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Headspace vs Included Health

Headspace logo

Headspace

Healthcare

Meditation and mindfulness made simple

From
$12.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Included Health logo

Included Health

Healthcare

Care navigation and virtual care in one contract for self funded employers and health plans

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Headspace paid subscription required for unlimited access; free tier is limited; Included Health owning both the navigation recommendations and the virtual care delivery creates a structural incentive to steer members to the vendor own clinicians, and an employer should require disclosure and measurement of how often that happens.
  • They diverge on capability: Headspace covers Guided meditations, Included Health covers Care navigation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Headspace and Included Health actually diverge.

Attributes where Headspace and Included Health differ
AttributeHeadspaceIncluded Health
Starting price$12.99/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsiOS, Android, Web, macOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision ProWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Headspace

  • Guided meditations
  • Sleep stories
  • Focus playlists
  • Breathing exercises
  • SOS sessions
  • Apple Health
  • Google Fit
  • Apple Watch

Only in Included Health

  • Care navigation
  • Provider quality steerage
  • Expert medical opinion
  • Virtual primary care
  • Virtual behavioural health
  • Virtual urgent care
  • Benefits integration
  • Employer reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Headspace

  • Workout trackingnot Included Health
  • Nutrition managementnot Included Health
  • Health monitoringnot Included Health
  • Fitness coachingnot Included Health
  • Wellness improvementnot Included Health

Included Health

  • A large self funded employer whose members cannot tell which specialist to see and who currently absorbs the cost of poor referral decisionsnot Headspace
  • An employer that has bought several point solutions and needs one front door that routes members to the ones already paid fornot Headspace
  • A self funded plan wanting expert second opinions before high cost elective surgery, where a changed recommendation pays for the programmenot Headspace
  • An employer replacing separate navigation and telehealth vendors with one contract and one member experiencenot Headspace

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Headspace

  • Paid subscription required for unlimited access; free tier is limited
  • Mobile-first design means web experience is less feature-complete than mobile apps
  • Limited integration with other health and fitness apps compared to some competitors
  • Coaching services available only at higher tiers or additional cost

Included Health

  • Owning both the navigation recommendations and the virtual care delivery creates a structural incentive to steer members to the vendor own clinicians, and an employer should require disclosure and measurement of how often that happens.
  • Pricing is per employee per month across the whole eligible population, so a plan with low navigation engagement pays for everyone to serve the minority who call.
  • Savings claims rest on avoided costs and changed referral decisions, which are counterfactual by nature, so performance guarantees need very careful definition or they measure activity rather than money.
  • The company is a merger of three organisations with different origins, and members and benefits teams still encounter seams between navigation, virtual primary care and behavioural health that the single brand implies are absent.
  • It sells primarily to large self funded employers, so mid market employers and fully insured plans find both the pricing and the implementation effort disproportionate to their size.

Pricing, plan by plan

Headspace

$12.99/month
  • Monthly$12.99/month
    • Unlimited meditation access
    • Sleep content
    • Focus music
  • Annual$69.99/year
    • Same as monthly
    • 14-day free trial
  • Student$9.99/year
    • Full access with student verification

Included Health

On request
  • Included Health$undefined/year
    • Per employee per month across the eligible population, quoted not published
    • Navigation and virtual care modules priced separately or bundled
    • Some components offered with performance guarantees tied to measured savings

Which should you pick?

Choose Headspace if

  • You need guided meditations.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro.
  • You also want sleep stories.
Headspace review

Choose Included Health if

  • You need care navigation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want provider quality steerage.
Included Health review

Questions people ask

Is Headspace or Included Health better?
Neither clearly leads. Headspace starts at $12.99/month and Included Health at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Headspace or Included Health?
Headspace starts at $12.99/month and Included Health at On request.
Does Headspace or Included Health run on more platforms?
Headspace runs on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro. Included Health runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Headspace best used for?
Headspace is most often used for workout tracking, nutrition management, health monitoring, fitness coaching. Of those, workout tracking and nutrition management are not what Included Health is typically brought in for.
What can Headspace do that Included Health cannot?
Headspace covers Guided meditations, Sleep stories, Focus playlists, Breathing exercises. Included Health covers Care navigation, Provider quality steerage, Expert medical opinion, Virtual primary care.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Headspace: How much does Headspace cost?

Headspace offers a monthly plan at $12.99/month or annual plan at $69.99/year (approximately $5.83/month). Students can subscribe for $9.99/year. A 14-day free trial is available. HSA and FSA eligible options support pre-tax payments.

Source
Included Health: What exactly is Included Health?

The combination of Grand Rounds Health navigation, Doctor On Demand virtual care and the original Included Health concierge service, operating under one brand since late 2021.

Headspace: What content does Headspace include?

Headspace includes 1,000+ expert-led exercises covering meditation, stress relief, sleep resources including sleepcasts and soundscapes, anxiety management tools, and optional mental health coaching services with trained mindfulness experts.

Source
Included Health: Who pays for it?

The self funded employer or the health plan pays a per employee per month fee. Virtual care visits may also carry member cost sharing depending on plan design.

Headspace: On which platforms can I use Headspace?

Headspace is available on iOS, Android, web browsers, Mac, Apple Watch Series 6+, and Apple Vision Pro. Smart home integration with Google Assistant and Alexa allows hands-free access on compatible devices.

Source
Included Health: Is there a minimum size?

No published minimum, but it sells primarily to large self funded employers and the pricing and implementation effort do not suit small organisations.

Headspace: Does Headspace offer therapy or coaching?

Headspace includes meditation and mindfulness training led by trained experts. Mental health coaching is available as an add-on service. For therapy, users seeking clinical counseling should explore Headspace's mental health services or other dedicated therapy platforms.

Source
Included Health: How does it recommend providers?

Through data driven quality analysis rather than a plain directory. Ask specifically how those recommendations are produced and how often they resolve to the company own virtual clinicians.

Headspace: Is Headspace research-backed?

Yes. Headspace describes itself as the most research-backed meditation app on the market with 500+ hours of guided content, peer-reviewed studies demonstrating efficacy, and Ebb AI personalization that adapts sessions to user mood.

Source
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