Sleep Apps · Review
BetterSleep Review
The soundscape-first sleep app, formerly Relax Melodies, with a generous free tier.
Our rating
4.3 / 5
Starting price
Free, then ~$59.99/yr
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
iOS · Android
Developer
Ipnos Software
Launched
2009
Our verdict
BetterSleep (once Relax Melodies) is the best app for building your own sleep soundscape — mix rain, white noise, and ambient layers exactly how you like. It has added stories, meditations, and breathing too. The free tier is unusually generous, making it an easy first try for anyone who struggles to drift off.
This review is editorial and unsponsored — no affiliate payments influence our ratings. Selfpause makes a wellness app of its own, so where a product competes with us, we say so plainly and let you judge.
BetterSleep began life as Relax Melodies and built its reputation on one thing: customizable soundscapes. You layer sounds — rain, waves, white noise, fan hum, fire — into a personal mix that plays you to sleep.
Over time it broadened into a full sleep app, adding sleep stories, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and bedtime content. But the mixer remains its signature, and it is the most flexible one in the category.
Its other advantage is value: the free tier is genuinely usable, letting you build basic mixes without paying. For people whose problem is lying awake unable to switch off, that low barrier makes it an easy first download.
Pros & cons
What we like
- The best customizable sound mixer in any sleep app — layer and balance sounds freely.
- Generous free tier you can actually use.
- Broad content: soundscapes, stories, meditations, and breathing.
- Great for blocking noise or creating a consistent sleep cue.
- Cross-platform and easy to use.
What we don’t
- Sleep stories and meditations are good but not at Calm’s production level.
- It helps you fall asleep but does not track your sleep.
- The fullest library and content require Premium.
- So much customization can be mildly overwhelming at first.
Best for / avoid if
Best for
- →People who fall asleep best to custom soundscapes or white noise
- →Anyone wanting a usable free sleep app before paying
- →Light sleepers who need to mask environmental noise
- →Those who like control over exactly what they hear
Avoid if
- →You want to track your sleep — use Sleep Cycle instead
- →You specifically want premium celebrity sleep stories — Calm leads there
- →You want a structured meditation curriculum
Pricing
Free
$0
Build basic soundscapes and sample content — genuinely usable.
Premium
~$59.99/yr
Full sound library, all stories and meditations, and advanced mixing.
What BetterSleep is
BetterSleep is a sleep app centered on customizable soundscapes, with added sleep stories, guided meditations, and breathing exercises.
It is designed to help you fall asleep by giving your mind something steady and pleasant to settle into — and to let you tune that sound exactly to your taste.
Why the sound mixer wins fans
BetterSleep lets you build and balance your own soundscape from dozens of layers, so you are not stuck with someone else’s idea of relaxing. Rain plus a distant fire plus soft white noise, mixed to your preference, becomes a reliable nightly cue.
That control is the draw. Sleep is personal, and the sound that knocks one person out keeps another awake — BetterSleep is the app that lets you find yours.
Customizable soundscapes
Layer and balance dozens of individual sounds into a saved personal mix.
This is the core feature and the most flexible mixer in the category — the reason long-time users came over from Relax Melodies and stayed.
Stories, meditations, and breathing
A growing library of sleep stories, guided meditations, and breathing exercises rounds out the app.
They make it a more complete sleep tool, even if the stories are not quite as star-studded as Calm’s.
Where BetterSleep falls behind
Story production. Calm’s celebrity-narrated catalog is more polished and famous.
Tracking. It does nothing to measure your sleep — pair it with Sleep Cycle for that.
Curriculum. It is not a structured meditation course like Headspace.
BetterSleep vs. Calm vs. Sleep Cycle
BetterSleep is the soundscape pick, Calm is the premium-stories pick, and Sleep Cycle is the tracking pick.
If you fall asleep best to custom sound, BetterSleep is the most flexible and the best free value. If you want famous Sleep Stories and a luxe feel, choose Calm. If you want to measure sleep and wake gently, that is Sleep Cycle’s job.
A common combination: BetterSleep to fall asleep, Sleep Cycle to wake up well.
Bottom line
BetterSleep is the best soundscape-first sleep app and the most generous free option for people who struggle to drift off. If you want premium stories choose Calm; if you want sleep tracking choose Sleep Cycle.
Want a daily positivity practice in your own voice? Selfpause lets you record personalized affirmations, layer them with calming music, and keep them on your lock screen.
Try Selfpause FreeAlternatives to BetterSleep
Calm
4.5Premium Sleep Stories and a luxe experience.
Read our review →
Sleep Cycle
4.3Sleep tracking and a gentle smart alarm.
Read our review →
Insight Timer
4.6A huge free library including sleep tracks.
Read our review →
Frequently asked questions
Is BetterSleep the same as Relax Melodies?+
Yes. Relax Melodies was rebranded as BetterSleep and expanded with stories, meditations, and breathing alongside its signature sound mixer.
Is BetterSleep free?+
It has an unusually usable free tier for building soundscapes. The full library and advanced features require Premium.
BetterSleep or Calm?+
BetterSleep for customizable soundscapes and better free value; Calm for premium celebrity sleep stories and a more polished feel.
Does BetterSleep track sleep?+
No. It helps you fall asleep but does not measure it. Use Sleep Cycle if tracking matters to you.
A note on mental health: apps and online services can support wellbeing, but they are not a substitute for professional care. If you are struggling, a licensed professional can help — and if you are in crisis, contact your local emergency number or, in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
More sleep apps reviews
Sleepio
4.6Not a relaxation app — a clinically validated CBT-for-insomnia program in digital form.
Sleep Cycle
4.3The veteran sleep tracker and smart alarm that wakes you in your lightest sleep phase.
Endel
4.2The adaptive soundscape engine — AI-generated audio that reshapes itself to your time, weather, and heart rate.