Mobile Users Spent $195 Million in Meditation Apps Last Year, Up 52% Over 2018

Global user spending in the top 10 highest-earning mobile meditation apps grew 52 percent year-over-year in 2019 to $195 million, research based on Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data shows.

For this analysis, Sensor Tower studied the 10 most-earning meditation apps—defined as apps whose primary function is guided meditation—for each year between 2015 and 2019, finding that 2018’s cohort had generated $128 million in spending. In comparison, the top 10 earning meditation apps of 2015 generated slightly more than $8 million. Over the entire five-year period analyzed, combined revenue for the top 10 apps of this type had a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 121 percent.

Only two apps from 2019’s top 10 appeared there each year since 2015: Calm, which grossed an estimated $92 million globally in 2019, and Headspace with $56 million spent by its users. Both apps posted impressive Y/Y revenue growth of 46 and 33 percent, respectively.

First-time installs of 2019’s top 10 most downloaded meditation apps reached a collective 57.4 million, 26 percent more than their 2018 counterparts. The 10 most downloaded meditation apps of 2015 saw a combined 8.6 million downloads, for a CAGR of 61 percent between then and 2019. Calm and Headspace led the way in 2019 installs, adding 24 million and 13 million new users, respectively.

Being in the Moment

Now that meditation apps have graduated from potential fad to significant revenue contributor, we’re curious to see how the category evolves—and in particular whether the category’s future may include more niche approaches to mindfulness now that the space has matured and more broadly focused apps have staked their claims.

Updated January 31, 2020 to revise the top 10 rankings along with download figures for 2019.