Headspace
A meditation and mental wellness app with guided sessions and subscriptions.
Headspace's growth came from many small tests on trials, onboarding and referrals. A 30-day guest pass lifted signups 7% and revenue 8%, multi-select onboarding raised trial conversion 10%, and in-session social validation improved trial survival 3%. Splitting trials by plan (7 days monthly, 14 annual) lifted conversions double digits but delayed revenue. Test trial length by plan, and judge referrals on revenue.
- Tested 7, 14 and 30 days
- One global setting for all plans
- Monthly plan: 7-day trial
- Annual plan: 14-day trial
Conversions rose by double digits
From Headspace paywall test
What was said about Headspace
1Free trial length as a lever: the paywall and Guest Pass tests
Pair a short trial with monthly plans and a longer one with annual. After testing 7, 14 and 30 day free trials on its paywall, Headspace set a 7-day trial on the monthly plan and a 14-day trial on the annual plan. Conversions rose by double digits.
The longer annual trial makes the bigger commitment more appealing, so trial length steers plan choice instead of being one global setting. The trade-off was delayed revenue, since users start paying later; Headspace judged the test on conversion lift and accepted the slower cash timing.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them. Referred friends got a 30-day trial, double the standard 14. The 30-Day Guest Pass referral program gave invited friends a 30-day free trial instead of 14 days. New signups rose 7% and revenue rose 8%.
The revenue gain came from referred users converting from trial to paid at a higher rate than the standard flow, not just from volume. A trusted recommendation lowers the barrier for skeptics, and the longer window gives them time to experience the app before paying, which is why tracking revenue alongside signups mattered.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
2Getting trial users to stay and pay: onboarding and in-session social proof
Letting users pick several goals in onboarding lifted trial conversion 10%. Headspace replaced a single-choice reason for using the app with a multi-select, so people could pick anxiety relief and mindfulness together. Free trial conversion rose 10%.
People usually have more than one need, so a single choice loses information and can feel wrong. The richer answers were used to tailor what the app offered before the trial prompt, which is where the extra data pays off.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them. Showing other users' encouragement during sessions kept more trial users active. Headspace displayed positive feedback and encouraging thoughts from other users in real time during meditation sessions. Survival rate of free trial users rose 3%.
The test was measured on trial survival, how many trial users stay active, rather than only on end-of-trial conversion. The social validation lands at the moment of use, showing the content's benefits while the user is experiencing it.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
3Headspace in other companies' stories
Purpose hires Headspace alumni for mission fit against engagement traps. Purpose screens hires for culture and mission fit, including people from Headspace, and commits to no ads, no data selling and no engagement maxing.
Purpose measures success by outcomes such as getting users off their device. Quote: "not to engagement max and not to just have people stuck in this dopamine casino"
Headspace expanded into new segments such as insurer partnerships. Opal's Kenneth Schlenker cited Headspace alongside Calm as apps that grew by moving into new segments like insurer partnerships.
30-Day Guest Pass: Headspace's A/B test
Its 30-Day Guest Pass referral program gave invited friends a 30-day free trial instead of the standard 14 days. New signups rose 7% and revenue rose 8%, driven by higher trial-to-paid conversion among referred users.
Referred friends got a 30-day trial, double the standard 14. The 30-Day Guest Pass referral program gave invited friends a 30-day free trial instead of 14 days. New signups rose 7% and revenue rose 8%.
The revenue gain came from referred users converting from trial to paid at a higher rate than the standard flow, not just from volume. A trusted recommendation lowers the barrier for skeptics, and the longer window gives them time to experience the app before paying, which is why tracking revenue alongside signups mattered.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
Onboarding with multi-intent queries: Headspace's A/B test
Headspace changed onboarding from a single reason for using the app to multi-select, so users could pick reasons like anxiety relief and mindfulness together. This multi-intent onboarding raised free trial conversion by 10%.
Letting users pick several goals in onboarding lifted trial conversion 10%. Headspace replaced a single-choice reason for using the app with a multi-select, so people could pick anxiety relief and mindfulness together. Free trial conversion rose 10%.
People usually have more than one need, so a single choice loses information and can feel wrong. The richer answers were used to tailor what the app offered before the trial prompt, which is where the extra data pays off.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
Social validation: Headspace's A/B test
Showed positive feedback and encouraging thoughts from other users in real time during meditation sessions to add social validation. The variant raised the survival rate of free trial users by 3%.
Showing other users' encouragement during sessions kept more trial users active. Headspace displayed positive feedback and encouraging thoughts from other users in real time during meditation sessions. Survival rate of free trial users rose 3%.
The test was measured on trial survival, how many trial users stay active, rather than only on end-of-trial conversion. The social validation lands at the moment of use, showing the content's benefits while the user is experiencing it.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
7-day trial for monthly & 14-day trial for annual subscription: Headspace's A/B test
Tested 7, 14 and 30 day free trials on its paywall, then paired a 7-day trial with the monthly plan and a 14-day trial with the annual plan. Conversions rose by double digits, though immediate revenue was delayed because users start paying later.
