Waking Up vs Insight Timer
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Waking Up is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.8. Waking Up wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Insight Timer on 2.
Curious meditators who want to understand the mind, not just unwind
Meditators who want endless free variety and a good silent timer
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Waking Up | Insight Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mind & Focus | Mind & Focus |
| Category rank | #1 of 9 | #2 of 9 |
| Developer | Waking Up Course LLC | Insight Network Inc. |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Waking Up
- Teaches the why of meditation, not just the how
- Calm, ad-free app without gamified pressure
- Free access for anyone who can't afford it
- Less focused on sleep and quick stress relief
- Intellectual tone won't suit everyone
Waking Up treats meditation as a skill to understand, not just a way to relax. Sam Harris's introductory course is the clearest guide to mindfulness in any app, and lessons and talks from other teachers go deep. There are no ads or gamified streaks. It is less suited to quick stress relief or sleep, and it is a subscription, though the company offers free access to anyone who can't afford it.
Full Waking Up review
Insight Timer
- Most of the library is free
- Customizable timer with interval bells
- Wide variety of teachers, traditions and lengths
- Quality varies a lot between teachers
- Busy interface with frequent upsells
Insight Timer is the best free meditation app by a wide margin. Its library holds a huge range of guided meditations, sleep tracks and talks from teachers around the world, and a customizable timer with bells serves people who sit in silence. The variety is also the weakness: quality is uneven and you have to find your own path. Member Plus adds courses and offline listening.
Full Insight Timer review
