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Headspace vs Calm: which app has fewer problems?
We compared 500 recent App Store reviews of Headspace and 500 recent App Store reviews of Calm, each classified by AI into 7 complaint themes (samples from up to 6 storefronts, latest review 2026-10-19). Calm has the fewest complaints overall: 37% of its recent reviews contain a complaint, vs 80% for Headspace.
Ratings at a glance
| App | All-time US rating | Ratings | Avg in our sample | Reviews analysed | Reviews with a complaint | Sample dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headspace | – | – | 2.05★ | 500 | 80% | 2025-01-12 – 2026-10-18 (645 d) |
| Calm | – | – | 3.55★ | 500 | 37% | 2025-12-07 – 2026-10-19 (317 d) |
Complaint themes side by side
Share of all analysed reviews that mention each theme (review count in brackets). Bold = lowest. A review can mention several themes.
| Theme | Headspace | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs | 28% (140) | 19% (95) |
| Crashes / freezes | 7% (35) | 2% (10) |
| Performance | 7% (34) | 3% (13) |
| UX / design | 22% (111) | 6% (30) |
| Pricing / subscription | 45% (225) | 24% (122) |
| Ads | 2% (10) | 2% (8) |
| Feature requests | 27% (133) | 13% (67) |
Verdict: which one has fewer problems?
Across the latest 1,000 App Store reviews we collected, Calm has the lowest share of reviews with a complaint (37%) and Headspace the highest (80%). The biggest single difference is in pricing and subscription complaints: 45% of Headspace reviews mention them, vs 24% for Calm. Each app's own biggest complaint theme: Headspace, pricing / subscription (225 reviews); Calm, pricing / subscription (122 reviews). Average star rating in the samples ranges from 2.05★ (Headspace) to 3.55★ (Calm). Time span of each sample: Headspace 645 days (2025-01-12 to 2026-10-18); Calm 317 days (2025-12-07 to 2026-10-19). The samples cover comparable periods, so the comparison is reasonably like-for-like. Samples that reach back many months (fewer reviews per day) show long-running issues rather than the effect of one recent update.
- Fewer bug problems: Calm, 19% of its reviews vs 28% for Headspace.
- Fewer crash and freeze problems: Calm, 2% of its reviews vs 7% for Headspace.
- Fewer performance (slowness, battery, storage) problems: Calm, 3% of its reviews vs 7% for Headspace.
- Fewer UX / design problems: Calm, 6% of its reviews vs 22% for Headspace.
- Fewer pricing and subscription problems: Calm, 24% of its reviews vs 45% for Headspace.
- Ad complaints: roughly tied (Headspace 2%, Calm 2% of reviews).
- Fewest feature requests: Calm, 13% of its reviews vs 27% for Headspace.
Gaps under 3 percentage points are called a tie. Samples are recent reviews only, so this is a snapshot of current problems, not all-time quality.
Top 3 specific issues for each app
FAQ
Which has fewer problems overall: Headspace or Calm?
In the most recent App Store reviews we analysed, Calm had the lowest share of reviews with a complaint (37% of 500) and Headspace the highest (80% of 500). Headspace: 399 of 500; Calm: 186 of 500.
Which has fewer bug complaints: Headspace or Calm?
Calm. Headspace: 140 of 500 recent reviews (28%); Calm: 95 of 500 recent reviews (19%).
Which has fewer crash and freeze complaints: Headspace or Calm?
Calm. Headspace: 35 of 500 recent reviews (7%); Calm: 10 of 500 recent reviews (2%).
Which has fewer pricing and subscription complaints: Headspace or Calm?
Calm. Headspace: 225 of 500 recent reviews (45%); Calm: 122 of 500 recent reviews (24%).
Which has fewer ad complaints: Headspace or Calm?
In our samples they are roughly tied: Headspace: 10 of 500 recent reviews (2%); Calm: 8 of 500 recent reviews (2%).
How recent is this Headspace vs Calm data?
Each sample is the most recent public App Store reviews we could collect (from up to 6 storefronts): Headspace: 500 reviews over 645 days (2025-01-12 to 2026-10-18); Calm: 500 reviews over 317 days (2025-12-07 to 2026-10-19). It is a snapshot of current problems, not all-time quality.
What is the most common complaint about Headspace and Calm?
Headspace: pricing / subscription (225 of 500 reviews), top-ranked fix: “justify or adjust the price”; Calm: pricing / subscription (122 of 500 reviews), top-ranked fix: “answer support requests”.
Full reports
- Headspace reviews: top complaints and what users want fixed
- Calm reviews: top complaints and what users want fixed
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