Otti vs Calm: which one do you need?
Calm and Otti both want you to feel a little better, but they’re different kinds of app. Calm is a big library of meditations, Sleep Stories and music. Otti is a self-care pet: an otter you look after while you take tiny steps for yourself. Some people use both. Here’s how to tell which one you need.
Updated October 20, 2026 · By the Otti team (yes, we make Otti, so read with that in mind)
Choose Calm if…
- You want a big library of guided meditations, courses and daily sessions.
- You want help winding down at night, with narrated Sleep Stories, music and soundscapes.
- You’d rather listen than tap: audio you can play with your eyes closed.
- You want it on your Apple TV, Apple Watch, Wear OS watch or the web too.
Choose Otti if…
- Meditation feels hard to start, and tiny steps like drinking water or stepping outside feel more doable.
- You want a pet to look after, tamagotchi-style, that never gets sick or dies.
- A simple 1, 3 or 5-minute breathing float is all the guided calm you need.
- You like a gentle story and a small circle of friends whose otters hold paws.
At a glance
| Feature | Otti | Calm |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | OttiA cozy self-care pet: tiny daily steps help your otter grow up on a journey down the river | CalmA meditation and sleep app: guided meditations, Sleep Stories, music and soundscapes |
| Pet or character | OttiYes. Hatch one of six 3D otters, each with its own look and personality, and care for it tamagotchi-style (feeding, naps, baths, play) | CalmNo. There’s no mascot or pet |
| Missing a day | OttiYour otter may get hungry or sleepy, but never sick, and it never dies. A day count restarts, but growth and story progress never reset | CalmA streak counts days in a row with a meditation or similar session. A broken streak can be repaired by adding the missed session to your history |
| Price (US) | OttiFree during the beta. Pricing will be announced before launch | CalmVery limited free content. Calm Premium is $79.99/year on the web, with a 14-day web trial (7 days in the app). Lifetime is $499.99 |
| Mood tracking | OttiDaily mood check-in (five moods) with a note, and a week view | CalmMood, sleep and gratitude check-ins |
| Breathing and calm | OttiFloat with your otter: calm 4-6 breathing for 1, 3 or 5 minutes | CalmGuided meditations, “Breathe Bubbles” breathing, Sleep Stories, music, soundscapes, daily sessions and courses |
| Friends | OttiOptional Raft: friends’ otters hold paws, send cheers and small gifts. No chat, no public profiles | CalmGuest Passes give friends a 30-day trial. No friends list |
| Privacy | OttiJournal and mood check-ins stay on your phone. No ads, no selling data. No account needed to start | CalmThe App Store label lists purchases, identifiers and usage data as data used to track you |
| Platforms | OttiiPhone and Android (in beta) | CalmiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Vision, Android, Wear OS and the web |
| Store ratings (US) | OttiNew: in beta, not rated yet | CalmApp Store 4.8 (about 2M ratings, Editors’ Choice). Google Play 4.5 (617K reviews, 50M+ downloads) |
What Calm does well
Calm, made by Calm.com, Inc., is one of the best-known meditation and sleep apps. It’s built around guided meditations, Sleep Stories narrated by celebrities, music and soundscapes, with daily sessions, courses, “Breathe Bubbles” breathing exercises, and mood, sleep and gratitude check-ins. It works on almost every screen, from iPhone and Android to Apple TV, Apple Watch, Wear OS and the web. There’s no mascot or pet: Calm is mostly about what you listen to.
- Far more guided content than Otti: guided meditations, daily sessions, courses, music and soundscapes.
- Sleep Stories read by celebrity narrators. Reviewers often single these out, along with how soothing the voices are.
- Breathing exercises (“Breathe Bubbles”) and mood, sleep and gratitude check-ins.
- Reviewers say it helps with anxiety and panic.
- It’s available almost everywhere: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Vision, Android, Wear OS and the web.
- Big and well loved: 4.8 stars from about 2 million ratings on the US App Store, where it’s an Editors’ Choice, and 4.5 stars with 50M+ downloads on Google Play.
