Meditation App Development 2024 | Features, Types and Costs

Meditation, yoga, and good sleep hygiene remain integral to maintaining physical and mental health, especially considering the persistent stressors present in modern life. Following the global pandemic, there has been a renewed awareness of mental health, leading to widespread adoption of practices that promote self-care. Health professionals—including physicians and therapists—constantly advocate for the incorporation of meditation into daily routines to foster relaxation and resilience against stress.

Popular meditation apps like Headspace and Calm have continued to dominate the market, showcasing the increasing need for effective solutions in meditation app development. As of early 2024, the popularity of these apps illustrates the commitment of individuals to mental health, reflecting a market flush with opportunity.

1. Meditation App Market Statistics & Trends

The meditation app development market is continuing to flourish, showcasing a robust growth trajectory:

• The mindfulness app creation market size is projected to expand from $533.2 million in 2022 to an estimated $2,633.4 million by 2028 (GlobalNewswire) – GlobalNewswire.
• Headspace surpassed 3 million subscribers as of 2024, with a cumulative download count exceeding 70 million, contributing to over $800 million in revenue (Business of Apps) – Business of Apps.
• A survey from the American Psychological Association noted that 47% of adults reported using mindfulness and meditation practices to improve their mental well-being in 2023 – American Psychological Association.

A shift in user behavior has been noted, with queries for meditation-related apps escalating significantly. Data from ThinkwithGoogle reveals that search terms like “mindfulness apps” have surged by 75% YOY since 2021, further indicating the growing interest in meditation app development.

2. Meditation App Development Types

The demand for diverse meditation experiences has led to the emergence of varied app types, each targeting specific user needs in meditation app development:

• Anxiety & Stress Reduction: Apps offer short, guided exercises that facilitate relaxation and provide strategies to assess stress levels.
• Deep Sleep: Focused on creating calming environments via music and sounds that foster peace and promote restful sleep.
• Concentration & Focus: Designed to minimize distractions, these apps encourage productivity through mindfulness techniques.
• Habit Tracking: Users can monitor their meditation habits, especially beneficial for those working to establish or maintain regular practices.
• Mindfulness Coach: AI-driven insights are now common, providing personalized recommendations based on user preferences, habits, and meditation history.

Kokkiri – Meditation App – Created By Savvycom

Build Your App The Professional Way With Savvycom?
Our team can help you with the development of your application. Contact us to get a free initial consultation regarding your project and its estimation in terms of cost, timeline, and needed technical talent.

3. Monetization Opportunities For Meditation Apps

The app monetization landscape for meditation app development has evolved, with several strategies available:

• Paid Downloads: While still less popular, some apps like Buddhify continue to employ this model, though it presents barriers for new entrants.
• In-app Purchases: Users can buy additional meditation tracks or guided sessions, although many prefer subscription models for broader access.
• Subscriptions: This remains the most lucrative model, with many offering tiered pricing plans, including family subscriptions and corporate wellness programs.
• Advertisements: Popular apps with significant user bases are now exploring ad placements, ensuring they enhance rather than disrupt user experience.

3.1. Pay per download

This isn’t a popular monetization strategy for these kinds of apps. However, some applications, such as Buddhify, still make use of it. The user must purchase the app in the App Store or PlayStore in order to download and use it. But there is usually a fee from 25% to 30% of the app’s cost for every download.

Additionally. this monetization method doesn’t favor startup companies, people won’t pay to download your app if they don’t know who you are or how good your content is.

3.2. In-app Purchases

Users pay to download material or listen to a track via in-app purchases, similar to how they do in digital bookstores or media libraries. This model could work, but you’ll need to carefully calculate prices and have a large content library. On the other hand, it’s likely that certain people would just pay for a few tracks and listen to them all the time.

3.3. Subscriptions

This is the monetization model used for the majority of these applications. When a user installs the app, they are granted a free trial period of one to two weeks. The app user can purchase a paid subscription to continue using the app or gain access to a more advanced app edition at the end of the trial period.

For a mobile app like Calm or Headspace, the most common monetization model is subscription-based (both these apps use a subscription model). It is helpful to both consumers and app developers. Subscriptions mean a constant flow of payments for the former, and a large range of material right away for the latter.

3.4. Advertisements

If your meditation app has built a considerable user base, it is worth considering in-app advertisements. You can get paid by businesses that would like to run ads on your platform. In-app ad approaches like banner ads, or interstitial ads are suitable for meditation apps. Nevertheless, the key is to find a balance for the ad’s frequency, so that they don’t disturb users on their journey. 

