If you've been interested in meditating but don't know where to begin, Headspace makes it easy. The app's simple, welcoming approach takes the pressure off, so even if you've never meditated before (or fallen out of the habit, as I did), you can ease back in without feeling overwhelmed.

After months of not meditating, Headspace helped me get back into my daily routine with short, guided sessions. The app offers everything from quick breathing exercises to full meditation courses, sleep sounds and even mindfulness-based movement. One of my favorite features is Ebb, a friendly blob-like character that helps you process emotions and navigate tough moments in real time. If you're feeling overwhelmed, Ebb offers guided exercises and reflections to help you check in with yourself.

Headspace offers in-app therapy, giving you access to licensed therapists for virtual sessions. This app offers a seamless way to combine meditation and mental health support.

You can pay $70 up-front for a year with a 14-day free trial or $13 monthly with a 7-day free trial.

Calm is one of the most well-known mental health apps in the wellness space, with more than 100 million downloads. We consider Calm one of the best meditation apps because of its comprehensive offerings, including breathing techniques and calming exercises.

The Calm app is easy to navigate and well-organized. When you open the app, you are prompted to take a few deep breaths. Then you select your main goals so your recommendations are tailored to your needs. You can also track statistics in the app, such as how long you have been using it or how many sessions you've completed.

While it's a free app, it's the limited version of its service. However, there is a 7-day trial that helps you decide if it's right for you. After the trial, you have to pay an $80/year premium to access the 100 guided meditations, sleep library and masterclasses. You can also pay $500 to get Calm for life. Or you can always stay with the limited free version.

The Moodfit app has a lot to offer, and you can choose how to use this best mental health app. You can track sleep, nutrition and exercise during your wellness journey. Moodfit uses tools and sessions that help you assess your feelings, recognize negative thinking and change it.

The Moodfit app has pretty standard navigation. The "notices" tab at the bottom is what I would consider the educational section. There is a lot of good information available, such as how your thoughts influence your behavior and feelings, but you will have to take the time to read it. Other mental health apps have a more interactive experience with imagery, videos and readouts.

Where I think Moodfit really shines is its analytics. With the easy-to-interpret charts, you can spot patterns in your mood and your activities. You can also track your mood down to the hour -- the available analytic views are monthly, weekly, daily and hourly. Many apps have analytics, but Moodfit puts a lot of thought into helping you find patterns in your behavior and moods.

For the premium version, you pay $36/year, which is 10% off the App Store price of $40/year.

Talkspace takes our top spot as the best mental health therapy app because it provides 24/7 access to a mental health professional. It's an affordable online therapy option that offers more than just helpful guides and videos. You have access to a licensed therapist wherever and whenever you need one. Talkspace is a great option for someone who is not comfortable going to an office or would prefer therapy appointments online.

A 2020 study found that messaging a therapist through Talkspace reduced feelings of anxiety and depression, helping improve mental health. A different study said that using Talkspace's voice, video and text features also reduced symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Note that the researchers of the studies had connections to Talkspace.

Within this mental health app, you have access to video, text and audio chat to communicate with your therapist. However, users note there is a 5-minute cap on audio messages. Talkspace is significantly more expensive than other mental health apps on the list. However, if you're looking for an app that lets you talk to a therapist directly, it may be worth the price, depending on your insurance coverage. If you pay out of pocket, Talkspace therapy plans start at $69/week.

MindShift is a free mental health app specifically designed to target anxiety. Categories within the app are broken down into general worry, social anxiety, perfectionism, panic and phobias. This allows the user to personalize which type of anxiety they want to work through.

As the name suggests, MindShift targets your mindset, helping you identify what is making you anxious and redirect your thinking toward positivity. When you open the app, you're prompted to rate your daily anxiety score to track over time. The app is pretty easy to use and easier to navigate than other options, simply because there is less available. One tool that stood out was the "thought journal" that helps you work through what you're worried about and how to overcome negative thoughts. "Coping cards" are also available to help you ease anxiety in the moment.

MindShift is much more interactive than other apps, as it relies on you to add anxiety scores and type responses to get the best experience. Other apps are mainly reading-based. If you want the best out of MindShift, you need to interact with the app.

