The 14 Best Apps for Anxiety

Anxiety apps may relieve anxious thoughts and mild symptoms of anxiety disorders. Here are the best anxiety apps and FAQs answered by mental health experts.

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Editor's Note: This article has been medically reviewed by Dakari Quimby, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist. Quimby specializes in treating mental health concerns including trauma, relationship issues, anxiety, depression and family conflict. He operates the private practice Develop Mental Psychological Services in Los Angeles.

Anxiety is a natural response to stressful situations or a perceived threat. If you’ve experienced it yourself, then you know just how intense it can feel. Nervous, sweaty, out of breath, full of dread, distracted with a high heart rate—these are all common signs that you might be anxious. And if these symptoms last for an extended period of time, you might actually be living with an anxiety disorder, like 19 percent of U.S. adults currently do.

Yes, anxiety can be overwhelming, but with the right tools, it is possible to manage. There are tons of treatment options out there, some more accessible than others. If you have a smartphone, using mental health apps can be an incredibly convenient tool to help you understand your symptoms, learn valuable coping skills and feel more grounded or in control.

There are many apps for anxiety out there, and we did the hard work for you by testing out some of the most popular ones ourselves. Below, we’ll cover the best anxiety apps, why you might want to try them, answers to frequently asked questions and other important things to keep in mind.

Mental health apps are not a substitute for a licensed professional. If you’re in crisis or having suicidal thoughts, text or call the Suicide and Crisis Help Line at 988.

Our Picks for the Best Apps for Anxiety in 2024:

• Best Overall Anxiety App: Calm
• Best Mindfulness App for Anxiety: The Mindfulness App
• Best Anxiety App for Meditation: Headspace
• Best Anxiety App for Therapy: BetterHelp
• Best Breathing App for Anxiety: Breathwrk
• Best Anxiety App for Adults: Mindshift CBT
• Best Anxiety App for Teens: Colorfy
• Best Anxiety App for Kids: Smiling Mind
• Best Anxiety App for Beginners: Calm
• Best Anxiety App for Insomnia and Sleep: Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep
• Best Anxiety App for Mood Tracking: What’s Up? A Mental Health App
• Best Anxiety App for Games: AntiStress Anxiety Relief Game
• Best Anxiety App for Journaling: Moodnotes
• Best Free Anxiety App: Insight Timer

Best Overall Anxiety App: Calm

SI Showcase + Calm

Calm at a glance:

• Daily meditation sessions known as the “Daily Calm”
• New content released frequently
• Custom programs from clinical experts and mindfulness teachers

Calm has over two million 5-star reviews for a reason. The app has an amazing collection of guided meditations, soothing sleep stories, stretching movements and relaxing music to help you find your zen whenever (and however) you need it. The interface is also super easy to navigate.

Tester Colleen Quigley uses the Calm app several times a week, especially if she needs help falling asleep.

“The features I particularly like are the soundscapes and the breathing exercises,” she says. “The ‘heavy rain,’ ‘car in the rain’ and ‘ocean waves’ soundscapes are some of my favorites to listen to when I’m struggling to fall asleep.”

She also notes the breathwork is also great for unwinding before bed or helping her reset when feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

“I’ve been able to use some of the techniques, like box breathing or equal breathing, even without the app, in moments when I need help easing anxiety or stress,” she says.

What we like:

• Science-backed anxiety relief techniques
• Easy for beginners and is great for experienced meditators
• Soundscapes sound realistic, especially when compared to other apps and noise machines

What to consider:

• Monthly subscription cost is a bit high ($14.99/month)

Best Mindfulness App for Anxiety: The Mindfulness App

SI Showcase + Mindfulness

The Mindfulness App at a glance:

• Timed meditations and guided courses
• Daily reminders to help you stay consistent
• Tracks progress and integrates with health apps

Using The Mindfulness App is an easy way to integrate mindfulness meditation into your daily routine. The app has hundreds of guided meditations that are awesome for both beginners and more seasoned meditators. Not a fan of guided practices? You’ll find silent meditations and build-your-own background sounds, too. It even has customizable timers and daily reminders to help hold you accountable and get you into the present moment everyday.

