Glimt
Glimt
Glimtvs
Glimt vs Headspace

Headspace teaches mindfulness. Glimt brings it to your desk.

Headspace is a complete mental-health app, with guided meditation courses, sleep content, breathing exercises, and even coaching and therapy. Glimt is much smaller: a guided breathing session that floats over your work at the intervals you choose.

One-time purchase — no subscription

A curriculum vs. a nudge

Headspace helps you build a practice. Glimt helps you keep breathing through the workday. They work well together.

Headspace

Courses you follow

Headspace guides you through structured courses with teachers, quick breathing exercises and sleep content, on phone, Watch, Mac and the web. Reminders and Mindful Moments notifications prompt you to come back to the app.

Glimt

A breath, right where you are

Glimt sits in your menu bar or system tray and, during the hours you choose, floats a breathing orb over your work. It paces you through Box, 4-7-8 or your own pattern, then fades away. It holds off while your mic or camera is in use.

Feature by feature

Glimt
Headspace
Guided breathing exercises
Breathing session appears on screen at intervals you setHeadspace sends reminder and Mindful Moments notifications; you open the app to start
Box, 4-7-8 & custom breathing patternsHeadspace doesn't list a custom-pattern builder
Holds reminders while your mic or camera is in use
Native Mac appHeadspace on Mac requires Apple silicon
Native Windows appHeadspace also works in desktop browsers
iPhone, Android & Apple Watch apps
Meditation courses & sleep content
AI companion, coaching & therapyCoaching and therapy are priced separately
Free trial
No subscription

Which one is right for you?

They solve different problems. Here's an honest way to decide.

Choose Headspace if…

  • You want to learn meditation with structured, teacher-led courses.
  • You're looking for mental-health support, such as coaching or therapy.
  • You want sleep content and a practice that follows you to your phone and Watch.
  • You'd like a free trial before committing.

Choose Glimt if…

  • You already know breathing helps, but forget to do it while you're working.
  • You work on a Mac or Windows computer and want the practice to come to you.
  • You want reminders that wait until your call is over.
  • You'd rather pay once than subscribe.

A subscription vs. a one-time purchase

Headspace includes far more for its yearly fee. Glimt does one thing, and you pay for it once.

GlimtGlimt
$39one time
  • Guided breathing on your desktop
  • Pay once, keep it
  • No account needed
Headspace
$69.99per year

Or $12.99/month (US App Store). Free trial available.

  • Meditation courses, sleep & breathing
  • Phone, Watch, Mac and web
  • Renews every year

Competitor prices and features checked against their official sites and App Store listings in October 2026. They may have changed since. If something here is out of date, let us know and we'll fix it.

Glimt

Keep breathing through the workday.

$39, once. No subscription. No account. A guided breath that finds you at your desk and stays out of your calls.

One-time purchase — no subscription — mac & windows

Learn more about Glimt