10 Best Free Sleep Apps in 2025 (Features + Pricing Guide)
Share
Can an app really help you sleep better? In 2025, millions of people think so. Whether it’s guided bedtime stories, smart alarms, or deep sleep tracking, sleep apps are now one of the top tools people use to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling better.
But here’s the problem: most sleep apps claim to do everything. And while many are free to download, the real features often hide behind a paywall. That’s where this guide comes in.
We’ve tested and compared the 10 best free and freemium sleep apps of 2025—from big names like Calm and Headspace to lesser-known apps like Virtuox and Sleep Reset. You’ll find out what each app does best, how much is free, whether it tracks your sleep, and who it’s right for.
If you're searching for the bose sleep app, wondering whether the sleep reset app is worth it, or just want an app that works without waking your phone with notifications at 2 AM, we’ve got you covered.
1. Calm: Best for Falling Asleep with Stories and Soundscapes
What it does best: Calm is ideal if you struggle to quiet your mind at night. Its signature Sleep Stories—bedtime tales read by soothing voices—help calm racing thoughts and make it easier to fall asleep. Whether you prefer the voice of Matthew McConaughey or a peaceful forest ambiance, Calm is designed to ease you into sleep through sound.
Features:
- Sleep Stories read by celebrities and professionals
- Guided meditations for sleep, stress, and anxiety
- Breathing exercises to relax your nervous system
- Music tracks and ambient soundscapes, including rain, ocean waves, and white/green noise
- New content added weekly
- Sleep-focused meditations called "Sleep Meditations"
If you’re looking for something like the bose sleep app for sound-based sleep help—but with more variety—Calm is the more comprehensive choice.
Pricing:
- Freemium: You can access a limited selection of Sleep Stories and meditations for free.
- Premium: $69.99 per year or $14.99 per month.
- Also offers a lifetime membership for $399.
- 7-day free trial included with most plans.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Apple Watch
Offline Mode: Yes (with Premium)
Who it’s for:
People who struggle with anxiety, overthinking, or nighttime restlessness. If you enjoy falling asleep to storytelling, calming sounds, or guided relaxation, Calm is the perfect match. It doesn’t track your sleep—but it helps you get to sleep.
2. Sleep Cycle: Best for Smart Wake-Ups and Sleep Tracking
What it does best:
Sleep Cycle is a smart alarm and sleep tracker that wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase. That means you feel less groggy in the morning. It uses your phone’s microphone to detect your movement and breathing and builds a sleep graph overnight. If you’re looking for a sleep image app, this is one of the most accurate visual tools available.
Features:
- Smart alarm that wakes you during light sleep
- Sleep tracking graphs (light, deep, awake periods)
- Snore detection and playback
- Integrates with Apple Health and Philips Hue smart lights
- Sleep notes (track caffeine, stress, late-night snacks)
- Gentle wake-up sounds and vibrations
This app is ideal for anyone curious about their sleep patterns but who doesn’t want to wear a smartwatch to bed. It even includes a sleep quality score and helps track long-term habits.
Pricing:
- Free version: Includes smart alarm, sleep tracking, and last 5 nights of data
- Premium: $39.99/year or $9.99/month
- Premium adds snore recording, sleep notes, long-term trends, and smart light integration
Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
Offline Mode: Yes (tracks without WiFi)
Who it’s for:
If your goal is to wake up feeling refreshed, this app is for you. It doesn’t include meditations or soundscapes, but it’s one of the best tools for understanding how well you actually slept. Also a good alternative if the sleep number app is too glitchy or hardware-based.
3. Headspace: Best for Wind-Down Routines and Mindful Sleep
What it does best:
Headspace makes sleep part of a healthy routine. With its “Sleepcasts,” calming stories mixed with ambient sound, it helps you wind down mentally before bed. It also includes meditations, breathing exercises, and tools for middle-of-the-night wake-ups. If you need something to reset your brain before sleep, this is a top choice.
