How to Cancel Calm 2026 — Is $70/Year for Meditation Worth It?
Updated March 2026 • 6 min read
Calm is the most popular meditation app, valued at $2 billion. At $70/year ($5.83/month), it's not the most expensive subscription — but it's paying for something that's fundamentally free. Meditation requires your breath and your attention. Not an app. Not a subscription. Not Matthew McConaughey's voice.
⚠️ The meditation app paradox: The entire point of meditation is that you need nothing external to do it. Paying $70/year for a meditation app is like paying for a subscription to breathe. The app can be helpful as training wheels — but at some point, you should be able to meditate without it.
Calm Pricing
- Monthly: $14.99/month
- Annual: $69.99/year ($5.83/month)
- Lifetime: $399.99 (one-time)
- Family plan: $99.99/year (up to 6 members)
How to Cancel Calm
Cancel on iPhone
- Settings → tap your Apple ID → Subscriptions
- Find Calm → Cancel Subscription
Cancel on Android
- Google Play → profile → Payments & subscriptions
- Find Calm → Cancel subscription
Cancel on Calm Website
- Log in at calm.com
- Click Profile → Manage Subscription
- Click Cancel Subscription
Why You Don't Need a Paid Meditation App
- Meditation is free by nature: Sit, breathe, observe your thoughts. That's it. No app required.
- Free apps are excellent: Insight Timer has 100,000+ free guided meditations
- YouTube has everything: Thousands of free guided meditations in every style and length
- Sleep stories are just audiobooks: Calm's biggest feature (Sleep Stories) is functionally the same as a free audiobook or podcast
- The science says simple works: Research on meditation benefits uses basic techniques, not app-guided sessions
Free Alternatives
- Insight Timer (free): 100,000+ free meditations, courses, music — the largest free meditation library
- YouTube: Search "guided meditation [length] minutes" — infinite free content
- Smiling Mind (free): Australian non-profit, completely free mindfulness app
- UCLA Mindful (free): Free guided meditations from UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center
- Timer + your breath: Set a phone timer for 10 minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe. That's meditation.
- Sleep podcasts: "Nothing Much Happens" (free) — boring bedtime stories designed to help you sleep
💡 The 10-minute test: Before renewing Calm, try meditating for 10 minutes with just a timer. No app, no voice, no music. If you can do it (you can), you don't need the subscription. If you prefer guided meditation, Insight Timer is free with more content than Calm.
📊 Find All Your Wellness Subscriptions
Upload a bank statement and we'll find every subscription — meditation apps, fitness, health services, and more.
Scan Your Subscriptions — $5 One-TimeMore from the Blog
Popular Cancel Guides
Want to find ALL your subscriptions at once?
Upload a bank statement and we'll detect every recurring charge in 30 seconds. Most people find 3-5 subscriptions they forgot about.
Scan My Statement — FreeNo account · No bank login · 960+ people have used JustCancel