
Beginners who want short, structured lessons and a friendly daily habit
Score by score
The details
| Feature | How We Feel | Headspace |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mind & Focus | Mind & Focus |
| Category rank | #2 of 11 | #5 of 11 |
| Developer | The How We Feel Project | Headspace Inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is How We Feel better than Headspace?
How We Feel is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.6. How We Feel wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Headspace on 3.
Which is cheaper, How We Feel or Headspace?
How We Feel: Free; made by a nonprofit funded by donations. Headspace: Free trial; $12.99/month or $69.99/year. Therapy and coaching cost extra. On value for money, How We Feel scores higher.
Do How We Feel and Headspace work on the same devices?
Only Headspace runs on Web.
Which is more private, How We Feel or Headspace?
How We Feel scores higher on privacy (9.2/10). The developer says your data stays on your device unless you opt in to share anonymized check-ins for research. App Store label: contact info, identifiers and other data may be linked to you.
Strengths and weaknesses
How We Feel
- Completely free, from a nonprofit
- Data stays on your device by default
- Strategies take a minute or two
- Android version is rated lower than iOS
- Not a substitute for professional care
How We Feel helps you find the exact word for a feeling, which makes it easier to act on. It was conceived with Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence, and it links your check-ins to sleep, exercise and other Apple Health trends so patterns show up over time. Short video strategies can shift a bad moment in about a minute, and you can share feelings with close friends. It's free and keeps data on your device by default.
Full How We Feel review
Headspace
- Excellent courses for complete beginners
- Polished, cheerful design that is easy to follow
- Covers stress, sleep and focus in one app
- Very little free content
- Frequent prompts toward therapy, coaching and other services
Headspace is the friendliest way to start meditating. Short, structured courses teach the basics, and warm animations and clear voice guidance make a daily habit easy to keep. Sleepcasts, focus music and mindful movement round it out, and Ebb, an AI companion, suggests sessions when you're stuck. Almost everything needs the subscription and the app pushes therapy and coaching, but for beginners it is the most approachable option.
Full Headspace review
