The best ASMR app depends on how you listen. If you want the widest choice of ASMR videos, that's YouTube, free with ads or ad-free with Premium. For audio only, podcast apps work. If you want ASMR mixed in with sleep stories and white noise, sleep apps like BetterSleep include some, for a subscription.
If you're looking for an alternative to the Tingles app, or just a faster way to find the right video, this guide compares the main options as they stand in October 2026: what each costs, what it does well, and where it falls short.
Prices and features checked October 2026. Prices are US prices from each company's own page or store listing, unless noted. They change often, so check before you pay.
Quick comparison
| Option | Type | Price (US) | Ads | ASMR content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Video site and app | Free; Premium $15.99/month | On the free plan; Premium removes them | ASMR videos from creators |
| Spotify | Podcast and music app | Free tier; Premium (see Spotify's site) | On the free tier; sponsorships can remain on Premium | ASMR podcasts |
| Apple Podcasts | Podcast app | Free to follow shows; some offer paid subscriptions | Depends on the show; some subscriptions are ad-free | ASMR podcasts |
| Tingles ASMR: Relax & Sleep | Apple app | Free; in-app "Pro Access" $4.99 or $29.99 | None mentioned on the store page | ASMR videos, podcasts, sound mixes |
| Calm | Sleep and meditation app | Free download; in-app purchases $14.99 to $79.99 | Not stated | ASMR not mentioned; Sleep Stories, music, soundscapes |
| BetterSleep | Sleep app | $59.99/year after a 7-day free trial | Not stated | ASMR sounds in a mixer, whispered meditations |
| Tingly Room | Website (works on phone) | Free | None of its own; YouTube may show ads in its player | YouTube ASMR videos, filtered by trigger, voice, pace and length |
YouTube
YouTube is where ASMR creators publish their videos, so it's where you'll find the most variety: every trigger, every voice, lengths from a few minutes to all night.
On the free plan, you get ads before and during videos. YouTube Premium removes those, adds background play (audio keeps going with the screen off) and lets you download videos for offline listening (YouTube Help). Creators' own sponsorship segments can still appear. In April 2026, the US price of Premium Individual rose to $15.99 a month, Family to $26.99 and Premium Lite to $8.99 (TechCrunch, 2026).
Pros: the biggest selection; free; supports creators directly; works on almost any device.
Cons: ads on the free plan, which can be jarring in a quiet video; finding a specific style ("slow tapping, no talking, over an hour") means trying search terms and scrolling through results; autoplay can jump to something louder.
Spotify and Apple Podcasts
ASMR also comes as audio-only podcasts. That suits bedtime: no screen, no video, just sound.
On Spotify, podcasts can include Spotify ads on the free tier as well as creators' own sponsorships. Premium removes Spotify's ads on video podcasts, though creator sponsorships can remain, and on audio podcasts Premium listeners may still hear both. You may need Premium to download some shows. Some episodes also include video (Spotify Support). Spotify's own newsroom points to its Premium page for current US pricing (Spotify Newsroom), so check there.
On Apple Podcasts, following a show is separate from subscribing to it. Some creators offer paid subscriptions with perks like ad-free listening, bonus episodes and early access, billed through Apple (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Subscriptions can be monthly or annual depending on the creator (Apple Support).
Pros: audio-first, easy with the screen off; good for long, steady sounds; downloads for offline listening.
Cons: you lose visual triggers like hand movements and light; ads or sponsorships can break the mood; finding a specific trigger depends on how each show names its episodes.
The Tingles apps
"Tingles" was the name of a well-known ASMR app, and today there are two different things people may mean.
The original Tingles (Tingles, Inc.)
When TechCrunch covered it in 2018, Tingles was a free, ad-free iOS and Android app for ASMR videos from more than 200 approved artists, many of whom came from YouTube. It was founded by Gasper Kolenc and Miha Mlakar and backed by Y Combinator (TechCrunch, 2018). Y Combinator's company directory now lists Tingles as inactive (Y Combinator). We couldn't open a current store listing for that app, so if you find one, check its page for recent updates before you rely on it.