Features:
- Sleepcasts (45-minute audio journeys designed to relax the mind)
- Wind-down exercises, body scans, and nighttime meditations
- SOS meditations for when you can’t fall back asleep
- Gentle sleep music and white noise
- Sleep content tailored to your mood or schedule
Think of Headspace as a bedtime coach. You don’t just use it to fall asleep—you use it to build habits that help you sleep better every night.
Pricing:
- Free version: Includes a handful of Sleepcasts, basic meditations, and one music track
- Premium: $12.99/month or $69.99/year
- Premium unlocks the full sleep library, hundreds of meditations, and offline access
Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
Offline Mode: Yes (Premium only)
Who it’s for:
This app is perfect for people with racing thoughts at bedtime. If you want guided audio that helps you drift off without needing to track data or analyze graphs, this is the one. It's also a great alternative if you're not happy with the sleep reset app cost or want something that blends both meditation and sleep help.
4. Insight Timer: Best for Free Sleep Meditations and Music
What it does best:
Insight Timer gives you access to thousands of free meditations, music tracks, and even bedtime stories—all contributed by teachers, musicians, and therapists around the world. It’s one of the only sleep apps that offers so much content without requiring a paid subscription. If you’re looking for deep sleep guidance without paying, this is your go-to.
Features:
- 150,000+ free tracks, including meditations, sleep music, and talk-downs
- Customizable meditation timer with bells and background sounds
- Bedtime stories and ASMR for sleep
- Binaural beats and ambient tracks for deep sleeping apps style audio
- Optional community groups for support and encouragement
- Courses available for deeper learning (mostly in the paid plan)
You don’t need to know what works for your sleep right away—this app lets you experiment. If you’re unsure about the sleep number app or want more than just charts, Insight Timer gives you audio-based help with zero pressure.
Pricing:
- Free version: Full access to sleep meditations, music, and timer
- Member Plus (optional): $9.99/month or $59.99/year
- Premium adds courses, offline access, and advanced player controls
Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
Offline Mode: Yes (Premium only)
Who it’s for:
Anyone who wants to fall asleep using meditation or sound without spending money. If you’ve tried apps like the virtuox sleep app or the sleep reset app and didn’t like the paywalls, Insight Timer is a solid free alternative. Great for mindfulness lovers, too.
5. BetterSleep: Best for Custom Soundscapes and Gentle Sleep Tracking
What it does best:
BetterSleep (previously known as Relax Melodies) is a powerful mix of sleep sounds, guided meditations, and tracking tools. You can build your own mix of over 300 relaxing sounds—everything from rain to Tibetan bowls to green noise—and play them all night long. It also tracks your sleep duration and quality, making it a solid hybrid of relaxation and data.
Features:
- Over 300 mixable sounds: white noise, pink noise, green noise, nature sounds, and music
- Bedtime stories and sleep meditations
- Basic sleep tracking and a smart alarm
- Snore recorder and noise tracking while you sleep
- Breathing exercises and light stretching routines
- Personalized chronotype quiz to match routines to your body clock
If you’re overwhelmed by the sleep number app not working or want a friendlier app than shiny app sleeping status meaning suggests, BetterSleep offers a hands-on experience with helpful visuals and a calm design.
Pricing:
- Free version: Limited access to sound library, some meditations and stories
- Premium: $9.99/month or $59.99/year (7-day free trial)
- Lifetime access also available for about $249
Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
Offline Mode: Yes (Premium only)
Who it’s for:
Perfect for sound lovers who want full control over their sleep environment. If you want to combine relaxing sounds with snore recording and tracking data—but don’t need overly complex graphs—this app strikes the right balance. Also great for users frustrated with sleep details app not recording sleep number.
6. Pzizz: Best for Nap Sessions and Guided Sleep Audio
What it does best:
Pzizz creates dreamy audio experiences called “dreamscapes” that mix voiceovers, music, and sound effects to help you fall asleep or take a power nap. These aren't static recordings. Each session is algorithmically generated, so it's different every time. That means your brain doesn’t get too used to one sound—and that helps it stay effective long term.
