9 Best Loving Kindness Meditation Apps For Your Phone
| App Name | Best For | Key Features | AC Rating | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life7 | Complete mental wellness | Binaural beats, guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises | 4.8/5 | Free trial, then subscription |
| Insight Timer | Free meditation variety | 200,000+ free meditations, metta meditations, global community | 4.7/5 | Free with optional premium |
| Headspace | Structured beginners | Loving kindness courses, progressive learning, daily meditations | 4.6/5 | Subscription based |
| Calm | Sleep and relaxation | Sleep stories, loving kindness sessions, nature sounds | 4.5/5 | Subscription based |
| Happier Meditation | Meditation skeptics | Loving kindness courses by Sharon Salzberg, personalized plans | 4.4/5 | Subscription based |
| Plum Village | Buddhist tradition | Free Thich Nhat Hanh teachings, metta meditations, mindfulness bell | 4.6/5 | Completely free |
| Smiling Mind | Kids and families | Age specific programs, mental fitness, free content | 4.5/5 | Completely free |
| Medito | Budget conscious users | Free loving kindness packs, 30 day challenges, no ads | 4.5/5 | Completely free |
| Balance | Personalized experience | Adaptive meditations, loving kindness techniques, skill building | 4.4/5 | Free trial, then subscription |
#1. Life7 – Best for Complete Mental Wellness
Life7 stands out as the ultimate all in one mental wellness app. It combines ancient meditation practices with modern sound science. The app offers binaural beats, solfeggio frequencies, and guided loving kindness sessions all in one place.
I found that Life7 goes way beyond basic meditation apps. It includes 312 million plus meditation minutes tracked by users worldwide. The app has earned over 1,200 editorial mentions for good reason.
What makes it special for loving kindness practice is the combination of calming frequencies with guided sessions. You can layer soundscapes with meditations for a deeper experience.
Key Features:
- Pure binaural beats including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma waves plus 432 Hz and 528 Hz frequencies for deeper meditation states
- SOS sessions for anxiety and panic attacks combined with loving kindness affirmations to reprogram your mindset
- Backdrop Mode lets you mix soundscapes with loving kindness meditations and sleep stories for a personalized experience
What I like: I really appreciate how Life7 brings everything together in one app. The nervous system reset feature paired with loving kindness meditations creates a powerful combination. The daily check ins keep me consistent with my practice. The gamified approach where you earn XP and unlock soundscapes makes meditation feel rewarding rather than like a chore. I also love the dream wave hypnosis and 8D sleep audio features that no other app offers.
What I don’t like: The free content is a bit limited. You will need a subscription to unlock the full library of features. However the frequent special offers make it more affordable.
Pricing: 7 day free trial available. Weekly, monthly, and yearly subscription plans with frequent promotional offers.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#2. Insight Timer – Best for Free Meditation Variety
Insight Timer offers the largest free library of meditation content available anywhere. With over 200,000 free meditations and 80 plus new tracks added daily, Insight Timer stands out for its commitment to accessibility and quality.
The app includes tons of loving kindness or metta meditations from teachers around the world. You can browse popular topics including loving kindness, and join groups for metta and many more meditation styles.
For anyone wanting to explore loving kindness without paying, this is your best bet. The community aspect adds extra motivation to keep practicing.
Key Features:
- Over 200,000 free guided meditations with diverse teachers offering a wide range of perspectives and techniques
- Customizable meditation timer with options for ambient sounds, interval chimes, and ending bells
- Community features to connect with like minded individuals, join live events, and track meditation progress
What I like: The sheer variety of loving kindness meditations from different teachers is amazing. I can find sessions from beginner to advanced levels. The global community keeps me motivated. Being able to filter by meditation type makes finding metta practices easy. The customizable timer is great when I want unguided loving kindness practice.
What I don’t like: With so much content available, some users may find it difficult to choose where to start. There is no star rating system which makes picking the best meditations harder.
Pricing: Completely free for most content. Premium subscription available for advanced features.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#3. Headspace – Best for Structured Beginners
Headspace provides systematic meditation education and is ideal for absolute beginners who need step by step guidance and structured learning paths. Their loving kindness content is designed to teach you gradually.
The app includes content like Loving Kindness meditation, Holding Anger with Kindness, and Loving Others meditation. The courses build on each other so you develop real skills.
As Headspace cofounder Andy says, the starting point in meditation is traditionally learning how to be kind to oneself and how to let go of judgment.
