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Ten Percent Happier is a meditation app founded by former news anchor Dan Harris and complements his bestselling book. It’s designed for those who are skeptical about meditation, which reflects Harris’ experience. A little backstory: Harris turned to meditation after having a panic attack on-air in 2004 and wrote his book about the science of meditation in 2014. The app was launched in 2015.
The app guides users to meditate to make small but noticeable improvements in their happiness, kindness and relaxation levels — hence the name. It features over 500 meditations taught by various teachers. It also includes personal coaching sessions for subscribers.
Users can explore these features:
Ten Percent Happier is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and requires iOS 12.0 or later. You can also download the app on Android 6.0 devices and up.
Ten Percent Happier is free to download, and users get access to the Basics I course and other free features.
To unlock all the features, you need to subscribe to the paid version. The app offers a seven-day free trial. You pay $99.99 a year after that.
Some employers offer a Ten Percent Happier subscription as part of their healthcare benefits and subsidize the cost.
Not publicly, but the company says it aims to make meditation accessible for everyone. If the subscription is too pricey for you, email support@tenpercent.com to discuss your options.
At the onset of the pandemic in March, Ten Percent Happier began offering free memberships to essential workers, including:
The company also launched “Coronavirus Sanity Guide,” a compilation of mental health resources such as podcasts and articles. It’s available for free on the site.
Helplines and mental health resources to rely on during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ten Percent Happier doesn’t have a presence on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or Trustpilot. Across other forums like App Groove, customer reviews are mostly positive. Users appreciate the range of teachers on the app and the library of meditations for stress, anxiety, productivity and more. They say that while the app is expensive, the live meditation coaching offers value they can’t find elsewhere.
Some customers complained about Ten Percent Happier’s auto-renewals and the lack of a monthly subscription option — which is uncommon for meditation apps.
The app has 4.8 out of 5 stars on the App Store based on over 70,000 reviews, and 5 out of 5 stars on the Google Play Store from almost 12,000 reviews.
You can sign up for Ten Percent Happier from your Apple or Android device.
Your annual subscription will automatically renew 24 hours before your membership is set to expire.
If you want to cancel your subscription, go to Settings > Membership > Subscription to avoid being charged $99.99.
Review by
Katia Iervasi is a staff writer who hails from Australia and now calls New York home. Her writing and analysis has been featured on sites like Forbes, Best Company and Financial Advisor around the world. Armed with a BA in Communication and a journalistic eye for detail, she navigates insurance and finance topics for Finder, so you can splash your cash smartly (and be a pro when the subject pops up at dinner parties).
Ten Percent Happier caters to modern users with its manageable approach to meditation. Unlike other apps that offer soundscapes and similar features, the app focuses on the practice of meditation, with guided sessions and educational videos.
It’s unique in that it features over 15 meditation experts and offers one-on-one coaching consults for subscribers.
But it doesn’t have monthly subscriptions, which means you need to commit to a year-long membership if you want to continue accessing all the features. And at $99.99, the cost is steeper than some competitor apps.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option, compare mental health apps.