Extensive evidence, including a study published in Clinical Psychology Review, supports mindfulness practice to improve wellbeing and help reduce depression and anxiety. “It is thought to improve anxiety by increasing positive reappraisal or reframing negative experiences, decreasing rumination by helping people get in the habit of being more in the moment, and promoting the acceptance of one's present,” says Quimby.

What we like:

• Ability to track your progress over time
• App is easy to navigate
• Great for people of all experience levels

What to consider:

• Limited advanced features
• Expensive annual subscription

Best Anxiety App for Meditation: Headspace

SI Showcase + Headspace

Headspace at a glance:

• Personalized meditation plans
• Focus on anxiety and stress relief
• Engaging animations to make it fun

Headspace has tons of meditation programs designed to tackle stress, short sessions for when life gets chaotic and even personalized recommendations that feel like a friendly guide to help you kick anxiety to the curb. The Wake Up daily videos are a lovely way to start your day on a positive note, too. The whole app has an easygoing vibe that makes meditation very approachable for anyone who’s looking to get started or keep their practice going.

Tester Amanda Capritto says Headspace helped to keep her focused on short meditation practices. She liked the beginner meditations best because they're short and sweet, with a guide who talks pretty consistently, which provides you something to focus on and can help calm racing thoughts.

What we like:

• Short and accessible sessions
• Meditation programs for different needs
• Solid courses for beginners

What to consider:

• Style may not be for everyone
• Subscription needed for full access

Best Anxiety App for Therapy: BetterHelp

SI Showcase + BetterHelp

BetterHelp at a glance:

• Secure messaging and sessions
• Matching algorithm pairs you with a therapist

BetterHelp is like having a therapist in your pocket. This online counseling platform hooks you up with licensed professionals who specialize in different areas. The best part? It's like therapy on your terms. You can chat, call or video chat whenever you want, making mental health care super accessible and tailored to your needs. It's been a game-changer for millions of people looking for a more flexible approach to mental well-being.

“The real-time unlimited messaging is probably my favorite feature,” tester Scott Richardson says. “I specifically love that the chat history never gets deleted, so I can revisit anything that my therapist and I have discussed over the past three years. I find it to be a helpful way to check-in on my progress and to remind myself of some key takeaways from our previous sessions.”

After over three years of using the platform, he looks forward to his standing appointment every Friday morning, which he says has helped build the habit of consistently investing in his mental health.

For more information, check out our full BetterHelp review.

What we like:

• Don’t need insurance
• Range of therapists to choose from
• Can send texts whenever you need

What to consider:

• Might be too expensive for some
• No option to text your therapist directly, it’s all done through the platform
• Virtual therapy won’t work for everyone

Best Anxiety App for Breathing Techniques: Breathwrk

SI Showcase + Breathwrk

Breathwrk at a glance:

• Heavy focus on breathwork to reduce stress and anxiety
• Breathing exercises are guided by simple visuals

If you want to tap into the power of mindful breathing for anxiety relief, Breathwrk is the app to teach you how to do it. Just got up and want some energy? Trying to unwind before bed? There’s a breathing exercise for that. Breathwrk offers daily classes and in-the-moment science-backed techniques complemented by visuals that align with your goals and show you how you’re doing over time.

What we like:

• Quick and effective exercises
• Extremely user-friendly
• Evidence-based breathing techniques

What to consider:

• Limited free features

Best Anxiety App for Adults: Mindshift CBT

SI Showcase + Mindshift CBT

Mindshift CBT at a glance:

• Range of CBT exercises
• Community forum to connect with others
• Coping cards and belief experiments

Looking to manage your anxiety on your own with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)? Mindshift CBT App is an amazing and accessible free introduction to this effective anxiety treatment option. Its library is full of proven CBT techniques and practical tools to help you challenge negative thought patterns, build healthier habits, set personal goals and foster a more positive mindset all on your own.

