Comparing Aura and Calm: Which is the Best App for Mental Wellbeing?

In today's fast-paced world, the importance of mental wellbeing cannot be underestimated. With stress and anxiety levels on the rise, more people are turning to technology to find ways to improve mindfulness, manage stress, and promote better sleep. In this article, we'll compare two of the most popular apps for mental wellbeing, Aura Health and Calm, to determine which is the best app for your needs.

Overview of Aura Health and Calm

Before diving into the comparison, let's first take a look at what each app offers.

What is Aura Health?

Aura Health is an app designed to help users practice mindfulness meditation and reduce stress. The app uses AI to create personalized meditations for each user, based on their current mood, goals, and preferences. Aura Health also offers a range of guided meditations, breathing exercises, and bedtime stories to help users relax and unwind.

One of the unique features of Aura Health is that it tracks users' moods and provides insights into their emotional patterns. This allows users to better understand their mental health and make more informed decisions about their self-care practices.

In addition to its meditation and relaxation exercises, Aura Health also offers daily reminders and positive affirmations to help users stay motivated and focused on their mental wellbeing goals.

What is Calm?

Calm is another popular app for mental wellbeing, offering guided meditations, sleep stories, and relaxation exercises. Calm's mission is to make the world a happier and healthier place by helping people learn the life-changing skills of meditation, relaxation, and mindfulness.

Calm also offers a range of programs to help users build healthier habits, such as its popular "7 Days of Calm" program. This program guides users through a week-long meditation journey, helping them establish a regular meditation practice.

Another unique feature of Calm is its "Daily Calm" meditation, which provides users with a new guided meditation every day. This helps users stay engaged with their practice and explore different meditation techniques.

Overall, both Aura Health and Calm offer valuable tools and resources for users looking to improve their mental wellbeing. Whether you prefer personalized meditations or daily inspiration, there is an app out there to help you on your journey.

Features and Tools

When it comes to mental wellbeing, it's important to have access to the right tools and resources. In this comparison of Aura Health and Calm, we'll take a closer look at the features and tools offered by each app to determine which one offers the most comprehensive array of tools for mental wellbeing.

Meditation Offerings

Meditation is a popular tool for reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Both Aura Health and Calm offer guided meditations to help users achieve a state of calm and focus. Aura Health uses AI to create personalized meditations for each user based on their individual needs and preferences. This means that every meditation session is tailored to the user's unique situation, making it more effective and meaningful. Calm, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of themed meditations, such as self-compassion, gratitude, and self-care. This variety allows users to choose a meditation that aligns with their specific goals and interests. Both apps also offer timers for users to meditate on their own, without guidance.

Sleep Assistance

Sleep is an important aspect of mental wellbeing, and both Aura Health and Calm offer assistance with getting a good night's rest. Aura Health offers bedtime stories and sounds to help users fall asleep. These stories are designed to be calming and soothing, helping users to relax and drift off to sleep. Calm provides sleep stories and guided meditations specifically designed to promote better sleep. These stories and meditations are created with the goal of helping users achieve a deeper, more restful sleep.

Stress and Anxiety Management

Stress and anxiety are common issues that can have a negative impact on mental wellbeing. Both Aura Health and Calm offer tools to help users manage these issues. Aura Health offers quick three-minute exercises designed to reduce stress and anxiety. These exercises can be done anywhere, at any time, making them a convenient tool for managing stress on-the-go. Calm offers a 10-minute daily calm exercise that focuses on mindfulness and stress reduction. This exercise is designed to be done daily, helping users to build a habit of mindfulness and stress management.

Personalized Content

Aura Health's use of AI to create personalized meditations is a unique feature not found in other apps. Aura Health surveys the users to determine what type of meditation and affirmations are needed that day. This personalized approach ensures that users are getting the most out of their meditation sessions, and that they are receiving the support they need to manage their mental wellbeing. Calm offers unique daily meditations designed to be helpful and calming. These meditations are created by experts in the field of mental health and are designed to provide users with the support they need to manage their stress and anxiety.

