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Healthcare · head to head

Headspace vs Spring Health

Headspace logo

Headspace

Healthcare

Meditation and mindfulness made simple

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

Spring Health

HR

Employer mental health benefit that puts a share of its own fee at risk against measured symptom improvement

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; Spring Health per employee per month cost is several times a conventional employee assistance programme, reported publicly at roughly one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars per employee per year, so the business case has to rest on measured outcomes rather than price.
  • They diverge on capability: Headspace covers Guided meditations, Spring Health covers Precision matching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

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

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

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 Spring Health

  • Precision matching
  • Sponsored session model
  • Psychiatry and medication management
  • Coaching tier
  • Repeated outcome measurement
  • Outcomes-based fee
  • Manager and workforce reporting
  • Care navigation

What people use each for

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

Headspace

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

Spring Health

  • An employer replacing an EAP with two percent utilisation that cannot demonstrate any clinical effect to its boardnot Headspace
  • A benefits team facing long external waiting lists for therapy that are showing up in absence and disability claimsnot Headspace
  • A distributed workforce where the incumbent EAP provider network is thin outside major metropolitan areasnot Headspace
  • A health plan wanting to add a behavioural health layer without building a provider network itselfnot 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

Spring Health

  • Per employee per month cost is several times a conventional employee assistance programme, reported publicly at roughly one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars per employee per year, so the business case has to rest on measured outcomes rather than price.
  • Outcomes-based pricing only puts a portion of the fee at risk, and the measured cohort is people who engaged, which flatters the reported improvement relative to any effect across the whole workforce.
  • Sponsored sessions run out, and members who need longer treatment are handed to their health plan benefit where network adequacy and cost sharing may be exactly the problem they came to avoid.
  • The eligibility file integration is a real HR IT project, and employers with messy dependent and contractor data spend meaningful effort before launch.
  • Coverage and provider depth outside the United States is thinner than the domestic network, so multinational employers usually end up running a second vendor for other regions.

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

Spring Health

On request
  • Spring Health employer programme$undefined/year
    • Per employee per month, invoiced to the employer, with an eligibility file feed
    • Portion of fee available at risk against measured symptom outcomes
    • Sponsored session count negotiated per contract

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 Spring Health if

  • You need precision matching.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want sponsored session model.
Spring Health review

Questions people ask

Is Headspace or Spring Health better?
Neither clearly leads. Headspace starts at $12.99/month and Spring Health at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Headspace or Spring Health?
Headspace starts at $12.99/month and Spring Health at On request.
Does Headspace or Spring Health run on more platforms?
Headspace runs on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro. Spring 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 Spring Health is typically brought in for.
What can Headspace do that Spring Health cannot?
Headspace covers Guided meditations, Sleep stories, Focus playlists, Breathing exercises. Spring Health covers Precision matching, Sponsored session model, Psychiatry and medication management, Coaching tier.

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
Spring Health: How is it priced?

Per employee per month, billed to the employer, with a portion available at risk against measured outcomes. Rates are not published; public statements from the company suggest roughly one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars per employee per year.

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
Spring Health: Who pays, the employer or the health plan?

Usually the employer, for the sponsored session block. After those sessions the member typically continues under their health plan benefit with normal cost sharing.

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
Spring Health: What does outcomes-based pricing actually guarantee?

That a defined portion of the vendor fee is contingent on measured change in assessment scores among engaged members. It is not a guarantee of workforce-level improvement.

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
Spring Health: Is there a minimum headcount?

Yes in practice. Spring Health sells to mid-market and enterprise employers and health plans; very small employers are not the target and usually cannot get a quote.

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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