“​​CBT helps people get in control of their thoughts rather than having their thoughts control them,” Quimby says. “Through CBT, people learn techniques to get a better understanding of the stories they tell themselves that often make them feel stressed or scared. They then learn strategies to help change and retell their stories in a way that is more fair, balanced and healthy.”

What we like:

• Real-time mood tracking
• Rooted in science
• Very simple design

What to consider:

• Only focused on anxiety relief
• Might feel too clinical for some

Best Anxiety App for Teens: Colorfy

SI Showcase + Colorfy

Colorfy at a glance:

• Coloring book for stress relief
• Extensive design library
• Pretty color palette options

No need to drop money on expensive art supplies when Colorfy is a fun, free coloring app that basically turns your phone screen into a personal canvas. With tons of intricate designs and a rainbow of colors, it's a great creative outlet and way to unleash your inner artist. When you’re stressed and need some accessible art therapy (or a relaxing distraction), Colorfy's got your back with a chill coloring experience.

Coloring can benefit people due to its connection to mindfulness which "entails concentrating fully on one aspect of the present moment," according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology.

“Coloring is thought to help folks engage more in the present,” says Quimby. “Research is mixed on the benefit of coloring on improving mental health, but there is some evidence that coloring mandalas in particular can be beneficial.”

What we like:

• Portable creative outlet
• No mess or cleanup with traditional art supplies
• Range of design styles from simple patterns to complicated mandalas

What to consider:

• In-app purchases for extra features

Best Anxiety App for Kids: Smiling Mind

SI Showcase + Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind at a glance:

• Educational sessions
• Programs for kids of different ages
• Options for adults/parents, too

Smiling Mind is an great anxiety app for kids for many reasons, but it’s especially designed to make mindfulness more accessible no matter where they are in life. For example, if your kid is anxious about going back to school, there’s a program for that. This app offers programs and sessions for kids at different ages and stages to help them practice mindfulness to manage stress, build emotional resilience and improve relationships.

What we like:

• Age specific programs starting at 3+
• Developed by psychologists
• Accessible offline

What to consider:

• Potential learning curve with complicated interface

Best Anxiety App for Beginners: Calm

SI Showcase + Calm

 Calm at a glance:

• Sleep Stories to relax you before bed
• Daily Calm meditation sessions
• Free and paid features

If you're just dipping your toes into the mindfulness pool, Calm’s got you covered. This app features gentle guided meditations, sleep stories, soothing music and masterclasses to meet you exactly where you’re at on your mental health journey. With its easy-to-navigate interface and beginner-friendly features, it might be just what you need to help you start managing your anxiety.

What we like:

• Easy for beginners to use
• Full library of relaxing features
• Customizable sessions

What to consider:

• Premium content may be expensive

Best Anxiety App for Insomnia and Sleep: Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep

SI Showcase + Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep

Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep at a glance:

• Create a peaceful, immersive sleep environment
• Mix and match nature sounds
• Sleep timer and alarm functions

Having trouble sleeping and looking for a natural sleep aid? Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep turns your bedroom into a natural relaxation haven, perfect for unwinding and catching some Zzz’s when you’re wound up. The app offers a bunch of calming sounds like rain, rivers, oceans and birds paired with beautiful complementary pictures to chill you out before bed.

What we like:

• Range of high-quality nature sounds
• Download your favorite sounds for offline use
• Great for kids and adults

What to consider:

• Limited free features
• Experienced some bugs in the app

Best Anxiety App for Mood Tracking: What’s Up? A Mental Health App

SI Showcase + What’s Up? A Mental Health App

What’s Up? at a glance:

• Mood and habit tracker
• Journal prompts
• Grounding games

What’s up? Not much, just using the What’s Up? App as my diary from now on. This mental health app is a one-stop shop for logging your thoughts and moods and learning about mental well-being as you go. Using it is a simple way to keep tabs on your long-term mental health, learn coping skills, play grounding games and start spotting patterns when it comes to your anxious tendencies.