Overall, both Aura Health and Calm offer a range of tools and resources to help users manage their mental wellbeing. Whether you're looking for personalized meditations, sleep assistance, or stress management tools, both apps have something to offer. Ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference and which app aligns best with your individual needs and goals.

User Experience and Interface

No matter how great the features and tools any app offers, if the user interface is clunky, the experience can be frustrating and distracting. A good user interface should be intuitive and easy to use, allowing users to focus on the content and features of the app.

Design and Navigation

Aura Health and Calm both have visually appealing interfaces that are easy to navigate. Aura Health uses soothing colors and geometry to facilitate a calm environment, while Calm offers fun and eye-catching visuals. Both apps are easy to navigate with clear signposts to guide one through the features. The design of an app can greatly affect the user's experience, and both Aura Health and Calm have done an excellent job of creating interfaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

In addition to the design, the navigation of an app is also crucial for a good user experience. Both Aura Health and Calm have made sure that the navigation is easy and intuitive, with clear labels and buttons that make it easy to find what you're looking for. This is especially important for apps that are used for meditation and relaxation, as users want to be able to quickly and easily access the content they need without any distractions.

Customization Options

Both apps allow users to customize their experience. Users can control how long their meditations last, the type of sound that plays during meditation, or the background image. Aura Health learns the preferences of the user and customizes new meditations based on what they prefer. Calm offers various themes for daily meditations, allowing a user to choose that which resonates with them the most. Customization is an important feature for any app, as it allows users to tailor the experience to their individual needs and preferences.

Customization options can also help to keep users engaged with the app over time. By allowing users to change the background image or sound, for example, the app can feel fresh and new each time the user opens it. This can help to prevent users from getting bored or feeling like they've exhausted all the content in the app.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Aura Health and Calm both offer features that aim to promote inclusivity. Aura Health offers meditations in multiple languages including English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. This is an important feature for users who may not speak English as their first language, or who want to practice meditation in their native language. Calm offers catered meditations such as those designed for children, seniors, and people with anxiety issues. This is an important feature for users who may have specific needs or preferences when it comes to meditation.

Accessibility and inclusivity are important considerations for any app, as they ensure that the app can be used by the widest possible audience. By offering features that cater to different needs and preferences, Aura Health and Calm have made their apps more accessible and inclusive, which can help to attract and retain users over time.

Pricing and Subscription Plans

The last thing to compare is the cost of using these apps.

Aura Health Pricing

Aura Health offers a free 7-day trial, after which users must pay a monthly subscription fee of $12.99 or an annual subscription fee of $59.99.

Calm Pricing

Calm offers a free 7-day trial and also has a subscription fee of $14.99, or an annual subscription fee of $69.99.

Free Trial and Refund Policies

Both Aura Health and Calm offer free trials of their premium features. If a user is not satisfied with the app's performance, he or she can cancel subscription plans within the allotted time frame with no penalty. Many users have reported the quality of customer care offered by both apps.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Aura Health and Calm are two powerful apps that offer unique tools for improving mental health and promoting wellbeing. While Aura Health uses AI to create personalized meditations, Calm offers a wide variety of themed meditations. Aura Health offers quick three-minute exercises to reduce stress and anxiety, while Calm provides daily meditations to promote mindfulness and stress reduction. In terms of cost, Aura Health is slightly cheaper for paying monthly, but Calm offers more theme and catering options. Ultimately, the choice between these two apps comes down to personal preference, and the specific mental health needs an individual may have.

Aura is Your All In One App for Meditation, Mindfulness Wellbeing

Find peace every day with one app for your whole well-being. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental well-being. Aura is the first all-in-one wellness app that learns how to best help you. Discover an endless library of expert-created tracks for your well-being, all taught by the world’s best coaches, therapists, and storytellers. With Aura's personalized recommendations, you can find peace every morning, day and night.