Pair a short trial with monthly plans and a longer one with annual. After testing 7, 14 and 30 day free trials on its paywall, Headspace set a 7-day trial on the monthly plan and a 14-day trial on the annual plan. Conversions rose by double digits.
The longer annual trial makes the bigger commitment more appealing, so trial length steers plan choice instead of being one global setting. The trade-off was delayed revenue, since users start paying later; Headspace judged the test on conversion lift and accepted the slower cash timing.
Version A and version B as Headspace tested them.
How Headspace Expanded from Meditation App to Wellness Platform
Merged with Ginger in 2021 to add human care, then built clinical programs, an outcomes team, B2B sales and the Ebb AI companion. It tracks PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSS survey scores to prove efficacy and shows progress to members and B2B customers.
Purpose hires Headspace alumni for mission fit against engagement traps. Purpose screens hires for culture and mission fit, including people from Headspace, and commits to no ads, no data selling and no engagement maxing.
Purpose measures success by outcomes such as getting users off their device. Quote: "not to engagement max and not to just have people stuck in this dopamine casino"
How Purpose Hit $1M ARR in 14 Days
Purpose's team includes people from Headspace, hired for mission fit to avoid engagement traps.
Headspace expanded into new segments such as insurer partnerships. Opal's Kenneth Schlenker cited Headspace alongside Calm as apps that grew by moving into new segments like insurer partnerships.
Copy Our $85,000/Month Apple Ads Strategy
In a US search for meditation, Headspace appears as the first result, which some founders mistook for organic ranking when it was an ad.
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Cited alongside Calm as an app that expanded into new segments such as insurer partnerships.
If You’re Running Paid App Ads, You NEED to Watch This
Built high branded search volume through paid campaigns, and out-searches the term "meditation". Stats about search-driven downloads are mostly this kind of branded search.
How Calm Added 1.2M Subscribers with Creative Marketing Tactics
One of the few meditation apps around when Nick joined Calm in 2019. Calm's rise past it was driven by performance marketing and Sleep Stories.
How Noom Avoided PMF Collapse in the Wake of GLP-1s
Its move into therapy and psychiatry after the Ginger merger is the high-end parallel to Noom's push into clinical care.
This AI Learning App Made $1.8M in Its First Year (Coursiv App)
Cited alongside Calm as the incumbent a new app should avoid fighting directly by starting in a narrow niche such as box breathing, then expanding into meditation.
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Its brand name scores higher in search than the generic term meditation, which is why Steve now says indies should think about building a brand.
An operator’s guide to product strategy | Chandra Janakiraman (CPO at VRChat, ex-Meta, Headspace)
The CEO said many people did not understand why the team built what it did, so Chandra and a board member wrote the first strategy. It produced Next Generation Headspace, which broadened the meditation app into health and wellness with a full content library and personalized home, and earned him the first CPO role.
Try These A/B Tests to Increase Your Subscriptions (APS SF 2023)
It puts a paywall in onboarding, as Calm does.
Thinking beyond frameworks | Casey Winters (Pinterest, Eventbrite, Airbnb, Tinder, Reddit, Grubhub)
It grew to hundreds of people, so a jump in burn would have caused panic instead of time to adjust.
Uncovering the Secrets of Your Competitor's App Store Optimization Strategy!
Ranks 1 for "meditation" but only 7 for "breathing exercises". It focuses on meditation and sleep, leaving topics like anxiety open to smaller apps.
Early Stage Growth Strategies
It appeared next to Rootd in Healthline's list of the best anxiety apps, which gave the small bootstrapped app credibility.
7 Proven Ways to Increase App Revenue
Shown as an example of a paywall placed inside the onboarding flow.
How to Find Low Competition Keywords That Convert
Named as one of the two big rivals that the small Unplug Meditation app is up against in the demo.
Get the Most Out of ASO With This Tool | Checkaso Review
Shares the most keywords with Calm in the analysis tab. Calm ranks number eight on one French sleep keyword, ahead of Headspace.
5 Deadly App Marketing Mistakes
It shows a few intro screens and then the pricing page, the same onboarding paywall pattern as Calm.
5 Beginner App Store Optimization Mistakes
Headspace ranks on broad terms like meditation thanks to heavy ad spend, so a new app should not copy its keywords or try to match its download volume.
ASO What's Working Today in 2020 - MGS Presentation
It shows pricing at the end of onboarding and does not let users skip the first meditation, which can annoy some. This gets users meditating right away.
🧐 Market Research for an App - Save time and money with this tip
Makes about $2 million and runs YouTube ads whose examples are visible in Sensor Tower, showing how a leader acquires users.
Sensor Tower ASO Tool Review: Keyword Spy, Research & Apple Features
Used as the keyword spy comparison, it surfaced terms such as chakra and happiness. It ranks third for chakra with weak apps below it, and its revenue and downloads were compared with Calm and Simple Habit.
App Annie ASO Tool Review: Keyword Research, App Store Features & Killer Screenshot Sales Copy
Suggested as one of the Calm competitors to enter into App Annie to surface keywords you had not considered.
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