What we like:

• Informational resources
• Variety of coping strategies
• Simple interface

What to consider:

• Heavy emphasis on self-help
• Not as visually appealing as other apps

Best Anxiety App for Games: Anti Stress Anxiety Relief Game

SI Showcase + AntiStress Anxiety Relief Game

AntiStress Anxiety Relief Game at a glance:

• Diverse stress-relief activities
• Interactive and engaging
• Calming visuals and music

If playing games is more your style, The Anti Stress Anxiety Relief Game is like a little digital escape for whenever you need a distraction. Fidget spinners, ball poppers, flowing pipes—you name it. These stress relief activities are a fun, wholesome and effective way to kick back, tune out and ease anxiety whenever it strikes.

What we like:

• Can play without an internet connection
• Unique approach to anxiety relief
• No subscription costs

What to consider:

• Ads interrupt your experience
• Might not keep your attention for long

Best Anxiety App for Journaling: Moodnotes

SI Showcase + Moodnotes

Moodnotes at a glance:

• CBT-based mood tracking
• Emotionally intelligent feedback based on entries

If you need to track feelings of anxiety between therapy sessions, you can use Moodnotes as your digital venting buddy. Moodnotes’ simple journaling feature allows you to unpack anxious thoughts and track potential themes or triggers over time. With emoji-based insightful tracking, it turns journaling into an easy way to keep tabs on your mood over time. Plus, if you want to learn more, there are loads of mental health educational sections to check out, too.

What we like:

• Rooted in science
• Visualizes your mood trends over time
• Created by clinical psychologists

What to consider:

• Limited daily entries
• Full features require a subscription

Best Free Anxiety App: Insight Timer

SI Showcase + Insight Timer

Insight Timer at a glance:

• Massive content library for free
• Featured events with experts
• Diverse group of teachers

Ready to create a sleep, yoga, journaling or meditation routine and track your progress over time? Insight Timer is packed with free knowledge and practices related to all things mental health! There are thousands of teachers, psychologists and experts from all over the world who host meditations, sound healing, breathwork classes and events right within the app.

What we like:

• Ability to follow teachers you like
• Customize your experience with timers and intervals
• New guided meditations added every day

What to consider:

• Interface might take some time to get used to
• Have to pay for content from some popular teachers

What Is Anxiety?

In a nutshell, anxiety is a feeling in response to real or perceived danger or threat, says Quimby.

According to Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC who works for Choosing Therapy, some some common anxiety symptoms include:

• restlessness
• a sense of impending doom
• increased heart rate
• rapid breathing
• sweating
• difficulty concentrating.

“When anxiety becomes excessive, uncontrollable and interferes with daily life, it may be an anxiety disorder,” Glowiak says. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic disorder, social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. “These disorders can cause significant distress and impairment in daily functioning, often requiring professional intervention for management,” he explains.

Why Try an App for Anxiety?

Anxiety apps can be a great supplement to therapy or an addition to your self-care routine, says Ashlesha Shah, LCSW, Empower Your Mind Therapy’s clinical counseling director.

“There’s evidence that using different coping skills (such as deep breathing and mindfulness) routinely during your day can lower stress levels and help you feel more grounded and in control,” she adds. “I’d recommend trying out these skills to really anyone.”

Glowiak says there are many other potential reasons why you might want to try using an app for anxiety:

• accessibility
• convenience
• cost-effective
• help for mild symptoms
• privacy and anonymity
• tracking progress over time

How to Use an App for Anxiety

Ultimately, it depends on your unique goal. “It’s a great tool to use if you‘re on the go, in a public location, or at home and feeling overwhelmed,” says Shah.

Some ways to use apps for anxiety relief include:

• meditation
• mindfulness
• breathing exercises
• distraction
• journaling
• CBT tools
• education
• community support
• visualizations
• anger management
• body scans

Benefits of Apps for Anxiety

The list is practically endless. Like we mentioned earlier, anxiety apps are super convenient and accessible. Especially because anxiety can seemingly manifest out of nowhere sometimes, he says having something readily available in the moment—like, on your smartphone—can be extremely helpful.

