Alternatives to Waking Up
We have no directly-competing tool curated for Waking Up yet, so these are the most-used tools in the same category. Useful starting points rather than a like-for-like swap.
Why people look for alternatives to Waking Up
The complaints that come up most often in public discussion — reviews, forums and community threads. Not our opinion, and not the vendor's marketing.
- Steep price ($150/year) is a barrier for many, though scholarships help.
- Some users complain the intro course's progressive format doesn't continue post-30 days.
- Sam Harris's political views on Israel lead to ethical objections and cancellations.
- Billing issues: one user charged after canceling free trial; refund process unclear.
Drawn from 90 mentions across 7 sources · researched Aug 3, 2026.
In fairness: users also consistently praise rich, intellectually stimulating content bridging meditation with philosophy and neuroscience, and sam harris's calm, expert guidance is consistently praised across reviews. A complaint list is not a verdict — see the full picture on the Waking Up page.
Brightside Health
Brightside Health: Online therapy and psychiatry with CAMS-based suicide prevention.
Lyra Health
Employer-sponsored mental health care with proven outcomes and 3:1 ROI
Modern Health
Employer-sponsored adaptive mental health care spanning prevention, coaching, and crisis support globally.
Spring Health
AI-native mental health care for employers, health plans, and individuals—find therapists faster with personalized matching.
SonderMind
Insurance-covered online therapy and psychiatry with fast expert matching, plus integrated self-care tools.
CoupleWork
AI relationship coach for couples using Gottman & EFT methods, 24/7 in your pocket
Ebb by Headspace
Ebb: Headspace's empathetic AI companion for voice or text self-reflection.
Lovely Mind
Create and chat with customizable AI souls for emotional support and meaningful conversation.
Insight Timer
Free meditation app with the world's largest guided audio library and AI recommendations
stoic. mental health journal
Private, AI-guided daily journaling to beat stress in 120 seconds — free. iOS, Mac, Android, web.
Feeling Great app
AI-driven CBT app by Dr. David Burns for rapid emotional relief.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best alternatives to Waking Up?
We have not curated direct alternatives to Waking Up yet. The 30 tools listed — starting with Brightside Health, Lyra Health, Modern Health, Flourish, Mindsera — are the most-used tools in the same category: useful starting points rather than a like-for-like swap.
How do you choose which Waking Up alternatives to show?
When no direct product-type match is curated yet, we show the most-used tools from Waking Up's own category instead of an empty page. Every listed tool is independently re-verified on a continuous cycle.