Tingles ASMR: Relax & Sleep
A separate app with a similar name is on the US App Store. Its listing names the seller as INITIATEHUB LIMITED. It's free, with two in-app "Pro Access" purchases at $4.99 and $29.99 (the listing doesn't say which is monthly or yearly). The store page describes ASMR videos from many artists that you can follow, ASMR podcasts, a library of looping ambient sounds like rain and white noise, custom mixes and playlists, and a Premium Sleep Mode that lowers the volume and dims the screen on a timer. The listing says the content stays free and that Premium adds features (App Store). Its privacy label lists no data linked to you and no data used to track you, as reported by the developer.
Pros: ASMR-focused; sleep features and sound mixing in one place.
Cons: we only found an Apple App Store listing (iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision); some sleep features need Pro.
Sleep apps with ASMR-style sounds
Sleep apps aren't ASMR apps, but some include ASMR-style audio alongside other sleep tools. They make sense if you want an all-in-one bedtime app and don't mind a subscription.
Calm
Calm's sleep page lists more than 300 Sleep Stories, sleep meditations, sleep music and soundscapes including nature scenes and white, green and brown noise, with free samples (Calm). Neither that page nor the App Store description mentions ASMR. The App Store listing shows Calm as a free download with Calm Premium in-app purchases ranging from $14.99 to $79.99, without saying which plan is which (App Store). Calm's help center sends you to its plans page for current pricing in your region (Calm Help Center).
Pros: lots of polished sleep content; good if stories and soundscapes are what you're after.
Cons: not built for ASMR; subscription for the full library.
BetterSleep
BetterSleep says its sound mixer has more than 500 sounds and melodies, including ASMR, nature sounds, white noise and binaural beats, plus over 100 narrated sleep stories and guided meditations (BetterSleep). It also has whispered, ASMR-style meditations such as a 12-minute session called "Whispered Stillness," and its site lists a subscription of $59.99 a year after a 7-day free trial (BetterSleep). The App Store listing is a free download with several BetterSleep Premium in-app purchases (App Store).
Pros: ASMR sounds you can layer with rain or white noise; sleep tracking and alarms in the same app.
Cons: ASMR is a small part of the app; subscription needed for full access; you don't get the variety of creators you'd find on YouTube.
A note on privacy labels
App Store privacy labels are written by the developers, and Apple notes it hasn't verified them. On their listings, Calm reports purchases, identifiers and usage data as "used to track you," and BetterSleep reports purchases, identifiers, usage data and other data in the same category. If tracking matters to you, read the label on each app's store page before installing.
Tingly Room: a free ASMR finder
Tingly Room is a free website, not an app-store app, and it works in your phone's browser. It lists public ASMR videos from YouTube creators and lets you narrow them down by trigger, mood, voice (whispering, soft-spoken, no talking), pace and length on the video finder. You can also get a personal swipe feed on Explore, browse every ASMR category, or open a creator's page from the creator directory.
Videos play in YouTube's official player, so views count for the creator. Tingly Room is free, shows no ads of its own and uses no third-party trackers.
Pros: fast way to find a specific style ("slow brushing, no talking, 1 to 3 hours"); free; no ads of its own; creators get the views.
Cons: it's a finder, not a host: videos come from YouTube, so YouTube's own ads may still play in the player, and there are no offline downloads. There's no sound mixer or sleep stories. It needs an internet connection.
If bedtime is your main use, start with the sleep ASMR category and pick a long, slow video.
How to choose
- You want the most choice and don't mind ads: YouTube, free.
- You watch a lot and hate ads: YouTube Premium, or a mix of Premium and a finder.
- You listen with the screen off: a podcast app, or YouTube Premium for background play.
- You want ASMR plus sleep stories, white noise and tracking: BetterSleep or Calm, if a subscription fits your budget.
- You know what you like and want to find it fast, free: Tingly Room.
If you're new to all this and not sure what you're looking for yet, start with what ASMR is and the main triggers, then try a few styles before paying for anything.