If you’re looking for an app you can use daily to boost your wellness passively, you’ll like Soaak. Soaak is a clinically proven sound therapy app that offers frequency compositions for things like stress relief, mental clarity, better sleep, focus and mood boost. Sound therapy may seem hard to believe, but there is research behind sound stimulation. For example, a 2020 review found that sound therapy can disrupt agitated brain waves and move them into calmer waves.

The Soaak app is easy to use, and I enjoyed being able to use it while doing other things. My favorite compositions to use were Energy, Sleep Well and Focus. You can listen to the sound frequencies in three forms: original, nature or music. If you’re new to sound frequencies, I recommend starting with the nature or music versions. For example, the energy/high vibration frequency has rain sounds over the sound compositions. 

You can use the $30/month Soaak app by playing sound frequencies, or dive deeper into what it offers with 21-day programs or custom wellness plans. However, the personalized wellness services are significantly more expensive, starting at $750.

Who doesn't want therapy from the comfort of home? Mental health apps are tools you can use to improve your well-being. While not all offer online therapy, they're simple to use and make managing your mental health easy. Each app will vary in what it targets. For example, Calm specializes in relaxation and breathing. Moodfit focuses on tracking your mood and finding patterns.

Mental health apps are not intended to diagnose conditions or be a replacement for therapy. Instead, they are a great tool to use for continued support daily. They offer encouragement, education and helpful activities you can use to improve several areas of your mental health.

Read more: Tips to Find the Right Therapist For You

Experts are split on the effectiveness of mental health apps. Some studies have not found "convincing evidence" that apps greatly improve outcomes related to disorders like anxiety, depression or drinking. However, other research has suggested that mental health apps have potential in managing and improving symptoms of select disorders.

The research on the effectiveness of long-term treatment with apps is young. Most experts agree that they are a great tool to support your mental health, especially when you use them in addition to other treatment options. They are not intended to diagnose conditions and should be viewed primarily as a complement to traditional treatment options.

Mental health apps bring resources to those who otherwise may not have had access to them, whether because of financial standing or regional location. And while they are not a true replacement for therapy, mental health apps are a great way to self-regulate and be mindful of how you're feeling.

• Convenience: You can track your mood, talk to a counselor or read about mental health topics from anywhere.
• Price: Mental health apps are significantly more affordable than traditional therapy. Many are available for less than $20/month.
• Consistency: You want to be as consistent as possible during your wellness journey. With push notifications and props to check in, mental health apps ensure that you are being mindful of patterns in your behaviors or moods and how to meet your goals.
• 24/7 access: With a mental health app, you can access resources whenever you need them. While some of the counselors may not reply immediately, you have access to the app's other features 24/7.
• They can help: Wellness apps can help you achieve your goals, whatever they are. For example, they can help you recognize patterns in your mood or improve your coping skills.

Mental health apps are great tools that supplement your experience. However, it's unlikely they would ever replace traditional therapy, even the options that offer virtual therapy. Mental health apps have limitations in crises and there are questions about effectiveness when used alone. Mental health apps aren't the best option for everyone. While the apps are typically user-friendly, some people still prefer to meet in person and have their therapists' undivided attention. It's all a matter of preference.

Read more: What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

With mental health apps, you can't assume that everything is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Mental health apps fall in a gray area. HIPAA only protects information collected by "covered entities," including health-care providers and insurance companies. Many of the best mental health apps on the market operate without connection to covered entities, meaning your information isn't completely private.

HIPAA applies to conversations with your therapist on an app. So you don't need to worry about what you disclose in those sessions. However, the apps' additional features — guided meditations, CBT exercises and mood logs — are not always kept confidential. Neither is the fact that you use a mental health app. The data you give the apps outside of therapy sessions can be sold for targeted advertising. And it's not just Facebook; your information can be shared with public health and academics for research.

Privacy will vary by platform. Make sure you read the privacy policy of each app to fully understand your protection.

For many people, apps are an important tool to guide their wellness journey. While they are not a replacement for therapy, mental health apps are a great way to check in on yourself. My advice is that mental health apps are what you put into them. Many of the free ones offer helpful, educational content. But you need to take the time to read it. Others allow you to work through stressors with open-ended answer boxes. But you have to interact with the app to truly benefit from it.

A wellness app won't give the client's relationship with a counselor that traditional talk therapy offers. And for some, that's not something they are willing to give up. But if therapy is currently out of your reach, especially because of cost, then mental health apps may be a good option. You won't get the highly personalized experience you could get with another person, but you can still learn healthy habits and skills.