4. General Features of Meditation Apps

4.1. User Panel Features

As consumer expectations continue to rise, successful meditation app development incorporates a range of features, known as mobile app features, including:

User Panel Features

• Onboarding: A seamless introduction experience is critical, especially for beginners in meditation app development.
• Customizable Profiles: Users should be able to manage and track their progress and preferences.
• Guided Sessions: Offering a variety of meditation types and guidance levels is essential for user engagement.
• Community Support: Many apps now include social features for users to connect, share experiences, or support each other’s journeys.

4.2 Admin Panel Features

• Content Management: Easy uploading and categorizing of new meditation sessions, and the ability to remove outdated content.
• Usage Analytics: Admins can track user engagement and feedback to enhance their offerings continuously.
• Monetization Tracking: Essential for analyzing which features or content drive revenue in meditation app development.

5. Core Features to-be-included in Meditation Apps

The following core features are pivotal in meditation app development:

• Personalized Recommendations: AI-driven insights provide tailored meditations, improving user satisfaction and retention.
• Wearables Integration: Compatibility with fitness trackers and smartwatches is gaining traction in meditation app development.
• Chatbot Support: Advances in AI allow for interactive support, helping users navigate meditation practices.
• Offline Accessibility: Users desire the flexibility to meditate without needing to be online, which aligns with modern user behavior.

Notifications to smartwatches and fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular in today’s applications. When it comes to meditation and mindfulness, you can take it a step further by allowing users to begin breathing exercises without having to take their phones out of their pockets. Wearables also allow better tracking of metrics like heartbeat and movements to measure the effectiveness of meditation exercises. 

Build Your App The Professional Way With Savvycom?
Our team can help you with the development of your application. Contact us to get a free initial consultation regarding your project and its estimation in terms of cost, timeline, and needed technical talent.

6. Detailed Steps to Develop a Meditation App

When bringing a meditation app to life, consider the following steps in meditation app development:

1. Market Research: Validate your concept within the current landscape. Identifying gaps for innovation is key to meditation app development.
2. Defining Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What differentiates your app? Be it unique design, advanced AI features, or niche meditation practices.
3. UI/UX Design: Use calming color palettes that promote relaxation while ensuring a user-friendly interface in meditation app development.
4. Development Phase: Launching a minimum viable product (MVP) allows feedback collection and iterative improvement.
5. Testing & Quality Assurance: Before the official launch, rigorous testing ensures a polished user experience in meditation app development.

7. The Costs of Meditation App Development

While costs will vary, expect to invest significantly in meditation app development, particularly if employing a highly skilled mobile app development team. Anticipate investments for:

• Development Team: Project managers, designers, mobile developers, and QA specialists in meditation app development.
• App Development Cost: The complexity and breadth of features will ultimately drive the total cost of the project.
• Maintenance: Continuous support and content updates are paramount in keeping your user base engaged in meditation app development.

Savvycom has been working with meditation app development with our lastest app being “Kokkiri – 50.000+ app installs after only 10 days of launching and ranked as no.1 in Fitness and Healthcare app in Google Store Korea in 2019” and we’ve got some approximate estimates for anyone interested.

After that, there are the app’s features that need to be taken into account. When opposed to an app developed with advanced features and third-party technology, an app developed with simple features would cost less. When it comes to software development costs, an app with simple features and for a single platform will cost between $25000 and $35000, while an app with advanced features and for several platforms (Android / IOS) will cost almost twice as much, between $50000 and $60000.

8. Yoga and Healthcare App Development Consideration

With the increasing focus on wellness, there’s a rising interest in yoga app development. Apps that combine yoga practices with meditation can significantly enhance mental and physical well-being.

Moreover, there’s a growing segment of healthcare mobile app development, especially for apps that address mental health through meditation. When evaluating healthcare app development cost, consider that it often varies based on the complexity of features, compliance requirements, and the need for integrations with health services.

As wellness continues to become a priority, partnering with reputable healthcare app development companies can facilitate a project that meets both user expectations and regulatory standards.

The meditation app development market remains poised for growth, having learned to adapt in response to ongoing stress in our lives, further spotlighted by a post-pandemic world. As mental health becomes increasingly prioritized, and people seek accessible tools for self-care, the demand for innovative meditation app development will continue to surge. With major players reporting upward mobile app development trends in subscription and user engagement, now may be the perfect time to explore meditation app development for your mobile health app and wellness app development goals.

9. Frequently Asked Question