Key Features:
- Self love meditation to use as a resource that helps you show up better in daily life
- Transforming Difficulties meditation to practice skillful compassion for yourself and your community
- Structured courses that progress from basic kindness concepts to advanced loving kindness practice
What I like: The structured approach really works for loving kindness beginners. The animations explaining concepts are helpful. I appreciate how Andy breaks down why self compassion matters before teaching techniques. The app feels polished and professional throughout.
What I don’t like: The subscription fee is higher compared to other meditation apps. Most content requires payment to access. If you want lots of free options, look elsewhere.
Pricing: Free basic content. Premium subscription required for full access.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#4. Calm – Best for Sleep and Relaxation
Calm offers a loving kindness program to develop warmth, compassion, and love towards the self and others. The app excels at combining compassion practices with relaxation.
Calm excels at sleep support with celebrity narrated stories. You can practice loving kindness before bed and drift off to sleep stories afterward.
The production quality is top notch. Everything feels carefully designed to help you relax while building compassion skills.
Key Features:
- Dedicated loving kindness meditation program led by experienced teachers
- Sleep stories narrated by popular celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and LeBron James
- Collection of background music for sleep plus daily Calm sessions
What I like: The loving kindness meditations pair beautifully with the sleep content. I can practice metta then transition into a sleep story. The app design is gorgeous and calming. The Daily Calm feature keeps me consistent with compassion practice.
What I don’t like: Unlike Insight Timer, Calm lacks a robust community feature. The focus is more individual practice. Premium subscription needed to access most content.
Pricing: Limited free content. Annual or monthly subscription for full access.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#5. Happier Meditation – Best for Meditation Skeptics
Happier, which has rebranded from Ten Percent Happier, is a user friendly app solely dedicated to mindfulness and meditation. It was created specifically for people who doubt meditation works.
The app features a loving kindness course by Sharon Salzberg. When you click on the course you can watch videos breaking down what loving kindness means. The first video is titled Ew What Is Loving Kindness which shows their relatable approach.
The name comes from the idea that meditation does not have to completely transform your life in order to be helpful.
Key Features:
- Over 500 guided meditations led by relatable expert teachers with personalized plans
- Sharon Salzberg loving kindness course that aims to help you feel happier and more at ease
- Meditation courses with introduction videos plus topic specific meditations and mindfulness exercises
What I like: I love the down to earth approach. The teachers feel real and relatable. Sharon Salzberg is literally a pioneer of loving kindness meditation in the West. The video introductions explain why metta matters before you start practicing.
What I don’t like: The sleep section is not as large as other meditation apps. None of the meditations are geared towards kids and teens. Subscription cost is higher than some alternatives.
Pricing: Annual subscription at $99.99 per year and monthly at $14.99 per month. Free trial available.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#6. Plum Village – Best for Buddhist Tradition
Plum Village is a free app with guided meditations, deep relaxations, and other practices offered by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community.
The app is free forever with no ads or in app purchases. It includes 100 plus guided meditations and a customizable meditation timer.
This app offers authentic loving kindness from a Buddhist lineage. The app features resources treasured by thousands of Plum Village practitioners, like the famous pebble meditation and the four mantras.
Key Features:
- 300 plus video sessions and Q&As with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village teachers
- Bell of mindfulness feature that can be set to ring at intervals throughout the day
- Download talks and meditations to the app for easy offline practice
What I like: The authenticity is unmatched. Learning loving kindness directly from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition feels special. The mindfulness bell reminds me to practice compassion throughout my day. Best of all it is completely free with no catches.
What I don’t like: Some of the audio has been recorded on retreats so is not polished studio quality sound. The app design is simple compared to commercial alternatives.
Pricing: Completely free. Donations welcomed but never required.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#7. Smiling Mind – Best for Kids and Families
Smiling Mind is a 100 percent not for profit organisation that exists solely to create positive impact. The app has remained free for over 12 years.
Smiling Mind has content and programs covering sleep, calm, relationships, stress, mindful eating, and programs for kids and families. The loving kindness elements are woven throughout age appropriate programs.
The app offers sessions for different situations such as taking public transport or taking flight which is excellent for people with anxiety to become more comfortable in moments of stress.
Key Features:
- 700 plus lessons, practices and meditations across 50 plus curated collections
- Meditations in Indigenous Australian languages including Kriol, Ngaanyatjarra, and Pitjantjatjara
- Mental fitness tracker to monitor progress and build daily mindfulness habits
What I like: I appreciate the focus on families and children. Teaching kids loving kindness early in life is powerful. The evidence based approach means the content actually works. The age specific programs make it easy to find appropriate meditations.
