Headspace built a business on making calm feel approachable, but most of what actually settles a racing mind before bed or before a hard meeting is a paced breath, not a narrated course. That part does not need a subscription. So we built Tidebreath, a free guided breathing timer that runs right here in your browser. Pick a pattern, set how long you want to breathe, and follow the circle. No download, no signup, no account.
Play Tidebreath now
Tap Start breathing and follow the circle in, then out. Works with sound cues on or off.
How to use it
Choose between two patterns: box breathing, an even 4-4-4-4 count that resets a stressful moment, or 4-7-8, a longer exhale that leans into the body’s slow-down response and works well before sleep. Drag the session length slider to anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes; the countdown updates instantly, and you can adjust the pattern or the length mid-session without losing your place. The circle grows on the in-breath, holds, and shrinks on the out-breath, with a soft tone marking each phase change if you turn sound cues on (they are muted by default).
Every minute you breathe adds to a running total, and finishing a session on a new day builds your streak. Both numbers live in your browser’s local storage on this device only. If your system has reduced motion turned on, the growing circle is replaced by a plain numeric countdown so nothing animates.
How it compares to Headspace
Tidebreath does one job: a paced breathing timer with two well-known patterns, a length you control, and a streak to keep you coming back. That is genuinely useful, and it is free forever.
It is not Headspace. Headspace’s value is almost entirely in what Tidebreath leaves out: hundreds of narrated meditations across specific themes like anxiety, focus, and grief; multi-week courses with a real teacher’s voice; Sleep Stories and Sleepcasts; move and workout content; and progress tracking that syncs across your devices. None of that is replicated here, and we are not trying to. Building a real meditation library takes actual teachers, not a weekend of code.
So think of Tidebreath as the free warm-up. If two minutes of paced breathing before a meeting or before bed is genuinely all you use an app for, this page already does it. If you want a voice guiding you through twenty minutes of anxiety work or a bedtime story to fall asleep to, that is what the Headspace subscription is for, and it earns its price there.
Get the full app
Headspace is a free download with a limited set of sessions; the full meditation and sleep library requires a Headspace subscription, billed monthly or yearly.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the real Headspace app?
No. Tidebreath is an original tool we built, inspired by the breathing exercises found in meditation apps like Headspace. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Headspace Inc in any way. The download link above points to the official app.
Can I do a Headspace-style breathing exercise in a browser?
Yes, that is exactly what this page is. Tidebreath runs entirely in your browser with no install, offering box breathing and the 4-7-8 pattern with an adjustable session length. Headspace’s own narrated meditations and courses still require the app.
Does paced breathing actually help?
Slow, controlled breathing is one of the more studied quick relaxation techniques, and patterns like box breathing and 4-7-8 are commonly used to settle the nervous system before sleep or a stressful moment. This is a relaxation tool, not medical advice, so if you deal with ongoing anxiety or a breathing condition, talk to a doctor rather than relying on an app.
Is Tidebreath free?
Completely. No ads, no account, no upsells. Headspace itself is free to install, but its meditation and sleep library sits behind a subscription.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the page loads, everything runs locally with sounds generated in your browser, so it keeps working without a connection. Your streak and total minutes are stored on this device only and never uploaded anywhere.
