World-class content and a strong habit loop, plus — post-Ginger — access to coaching and therapy. People genuinely enjoy using it.
Headspace builds a daily habit. October builds a healthier organisation.
Headspace has world-class content and, since the Ginger merger, some coaching and therapy on top. October Health is the layer above it — clinically effective care the whole workforce uses, prioritised intelligence that tells leaders what to act on next, and embedded experts who execute the change. A habit product keeps people coming back. October makes the organisation measurably better — burnout, retention, eNPS, performance.
Whole-organisation systemCare · intelligence · executionHeadspace
Wellbeing appsIndependent comparisonIt's a content-first habit product at heart; clinical depth varies, and there's limited prioritised org insight or embedded change execution. It engages individuals more than it moves the organisation.
Software plus embedded experts across the entire organisation — 65% utilisation, prioritised insight on what to act on, and people who execute the change. Clinically effective care and org-change in one measurable system.
What your people
actually get.
Content and care are part of the decision. October also gives HR a weekly workforce pulse, company-specific sessions and 360 development pathways, with monthly support to act on the findings.
Offered See detailsAvailability and session allowances depend on your package and location, for both providers.
Swipe across the table to compare both providers.
| Feature or service | OctoberWhat you get — and why it matters | Headspace |
|---|---|---|
| For employeesEveryday tools, personal insight and access to support. | ||
| On-demand content | Build skills people use at workShort courses on focus, leadership and resilience, plus articles, audiobooks and session recordings. Why it mattersGive employees practical steps they can apply the same day. | Meditation, sleep and self-guided activities |
| Wellbeing assessments | A personal picture that keeps updatingQuarterly ThriveMeter, clinical screening and monthly personal wellbeing insights. Why it mattersEmployees can follow their progress; HR sees aggregate trends without individual answers. | Clinical assessments and tailored care plans |
| Live group sessions | 20+ hours of live sessions every dayExpert-led, anonymous audio sessions, with recordings and podcasts to revisit. Why it mattersPeople on different shifts can join, listen or ask a question without going on camera. | Live workshops; confirm programme scope |
| One-to-one counselling | Keep your EAP. Make it easier to reach.Connect your existing EAP inside October, or use October’s virtual or in-person EAP services. Why it mattersGive employees one entry point for everyday support and professional care. | Therapy and psychiatry with clinical offering |
| Coaching and personal support | Support between appointmentsAsh AI coaching with goal check-ins, practical courses and private Clara AI voice support. Why it mattersEmployees can work on goals in the moment; clinical needs route to human care. Clara allowances vary by plan. | Mental health coaching with care offering |
| For HR teamsTools to understand needs, support managers and engage people. | ||
| Manager development | Turn 360 feedback into a development pathwayLeadership 360 assessments, personalised pathways, coaching content and reassessment. Why it mattersGive each leader a clear next step and a way to measure their development. | Manager training and workplace toolkits |
| Workforce surveys and pulse | A weekly pulse. A quarterly baseline.Weekly check-ins, quarterly ThriveMeter and company surveys in the employee app. Why it mattersTrack how teams are doing between formal reviews and follow up after interventions. | Confirm custom workforce survey options |
| HR dashboard and insights | See where to focus and what to doTeam, tenure and location trends, industry benchmarks and AI-drafted action plans. Why it mattersHR gets proposed interventions and owners, reviewed monthly with a customer success manager. | Aggregate engagement reporting |
| Employee engagement support | A company hub with a monthly programmeCompany-branded hub, private expert sessions, challenges and a monthly planning cadence. Why it mattersHR has a place to reach employees and support to keep the programme active. | Communication playbooks and workshops |
| For the businessEvidence to guide investment and support to act on it. | ||
| Measurement and action plans | Connect each action to a follow-up measureAction plans with named owners, baseline measures and follow-up, reviewed monthly. Why it mattersLeaders can see what was done and whether wellbeing measures moved afterwards. | Engagement and clinical outcome measures |
| Hands-on organisational support | Experts who help carry out the planOctober Advisory can scope and deliver the interventions identified through workforce insights. Why it mattersAdd implementation capacity when your HR team needs help delivering change. Separately scoped. | Confirm scope of organisational consulting |
Based on public provider descriptions reviewed 9 September 2026. “Confirm” means the scope is not established by the linked sources.
Teams that want a polished, well-loved mindfulness habit with optional coaching, sitting on top of a clinical solution that delivers the care and change.
Leaders who want clinically effective care AND org-wide change in one system — high utilisation, prioritised insight, and experts who drive measurable outcomes across every team.
See October in contextQuestions,
answered.
Is October Health an alternative to Headspace?
Yes. Headspace is a content-first habit app with coaching and therapy added since the Ginger merger. October delivers clinically effective care, org-wide intelligence and embedded experts who drive measurable change across the whole workforce — depth and outcomes, not just a daily habit.
How does utilisation compare?
Headspace drives strong habit engagement, but clinical reach is lighter and content engagement doesn't always translate to care. October sees around 65% utilisation — roughly 10× a traditional EAP — across everyday use and clinically effective engagements alike.
Headspace added coaching and therapy — how is October different?
Headspace bolted clinical services onto a content product; depth and consistency vary. October is built clinical-first: effective sessions, coaching and an AI companion, plus prioritised insight and embedded experts who execute org-wide change.
Can we run Headspace and October together?
Some organisations do. Headspace can remain a content and habit perk while October provides the clinical care, prioritised insight and embedded execution that actually move burnout, retention and eNPS.
What about measurable outcomes?
Headspace reports content and habit engagement. October reports measurable change in burnout, retention, eNPS and performance, with a costed ROI up front — so leaders see the return, not just minutes meditated.
Start with your organisation
Compare October with Headspace.
Tell us what your team needs. We’ll walk you through the relevant features, support options and how to get started.