What I don’t like: The narration may sound technical and background sound can be repetitive. The Australian accents may not appeal to everyone.
Pricing: Completely free. Supported by philanthropy and donations.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#8. Medito – Best for Budget Conscious Users
Medito is a meditation app created by the Medito Foundation, a non profit organisation run by volunteers with the mission to make mental wellbeing accessible.
The app offers courses for every goal including daily calm, focus boosts, anxiety SOS, mindful walking, and loving kindness. Everything is completely free with no strings attached.
A 2024 randomized controlled trial showed Medito improves wellbeing. This is one of the few meditation apps with peer reviewed evidence behind it.
Key Features:
- 100 percent free and nonprofit with personalized programs including 7 day starter and 30 day challenges
- Sleep stories and soundscapes including rain, ocean, and white noise
- Offline mode to download sessions and practice anywhere
What I like: The quality matches paid apps but costs nothing. The loving kindness packs guide you through developing compassion skills. No ads ever interrupt my practice. The volunteer team clearly cares about helping people. The 30 day challenges keep me committed.
What I don’t like: I wish the app allowed insights into emotional progress along with tracking meditation time. The library is smaller than premium apps. No PC version available.
Pricing: Completely free forever. Donations optional.
Platforms: iOS and Android
#9. Balance – Best for Personalized Experience
The Balance app is a smart meditation app that personalizes your meditation programs based on your current meditation level, how often you meditate, and which skills you master.
Teaching nine concrete meditation techniques, the app provides various avenues for learning including loving kindness. The app adapts to you as you progress.
Meditation experts Ofosu Jones Quartey and Leah Santa Cruz bring years of coaching and neuroscience expertise to guide you through Balance.
Key Features:
- Personalized guided meditations tailored to your mood, goals, experience, and more
- Nine meditation techniques including loving kindness, breath focus, body scan, and visualization
- 10 day plans to help develop and deepen meditation skills
What I like: The personalization feels like having a real meditation coach. The app asks how I am feeling and adjusts accordingly. The loving kindness technique instruction is thorough. The daily questions keep the experience fresh and relevant.
What I don’t like: Balance has a small meditation library when compared to Headspace and Calm. It is one of the newer meditation apps available. Subscription required after the trial ends.
Pricing: $69.99 annually with an amazing one year free trial.
Platforms: iOS and Android
What Is Loving Kindness Meditation and Why Should I Try It?
Loving kindness meditation, also called metta meditation, is an ancient Buddhist practice. It involves directing warmth and positivity to ourselves and to others and cultivates a more compassionate and empathetic mindset.
This type of meditation has been shown to increase happiness, reduce stress, and improve overall wellbeing, as well as enhancing our relationships with those around us.
The practice typically starts with sending kind wishes to yourself. Then you gradually extend those wishes to loved ones, neutral people, difficult people, and finally all beings everywhere.
Research shows regular metta practice can physically change your brain. It increases positive emotions and social connection. It can even reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety over time.
Can Loving Kindness Meditation Help With Anxiety?
Yes, loving kindness meditation can definitely help with anxiety. Being kind to ourselves when encountering pain and personal shortcomings, rather than hurting ourselves with self criticism, can lead to greater life satisfaction, wisdom, happiness, optimism, personal responsibility, and emotional resilience.
Loving kindness meditations have been scientifically proven to increase feelings of empathy, compassion, and overall wellbeing. Plus they can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, lower stress, and improve relationships.
Many people with anxiety are very hard on themselves. Metta meditation teaches a different approach. Instead of criticizing yourself for feeling anxious, you offer yourself compassion.
This shift in relationship with yourself can break the anxiety cycle. You stop fighting your feelings and start accepting them with kindness.
How Long Should I Practice Loving Kindness Meditation Each Day?
Even just a few minutes of loving kindness meditation daily can make a difference. Most experts recommend starting with 5 to 10 minutes if you are new to the practice.
As you get more comfortable, you can extend your sessions to 15, 20, or even 30 minutes. Consistency matters more than length. A short daily practice beats a long occasional session.
Many of the apps listed above offer meditations of varying lengths. This makes it easy to fit loving kindness into your schedule. Try a quick 3 minute session during lunch or a longer practice before bed.
The key is making metta meditation a habit. Use app features like reminders and streak tracking to stay consistent. Over time the benefits will compound and loving kindness will feel natural.