How Otti is different
- A pet, not a library. You hatch one of six 3D otters (curious, silly, brave, gentle, cozy or dreamy) and care for it tamagotchi-style: feeding, naps, bubble baths and play. It never gets sick and never dies.
- Tiny steps instead of sessions. You choose a small daily plan from 16 gentle steps, like drinking water, stretching or messaging someone. After three steps in a day, a clam present opens with a little treasure.
- One simple calm exercise. In the River, you float with your otter doing calm 4-6 breathing for 1, 3 or 5 minutes. That’s all: no meditation library, no audio, no sleep sounds and no courses.
- A story it grows up in. Your otter grows from pup to grown-up and travels down the river in six chapters, with a short evening story to unlock on days you take care of yourself. These are short stories you read in the app, not narrated audio like Calm’s Sleep Stories.
- Friends whose otters hold paws, if you want them. The optional Raft has cheers and small gifts, with no chat and no public profiles.
- A daily mood check-in (five moods) with a note and a week view, which stays on your phone. No ads.
- Otti is new and in beta, on iPhone and Android only.
Pricing
Calm has a free version with very limited content. Calm Premium costs $79.99 a year on Calm’s website in the US. Prices inside the app vary and Apple doesn’t label their billing periods, so we couldn’t verify a monthly price. A family plan for six people is $119.99 a year, and a Lifetime membership is $499.99, sold on the web only. Free trials last 7 days in the app and 14 days on the web. Members can also share Guest Passes: 30-day trials for friends, which renew to a yearly plan unless cancelled.
Otti is in beta and free to try. Pebbles, the currency for outfits and treats, are only earned through self-care and can’t be bought. We’ll share full pricing before launch.
Missing a day
Calm keeps a streak of consecutive days with a meditation or similar session. If it breaks, Calm’s help centre explains how to repair it by adding the missed session to your history. There’s no pet or character in Calm.
In Otti, your otter can get hungry, sleepy or a bit messy if you’ve been away, but it never gets sick, never dies and is always happy to see you. Its growth and story progress never reset. There is a simple day count, but nothing is taken away when it restarts.
Sources
Facts about Calm come from its own website, app store listings and help pages, checked on October 20, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the app store for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@ottiapp.com and we’ll fix it.
- Calm on the US App Store
- Calm on Google Play
- Calm help centre: Devices Compatible with Calm
- Calm help centre: Check-Ins
- Calm help centre: Stats, History and Streak
- Calm help centre: Fix a Broken Streak
- Calm help centre: Web Free Trial
- Calm help centre: Family Plan
- Calm help centre: Lifetime Membership
- Calm help centre: Guest Passes
Calm is a trademark of its owner. Otti isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Calm.com, Inc.
Questions people ask
Is Otti a Calm alternative?
Only partly. Calm is a meditation and sleep library with far more guided content than Otti. Otti is a self-care pet: you take tiny daily steps and care for an otter, and its only guided exercise is a simple breathing float. If you want meditations or Sleep Stories, Calm is the better fit. If you want a gentle daily companion, try Otti.
Is Calm free?
Calm has a free version with very limited content. Calm Premium costs $79.99 a year on Calm’s website in the US (checked October 2026), with a 14-day free trial on the web or 7 days in the app. There’s also a $119.99 a year family plan and a $499.99 lifetime membership on the web.
What are some apps like Calm?
Headspace is the app most often compared with Calm, with guided meditation, sleep content and breathing exercises. Otti isn’t a meditation app, but it can be a softer option if what you mostly want is a kind daily habit: tiny steps, a short breathing float and an otter to look after.
Does Otti have Sleep Stories or meditations?
No. Otti has no meditation library, no audio and no sleep sounds. Its evening stories are short stories you read in the app on days you take care of yourself, not narrated audio. For sleep content, Calm has far more.
Can I use Otti and Calm together?
Yes, and they sit together well because they do different things. Some people use both: a meditation app at bedtime, and Otti for small steps through the day. If two apps feels like too much, start with the one you’ll actually open.