Calm is one of the biggest names in meditation and sleep apps, known for its celebrity sleep stories and relaxing soundscapes. InTheMoment takes a different approach with AI-generated sessions that adapt to your specific situation.
Both apps incorporate AI features, but they use them in fundamentally different ways. Here’s an honest comparison to help you decide.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | InTheMoment | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| AI Approach | Generates unique sessions | Smart recommendations |
| Check-in | Conversational (5 turns) | Mood tracking |
| Free Tier | 2 sessions/day (up to 20 min) | Limited content selection |
| Premium Price | £4.99/month | ~$70/year ($5.83/month) |
| Sleep Content | Sleep stories with all-night loop | Celebrity sleep stories |
| Ambient Music | Yes, customisable | Soundscapes library |
| Hypnosis | Yes (AI-generated) | No |
| Lifetime Option | No | $399.99 one-time |
| Best For | Personalised sessions | Sleep and relaxation |
How the AI Features Differ
Calm’s AI Features
Calm uses AI primarily for personalisation through recommendations. The app learns your preferences, tracks your mood, and suggests content from their library that might suit you.
What Calm’s AI does:
- Recommends meditations based on usage patterns
- Personalises sleep story suggestions
- Tracks mood over time
- Tailors soundscape recommendations
Key point: Calm’s content is pre-recorded by professional narrators and celebrities. The AI helps you find the right content—it doesn’t create new content.
InTheMoment’s AI
InTheMoment generates entirely new sessions based on what you share in a conversational check-in.
What InTheMoment’s AI does:
- Creates a new meditation script for each session
- Adapts to your environment (commuting, at home, walking, etc.)
- Adjusts to your current emotional state
- Uses feedback from previous sessions to improve
Key point: Every session is created for you specifically. The AI draws from established meditation and hypnosis techniques rather than inventing methods.
Pricing Breakdown
InTheMoment
- Free: 2 new sessions per day, up to 20 minutes, saved for 90 days
- Pro (£4.99/month): 5 sessions/day, up to 45 minutes, unlimited storage
- Pro (£22.49/6 months): Same as above, 25% savings
Calm
- Free: Limited selection of content
- Premium Monthly: ~$15-17/month
- Premium Annual: ~$70/year (works out to ~$5.83/month)
- Lifetime: $399.99 one-time payment
- Family Plan: $99.99/year for up to 6 accounts
Value comparison:
- For monthly subscribers, InTheMoment is cheaper at ~$6.30 (£4.99)
- Calm’s annual plan is competitive if you commit for the full year
- Calm’s lifetime plan is a one-time payment that makes sense for long-term users
Content Comparison
What Calm Offers
Calm has built an extensive library over the years:
Sleep Stories: Calm’s signature feature—narrated bedtime stories designed to help you fall asleep. Narrators include Matthew McConaughey, Harry Styles, LeBron James, and many others.
Meditations: Hundreds of guided meditations across categories like stress, anxiety, focus, and gratitude.
Soundscapes: Hours of ambient sounds—rain, ocean waves, crackling fires, and more.
Music: Focus music and sleep music tracks.
Daily Calm: A new 10-minute guided meditation each day.
What InTheMoment Offers
InTheMoment focuses on personalisation over library size:
AI Meditation: Sessions generated specifically for your current situation and emotional state.
AI Hypnosis: Hypnosis sessions for habits, confidence, sleep, and more—also personalised.
Structured Playlists: Progressive courses covering topics like beginner mindfulness, anxiety, focus, and more. Each session teaches the same core lesson as everyone else, but the delivery—examples, metaphors, techniques, length, voice—is personalised to you. Best of both worlds: expert curriculum + personalised delivery.
Sleep Stories: Curated sleep stories designed for relaxation—with all-night loop mode so you never wake up when audio ends.
Ambient Background Music: Customisable ambient music options during sessions—plays continuously all night.
Environmental Awareness: Sessions adapt to whether you’re sitting, lying down, walking, stretching, or standing.
Session History: All your generated sessions are saved and available for replay.
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Calm if you:
- Love the idea of celebrity-narrated sleep stories
- Want access to a huge library of professionally produced content
- Prefer browsing and selecting content rather than describing your state
- Value soundscapes and ambient audio for focus or sleep
- Want a lifetime option to avoid ongoing subscriptions
Choose InTheMoment if you:
- Find generic meditations feel disconnected from your actual life
- Want sessions that adapt to your specific environment
- Are interested in AI-generated hypnosis
- Prefer a lower monthly subscription cost
- Value feedback loops that improve sessions over time
The Sleep Question
Both apps offer sleep content, but with different approaches:
Calm’s Sleep Stories are professionally produced and feature celebrity narrators like Matthew McConaughey and Harry Styles. They’re beautifully crafted and have become a cultural phenomenon.
InTheMoment’s Sleep Stories are curated for relaxation—but the killer feature is all-night loop mode. Stories play one after another with continuous ambient music, so you never wake up when audio ends.
For celebrity voices and production value: Calm wins.
For all-night playback without disruption: InTheMoment offers something unique.
The Honest Verdict
Calm and InTheMoment solve meditation differently.
Calm is like having a subscription to a premium meditation streaming service. Huge library, beautiful production, celebrity talent. The AI helps you navigate it.
InTheMoment is like having an AI that creates custom meditations on demand. Fewer options to browse, but each session is built around what you’re actually experiencing.
If you’ve ever thought “I wish this meditation was more relevant to what I’m going through right now,” InTheMoment might resonate with you.
If you want a polished, professional experience with variety and celebrity content, Calm delivers.
Both have free options—the best way to decide is to try them.
Questions about InTheMoment? Get in touch.
Last updated: December 2025