Comparing apps, honestly
A Headspace alternative for when you need help right now
Headspace is a strong choice for building a daily meditation habit; Reset Buddy is built for a different job, the moment you already feel overwhelmed. Tap how you feel and get a 1 to 5 minute reset matched to that feeling.
By Amanda Perry, founder of Reset Buddy and author of From Burnout to Breakthrough
Updated 11 November 2026
A 1-minute reset
Two breaths in, one long breath out
Get ready
3
Press start. You get a 3-second count first.
One round is about 9 seconds. Breathe gently, and stop if you feel dizzy.
Before you read: who wrote this
Reset Buddy is our app. Every fact about the other apps comes from the company's own website or App Store listing, checked 11 November 2026. Features and plans change, so check with each company before you subscribe. All names belong to their owners, and we're not affiliated with any of them.
Headspace and Reset Buddy side by side
| Compare | Headspace | Reset Buddy (our app) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Building a daily meditation and mindfulness habit, with a large library of expert-led exercises. It also offers mental health coaching and online therapy. | The hard moment itself: overwhelm, a racing mind, frustration. Tap how you feel and get a reset matched to it. |
| For the moment itself | Mood-boosting meditations and stress-relieving tools, per its website. | Feelings wheel, then a 2 to 5 minute reset matched to that feeling. |
| Free option | Free trial (14 days, per its website). No free version mentioned on its home page. | Free trial. Urgent help and the 1-minute reset are always free. |
| Faith option | Not mentioned on its home page. | Optional Christian layer with breath prayers and Scripture. |
Headspace details from headspace.com and its App Store listing, checked 11 November 2026.
What Headspace does well
Headspace has a large library of expert-led meditations and mindfulness exercises, sleep content, and options for mental health coaching and online therapy. If you want to build a regular practice, learn meditation step by step, or have support from a coach or therapist, it's a strong choice.
What Reset Buddy does differently
Reset Buddy isn't a meditation course. It's built for the moment a feeling throws you off: the message that lands at the wrong time, the meeting that went sideways, the night your mind won't switch off. You don't choose from a library. You tap how you feel, and the reset is matched to that feeling.
Tap how you feel
A feelings wheel helps you find the word: overwhelmed, on edge, frustrated, flat.
Settle your body
Breathe with a calm orb, for example two breaths in through the nose and one long breath out.
Shift your attention
One simple, hands-on activity matched to that feeling, like colouring, a quiet puzzle or a hand on your heart.
Take one small step
Leave with the next small thing to do, not a whole plan.
Most resets take 2 to 5 minutes, and the 1-minute reset is always free. There are no streaks, points or badges. The techniques come from published research, graded honestly on our science page.
Which one suits you?
- Headspace may suit you better if you want a daily meditation habit, courses that build over time, or coaching and therapy in the same app.
- Reset Buddy may suit you better if you want something quick for the moment you're already overwhelmed, matched to how you feel, without a library to browse.
- You can use both. A daily practice and an in-the-moment reset do different jobs.
Comparing more apps? See the best apps for overthinking, compared honestly.
Keep going
More free tools and guides
- Physiological sighTwo breaths in through the nose, one long breath out. A guided reset in under a minute.
- Box breathing timerIn 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. A free guided timer with a square to follow.
- Interactive feelings wheelTap how you feel, find the exact word, then try a reset matched to it.
- 5-4-3-2-1 groundingName what you can see, feel, hear, smell and taste, one tap at a time.
- Brown noise playerBrown, pink or white noise in your browser, with a fade-out timer.
- 5-minute nervous system resetBreathe, shake it out, ground yourself, take one small step. Guided and free.
- When everything feels too muchA free 90-second reset, then six steps for calming down when you're overwhelmed.
- Overwhelmed at workA discreet 90-second reset for your desk, between meetings and before your inbox.
- Can't switch off at nightA gentle 3-minute wind-down: write it down, low brown noise, slow breathing.
- Breath prayersShort Scripture lines to pray as you breathe in and out, with a calm guide.
- White vs pink vs brown noiseHow the three noise colours differ, what research shows, and a player to compare.
- The science behind the resetsThe published research behind each technique, graded honestly, with its limits.
- Free Right-Now Reset KitSix two-minute resets on one pocket card, sent to your inbox.
Try a reset for the moment itself.
Reset Buddy starts with a feelings wheel. Tap how you feel, breathe with a calm orb, then do one simple activity matched to that feeling. About 2 to 5 minutes, with nothing to figure out.
Start your free trial. After that, $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Cancel any time.