Features:
- AI-generated dreamscapes that change each night
- Guided voice narration to calm your thoughts
- Separate modes for Sleep, Nap, and Focus
- Binaural beats and psychoacoustic tones for brainwave stimulation
- Custom duration and volume controls for music and voice
- Personalized recommendations and new content monthly
Pzizz stands out if you want a “press play and go” experience. It’s also useful for those who want something more structured than the app sleeper or are comparing the rise sleep app review and looking for deeper voice-based relaxation.
Pricing:
- Free version: Access to the classic Pzizz mode (basic dreamscape audio)
- Premium: $9.99/month or $69.99/year
- Premium unlocks all dreamscapes, voice styles, and offline use
Platforms: iOS, Android
Offline Mode: Yes (Premium only)
Who it’s for:
Best for people who need help shutting off their mind, whether for a full night’s rest or just a 20-minute recharge. If you’re debating between a basic green noise sleep app or something more immersive like the virtuox sleep app, Pzizz offers more flexibility and depth.
7. SleepScore: Best for Contactless Sleep Tracking and Insights
What it does best:
SleepScore uses sonar technology (yes, like dolphins) to track your sleep from your nightstand—no need to wear anything or put a device under your mattress. It sends out silent sound waves using your phone’s speaker and analyzes how they bounce off your body while you sleep. This gives you a detailed view of your sleep cycles, including light, deep, and REM sleep.
Features:
- Contactless sleep tracking using sonar
- Detailed breakdown of sleep stages and sleep efficiency
- Personalized recommendations based on your trends
- Smart alarm to wake you in a light sleep phase
- Sleep score from 0 to 100 to measure quality
- Screens for potential sleep issues like apnea or insomnia
This is a top pick for people who want accurate data but don’t want to wear a smartwatch to bed. It’s a smart choice if you’re exploring how to get health app sleep alarm shortcuts reddit or wondering does shortcuts work with sleep app alarm reddit—SleepScore just does it better with no shortcuts required.
Pricing:
- Free version: Tracks sleep with 7-day data history, sleep score, and basic tips
- Premium: $9.99/month or $59.99/year
- Premium unlocks full history, trends, coaching, and a downloadable sleep report
Platforms: iOS, Android (device compatibility may vary)
Offline Mode: Yes (tracking works without internet)
Who it’s for:
Ideal for data-driven sleepers. If you like the idea of the sleep number app but don’t want to deal with hardware or syncing issues, SleepScore is more accurate and hassle-free. Great for people serious about fixing sleep issues based on real patterns.
8. SnoreLab: Best for Tracking Snoring and Finding Solutions
What it does best:
SnoreLab is built specifically to help you understand and reduce your snoring. It uses your phone’s microphone to record audio while you sleep, then gives you a Snore Score in the morning. You can listen to highlights of your loudest snoring episodes and test how lifestyle changes or remedies affect your results over time.
Features:
- Snore recording and Snore Score each night
- Audio playback of snoring, gasps, or disruptions
- Logs remedies (like sleeping position, nasal strips, or no alcohol)
- Graphs showing volume and frequency of snoring
- Optional alerts to help wake or shift position when snoring gets loud
- Easy to export recordings or data to share with a doctor
This app helps you learn what affects your snoring. You can try different changes and see what works. If you’re already frustrated with your sleep number app for android and want more targeted help, SnoreLab might reveal what’s really going on while you sleep.
Pricing:
- Free version: Limited recordings and alternate-night use
- Pro (one-time purchase): ~$10 unlocks unlimited nights, audio highlights, full graphs, and advanced logging
Platforms: iOS, Android
Offline Mode: Yes
Who it’s for:
Perfect for anyone who suspects snoring is affecting their sleep (or their partner’s). It’s especially helpful if you think you might have sleep apnea and want to track patterns before talking to a doctor. Unlike general apps like the sleep reset app or rise sleep app, SnoreLab focuses entirely on snoring and breathing at night.
