A Free Alternative to Calm for Sleep Sounds and Relaxation
A "Calm alternative" search usually means one of two things: you want the sleep sounds without the rest, or you want to try before you commit to a subscription. Mindael answers both. It is a free iPhone app with more than 100 sounds for sleep and relaxation, made in our own studio, and it works without an internet connection. Below is what to look for in a sleep-sound app, and how Mindael covers each point.
For sleep sounds and relaxation, Mindael is a strong free alternative: rain, ocean, wind and fire recordings, white, pink and brown noise measured to spec, delta binaural beats, the nine solfeggio tones and a breathing guide, with a fading sleep timer and offline playback. It does not have spoken stories or a narrator; it is a sound app, and it is free on the App Store.
What to look for, and how Mindael covers it
| What you need | In Mindael |
|---|---|
| Sleep sounds that last all night | Long studio recordings of rain, ocean, wind and fire with no audible loop |
| Noise colors for a loud room | White, pink, brown and green noise, each with the right spectrum |
| Something for a racing mind | Delta and theta binaural beats, and a guided breathing pattern |
| Tones for meditation | All nine solfeggio frequencies, from 174 Hz to 963 Hz |
| A sleep timer with a fade | Set 30, 45 or 60 minutes; the sound fades instead of stopping |
| Mixing | Layer rain over brown noise, or a delta beat under ocean waves |
| Works offline | Every sound is on the phone |
| Price | Free to download and use on the App Store |
What people actually use a sleep app for
Ask anyone who has paid for a sleep app which screen they open, and most say the same thing: the sound they fall asleep to. The stories and courses are the reason they signed up and the part they stopped using. That is why a free sound app is a fair alternative for most people. If the sound is good and the timer works, the night goes the same way.
The sounds, and why they are made the way they are
Our rain, ocean, wind and fire recordings are long, so you never hear the loop point that wakes light sleepers. Our noise colors are measured: pink noise falls 3 dB per octave, brown 6 dB per octave. That is not decoration. A 1990 study in Archives of Disease in Childhood found that 80 percent of newborns fell asleep within five minutes with white noise playing, against 25 percent without, and a 2017 study found broadband sound cut sleep onset in adults by about 38 percent. Both results depend on the sound being steady and full-spectrum, which is what measurement guarantees.
For the racing mind
Noise covers the room. It does not cover the thoughts. For that, Mindael has delta binaural beats at 1, 2 and 3.5 Hz, a 2018 sleep-lab study behind the 3 Hz beat, and a breathing guide with 4-7-8, box and 4-6 patterns. Two minutes of slow breathing with a delta beat in earbuds is the routine our listeners report most for nights when sleep will not come.
If meditation rather than sleep is the reason you are looking, the free meditation apps checklist is the companion to this page.
For the evening, not only the night
Relax mode has the nine solfeggio tones, from 174 Hz to 963 Hz, soft nature sounds and the breathing guide. It is the part of the app for the hour before bed, when you want something gentler than noise and quieter than music.
How to switch in five minutes
- Download MindaelFree on the App Store, no account needed to listen.
- Open Sleep modePick rain or pink noise for a noisy room, brown noise or a delta beat for a busy mind.
- Set the timer to 45 minutesMost people are asleep well before the fade.
- Keep the volume lowJust enough to blur the room. If you notice the sound, turn it down.
- Add the breathing guide on hard nightsTwo minutes of 4-7-8 breathing with the sound running, then let it go.
Sleep sounds, without the subscription.
If the thing you actually use is the sleep-sound screen, Mindael gives you that part, done well and free. Rain and ocean recorded for the whole night, noise colors measured to spec, a delta beat for the racing mind, and a timer that fades out.
- Rain, ocean, wind and fire, studio recorded
- White, pink, brown and green noise
- Fading sleep timer and breathing guide, works offline
Free · No account needed · Works offline Frequently asked questions
Is Mindael free?
Yes. It is free to download on the App Store and you can start listening right away.
Does Mindael have sleep stories?
No. Mindael is a sound app: rain, ocean, noise colors, binaural beats and solfeggio tones, plus a breathing guide. Nothing talks over the sound.
Which sound is best for falling asleep?
For a loud room, pink noise or rain. For a loud mind, brown noise or a delta beat with earbuds. A 2017 study found broadband sound cut the time to fall asleep by about 38 percent.
Can I mix sounds?
Yes. Rain over brown noise and ocean over a delta beat are the two most common mixes.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Every sound ships inside the app.
Sources
- Messineo L, et al. Broadband sound administration improves sleep onset latency in healthy subjects in a model of transient insomnia. Frontiers in Neurology, 2017.
- Spencer JA, Moran DJ, Lee A, Talbert D. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1990.
- Jirakittayakorn N, Wongsawat Y. A novel insight of effects of a 3-Hz binaural beat on sleep stages during sleep. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018.