“Apps provide immediate access to tools and resources for managing anxiety anytime and anywhere,” says Glowiak.

These apps can be a wonderful self-help tool, too. “They offer self-guided techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy tools, empowering individuals to take an active role in managing their anxiety,” he adds.

Depending on the app, education could be another potential perk as well. “Many apps provide educational resources about anxiety, mental health and coping strategies, helping users to better understand their condition,” Glowiak explains. “When individuals understand what anxiety is and how it manifests for them personally, they may do something about it.”

Anxiety App Precautions

Glowiak warns it’s important to keep the following precautions and considerations in mind when using an anxiety app:

• It’s not a replacement for professional care.
• Be mindful of the app’s privacy policy and the security of your personal data.
• Make sure the app is developed by a reputable source or organization.
• Remember that apps offer general support and aren’t tailored to your unique needs.
• Seek professional help when necessary, like if your symptoms are severe or persistent.

“Anxiety apps may not be the best fit for you if you’re feeling even more overwhelmed or anxious afterwards,” Shah adds. She warns this could easily happen if you’re struggling with the activity the app is trying to guide you through or if there’s simply “too much” you’re holding in, like unresolved trauma symptoms.

How to Choose the Best App for Anxiety for You

When picking an app to relieve anxiety, Glowiak suggests looking for the following factors to find the ones that might be high quality and best suit your needs:

• evidence-based and research-backed strategies, such as CBT, mindfulness and relaxation techniques
• positive user reviews and ratings to gauge effectiveness
• endorsements by mental health professionals and institutions
• alignment with your personal preferences and customization needs
• prioritizes user privacy and data security
• affordable
• accessibility

As always, do your own research before downloading any apps! Consider taking advantage of free trials prior to committing to any subscription or fee so you know it works for you first.

Once you get started, Shah recommends doing some trial and error and keeping track of how you feel after using each app and activity. “Try different ones to see which ones you like and which ones work for your body,” she says. “If you’re feeling some relief afterwards, that’s the key here.”

What to Avoid in a App for Anxiety

Glowiak suggests avoiding apps with the following red flags:

• lack of credibility around evidence-based techniques
• lack of transparency around developers or sources
• overpromising, grandiose claims or promises of relief
• excessive data collection
• solely relying on the app for severe or persistent symptoms

“By being mindful of these points, individuals can make more informed decisions when selecting an anxiety app, ensuring that it aligns with their needs and supports their mental well-being effectively,” he explains.

Apps for Anxiety FAQs

Do apps for anxiety work?

Yes, but it depends on a few factors, like the app quality, your motivation levels and how severe your symptoms are. Shah says effectiveness can also depend on your circumstances and how fully engaged in the activity you are. For example, a calming mindfulness exercise might not help as much if there’s a lot of noise and distraction around you.

Is there a free anxiety app?

Yes, there are plenty of free anxiety apps out there! Some are free to download and use while others have in-app purchases and subscription fees for premium features.

Are anxiety apps as good as seeing a mental health provider?

Anxiety apps can be helpful tools, but both Shah and Glowiak agree they’re no substitute for speaking with a therapist. “A therapist has the skills to fully assess someone’s symptoms, create a treatment plan and provide tailored interventions,” Shah explains.

When To Talk with a Doctor

“If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re losing control over your thoughts or emotions, seeking out a therapist can be really helpful,” says Shah. That said, there’s never a bad time to go to therapy. If you’re a fan of the virtual route, consider checking out online therapy apps to see which ones might be best for you.

Takeaway: Is an Anxiety App Worth It?

Yes, while anxiety apps are no replacement for therapy, they can be a convenient way to manage your symptoms whenever you’re feeling anxious or as a proactive approach to better long-term mental well-being.

There are many high-quality, evidence-backed, free anxiety apps out there for journaling, meditation, stress relief and more. Remember to do your due diligence and figure out which apps may work best based on your needs, budget and goals.

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