9. SleepTown: Best for Gamifying Your Bedtime Routine
What it does best:
SleepTown turns your bedtime and wake-up routine into a fun challenge. Every night, you "build" a structure by opening the app before your target bedtime and putting your phone down. If you sleep on time and wake up when you said you would, the building is completed. If you don’t, it crumbles. Over time, your consistency grows a full digital town—one building at a time.
Features:
- Bedtime and wake-up goal setting
- Reward system for sleeping on time and waking up on schedule
- Cute, customizable buildings with over 70 design types
- Circadian circle feature to build sleep habits with friends or family
- Simple alarm function (fail to wake on time = no building)
- Tracks sleep duration (start and wake times only)
This app doesn’t track deep sleep or offer meditations. Instead, it focuses on behavior change. If you often scroll in bed or snooze alarms, SleepTown helps break that cycle. It's a smart option if you’re trying to figure out how to put an app to sleep—sometimes, it’s your habits that need putting to sleep instead.
Pricing:
- Android: Free to download with optional in-app purchases (coins, premium buildings)
- iOS: ~$1.99 one-time purchase
- Optional upgrades for syncing across devices and protecting buildings if you fail a night
Platforms: iOS, Android
Offline Mode: Yes
Who it’s for:
Great for people trying to fix inconsistent bedtimes and phone overuse at night. If you’re wondering how to put apps to sleep or how do you put an app to sleep on your phone, this flips that idea—it puts you to sleep instead. It’s also useful for teens or students trying to improve their sleep routines in a more playful way.
10. CBT-i Coach: Best for Insomnia and Long-Term Sleep Fixes
What it does best:
CBT-i Coach isn’t just another sleep app—it’s a digital toolkit based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the most effective clinical method to treat chronic sleep problems. This app is recommended by therapists, sleep clinics, and even the Department of Veterans Affairs. It doesn’t rely on music or alarms—it helps you retrain your sleep patterns through science-backed strategies.
Features:
- Interactive sleep diary to track bedtimes, wake times, sleep efficiency
- Educational content explaining how sleep works and what causes insomnia
- Tools for worry control, nighttime wake-ups, and stimulus control
- Audio exercises for muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and breathing
- Custom reminders to build a sleep routine
- Based on research by the VA, DoD, and Stanford School of Medicine
This is the app to turn to when the sleep number app not working isn’t just an annoyance—it’s a sign you need to fix your sleep at the root level. It also works well alongside data apps like SnoreLab or SleepScore if you're ready to make deeper changes.
Pricing:
- Completely free (no ads, no upsells, no tracking)
- Funded and developed by public institutions as a clinical health tool
Platforms: iOS, Android
Offline Mode: Yes
Who it’s for:
Perfect for people with long-standing sleep issues like insomnia, irregular sleep cycles, or nighttime anxiety. If you're tired of trying gimmicks and just want something that works, CBT-i Coach is the most research-supported sleep app available—and it’s free. Also a good next step for users who found that their sleep image app didn’t solve the deeper issue.
Final Thoughts
Not all sleep apps are created equal—and not every sleeper has the same needs. Whether you're looking for calming sounds, structured therapy, or help breaking bad bedtime habits, one of these 10 apps can guide you toward better rest.
Try a few. Mix and match. The best sleep app is the one that fits your lifestyle and helps you feel truly rested.
But here’s something many people overlook: your gut health also plays a big role in how well you sleep. The gut and brain are closely connected through what's called the gut-brain axis. Poor gut health can lead to increased inflammation, stress, and sleep disturbances—while a balanced gut can help regulate your mood and sleep hormones like melatonin and serotonin.
To explore this connection further, check out Best Gut Health Tips for 2025: Eat Better, Feel Better on Self Health Pro. It’s a great read if you want to support better sleep from the inside out.