Meditation Apps · Review
Happier (Ten Percent Happier) Review
The meditation app for skeptics — world-class teachers, zero incense, and a refreshingly plain-spoken tone.
Our rating
4.4 / 5
Starting price
Free trial, then ~$99.99/yr
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
iOS · Android · Web
Developer
Ten Percent Happier (Happier Inc.)
Launched
2015
Our verdict
Happier — the app formerly known as Ten Percent Happier — is the meditation app for people allergic to wellness-speak. Built around news anchor Dan Harris’s skeptic-to-meditator story, it features some of the most respected meditation teachers alive. It costs more than Calm or Headspace, but the teaching depth is the best in the mainstream category.
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.
Ten Percent Happier grew out of Dan Harris’s bestselling book about a TV anchor who had a panic attack on live television and reluctantly discovered meditation. The app (since rebranded "Happier") kept that sensibility: practical, funny, and deeply suspicious of magical claims.
Its real differentiator is the teaching bench. Sessions and courses come from genuinely renowned teachers — people like Joseph Goldstein who have taught meditation for decades — paired with conversational explanations of why each practice works.
It is priced above Calm and Headspace, and its design is plainer. But if you want substance over polish — actual depth of instruction rather than ambient vibes — this is the strongest mainstream option.
Pros & cons
What we like
- The deepest teaching bench in any mainstream meditation app.
- Skeptic-friendly, plain-spoken tone with no mystical packaging.
- Courses pair practice with real explanation of the why.
- Strong content for difficult moments — anxiety, grief, anger.
- Video conversations between teachers add genuine depth.
What we don’t
- More expensive than Calm or Headspace (~$99.99/yr).
- Plainer design and weaker sleep content than Calm.
- Smaller content library overall.
- The conversational style can feel chatty if you just want silence.
Best for / avoid if
Best for
- →Skeptics who roll their eyes at typical wellness apps
- →People who want to understand meditation, not just do it
- →Intermediate meditators ready to go deeper than the basics
- →Fans of Dan Harris’s book or podcast
Avoid if
- →You want the cheapest option — Insight Timer is free
- →Sleep content is your priority — Calm is stronger
- →You prefer short, app-like sessions over teaching depth
Pricing
Free trial
$0
A sample of courses and meditations before subscribing.
Subscription
~$99.99/yr
Full access to all courses, meditations, and teacher talks.
What Happier (Ten Percent Happier) is
Happier (formerly Ten Percent Happier) is a meditation app built around expert teachers and a skeptical, practical tone, with courses that explain the reasoning behind each practice.
It is aimed at people who want substance and credibility in meditation instruction rather than ambience and production gloss.
Why the teaching depth matters
Most meditation apps employ pleasant narrators; Happier features teachers with decades of serious practice and a gift for plain explanation. The difference shows the moment you hit a real obstacle — restlessness, doubt, boredom — and the course actually addresses it.
For beginners that depth prevents quitting; for intermediate meditators it is the rare mainstream app with somewhere left to go.
Teacher-led courses
Multi-session courses combine guided practice with short video conversations between Dan Harris and the teacher.
The talk-then-practice format is the app’s signature — you understand what you are trying to do before you sit down to do it.
Real-life content
Dedicated content for anxiety, anger, grief, work stress, and difficult relationships.
It treats meditation as a tool for actual life rather than an escape from it, which is exactly what its skeptical audience wants.
Where Happier (Ten Percent Happier) falls behind
Price. It is the most expensive of the big consumer meditation apps.
Sleep and ambience. Calm’s sleep catalog and production are stronger.
Library size. Insight Timer offers vastly more raw content.
Ten Percent Happier vs. Headspace vs. Waking Up
Headspace is the friendliest on-ramp, Happier is the credible teacher, and Waking Up is the philosophical deep end.
Choose Happier if you want serious instruction with a practical, skeptical tone. Choose Headspace if you want the gentlest structured start. Choose Waking Up if you want meditation plus the philosophy of mind behind it.
All three cost real money — if price is the obstacle, start free on Insight Timer and upgrade once you know what you want.
Bottom line
Happier (Ten Percent Happier) is the best mainstream app for people who want real meditation instruction without wellness-speak. Pay the premium if teaching depth matters to you; choose Calm or Insight Timer if sleep content or price matters more.
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 Happier (Ten Percent Happier)
Waking Up
4.5Deeper still — meditation plus philosophy of mind.
Read our review →
Headspace
4.5The friendliest structured way to learn.
Read our review →
Insight Timer
4.6The huge free library.
Read our review →
Frequently asked questions
Is Ten Percent Happier now called Happier?+
Yes — the app rebranded to Happier, though most people still know it by the original name from Dan Harris’s book. Same teachers, same approach.
Is it worth $99 a year?+
If you value instruction depth — real teachers explaining real obstacles — yes. If you mainly want ambient relaxation or sleep audio, Calm gives you more for less.
Is it good for beginners?+
Yes, especially skeptical ones. The Basics content assumes no belief and explains everything. Total beginners who want maximum hand-holding may still prefer Headspace.
Ten Percent Happier or Waking Up?+
Happier is more practical and accessible; Waking Up goes deeper into theory and philosophy. Ambitious meditators often graduate from one to the other.
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 meditation apps reviews
Insight Timer
4.6The largest free meditation library in existence — more content than you could finish in a lifetime.
Calm
4.5The most polished sleep and meditation app on the market — and priced like it.
Headspace
4.5The most structured way to actually learn meditation — friendly, progressive, and beginner-proof.