Is the Headway App Worth It? (and Discount Code)
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Here’s my full and honest review of micro-learning app Headway.
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Is the Headway App Worth It?
With more than 100 million users around the world, Headway has quickly grown to be one of the most popular micro-learning platforms on the market.
What is micro-learning I hear you say?
Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like - the idea is that users can consume content in short bursts, in a way that’s easily understandable and accessible. On the Headway app, this gives you access to more than 1,800 summaries of non-fiction books, in an easy to digest format.
With a number of similar products on the market, it’s understandable that you might wonder whether the Headway app is worth it, and how it compares to other micro learning platforms. In this post I explain what the Headway app is, how compares to its main competitor, Blinkist, and whether it’s worth spending money on.
What Is the Headway App?
Headway is a mobile app that makes it easy for you to learn new things in short, bitesized chunks. This includes 15 minute summaries of a variety of non-fiction books, spanning topics like productivity, business, communication, relationships, psychology and more.
Personally I love learning new things, but as someone with an ever expanding TBR list, there’s no way I will get the time to read about everything that I’m interested in.
This is where the Headway app comes in. Available in a variety of languages including English, French and Spanish, this app helps you to learn new things in a way that is quick, easily digestible and fun.
The Headway app also offers a range of other types of content, from TikTok like shorts, ambient audio for winding down before bed and longer audiocasts that deep dive into specific subjects. Their gamified workflow sets them apart from other apps, as well as their spaced repetition feature that helps users to effectively memorise facts.
What Is The Headway App Used For?
Learning key ideas from bestselling books quickly
Let’s face it, we’ll never have time to read all of the non-fiction books that pique our interest. On the Headway app they distill bestselling books into 15 minute highlights, delivering the key ideas without needing to read the entire book.
This is great when you really want to improve your knowledge on a particular subject, but don’t want to read hundreds of pages.
They even have a number of 15 minute summaries of classic fiction titles such as Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Emma by Jane Austen, making it the perfect tool for English Literature students.
Building daily reading or learning habits
I read a lot, but I definitely don’t pick up a non-fiction book every single day - and I probably never will! The Headway app makes it possible for me to learn new things on a daily basis, without making a huge time commitment.
I really like that I can easily switch between topics depending on what I’m in the mood for. Although the app’s algorithm will curate content for you, you can also browse the content library if you fancy learning about something different.
Reinforcing concepts through repetition
The app uses repetition as a way to help you remember the key facts and insights from your learning. You can easily turn parts of summaries into flashcards for you to revisit, which then uses a spaced recognition pattern to help you memorise the information.
This is especially useful if you’re a student, or if you want to be able to easily memorise information you can then integrate into your daily life.
Supplementary podcast Library
If you’re a regular podcast or audiobook listener, then you’ll love this aspect of the app. All subscribers have access to a library of ‘audiocasts’ which you can listen to as a way of furthering your learning.
Replace Doomscrolling With Shorts
This is one of my favourite features. Instead of scrolling on TikTok, open up the shorts section on the Headway app and spend some time swiping through their videos instead. All of them are educational but tailored to your interests and designed to be fun.
I really like that I can still get my scrolling fix, but actually do something productive at the same time.
How Does The Headway App Work?
Getting started with Headway is easy. Pick up your phone and download the app from the App Store or Google Play. If you don’t want to subscribe right away then you can always create a free account to start off, which gives you access to one free summary each day.
Once you’ve made your account, the Headway app will ask you to select your interests and goals. You can choose up to three at a time, and this will inform the app’s algorithm of the content you want to see.
If it’s not quite right, then you can change this at any time.
Once your account is set up, you’ll start receiving personalised book summaries on the app. You can either read or listen to these whenever you like. Crucially, these summaries are also available to download so you can easily read/listen to them while on the go, without the need for an internet connection.
There’s loads of content to choose from, and I really like the wide variety of topics that Headway has available. You can swap between different growth plans and browse through book summaries on a number of topics. Podcast length ‘audiocasts’ are also available if you want a longer listen for a long car journey or a run.
As time goes on you can track your progress with streaks, challenges and trophies, gamifying learning in a way that makes it fun.
How Does Headway Compare to Blinkist?
Another popular book summary app, Blinkist is known for having a larger library of titles than Headway.
Photo by Simeon Jacobson on Unsplash
Currently, Blinkist has more than 8,000 titles, with more than 5,000 in English, 2,000 in German, 500 in Spanish, and 100 in Portuguese. They’re always refreshing their library, adding 25 new ‘blinks’ (that’s book summaries) each week. Headway is more streamlined, with around 1,500 book summaries on their app at the moment.
The topics covered by the two platforms also differ. Headway is mostly self improvement focused, while Blinkist covers more subjects such as physics, philosophy, history and economics.
Although Blinkist has a much larger library, Headway has the edge when it comes to the gamification of their content. On the Headway app you’ll find more interactive features including personalised goals tracking and flashcards.
It’s difficult to say which app is better, as it really depends on your personal preference. If you want a larger library with a bigger variety of content, then Blinkist might be for you. If you want a more personalised, gamified experience that focuses on self development, then you’ll love Headway.
How Much Is the Headway App Subscription?
The Headway app is free to download, and you can give it a try before deciding whether to take out a paid subscription. Personally, I would recommend upgrading to a paid subscription as that adds a whole extra layer of personalisation and access to much more content.
The price of a subscription sometimes changes depending on where you live and whether they’re running a promotion, but is usually around $12.99 if you choose the monthly plan. This can be reduced if you subscribe on a quarterly or annual basis, or if someone gives you a discount.
Speaking of discounts… want to give Headway a go for yourself? Use this link, complete the quiz and receive a 60% discount on a paid subscription!
Is The Headway App Worth It?
In my opinion, yes the Headway app is absolutely worth it.
As someone who spends a lot of time scrolling on my phone, I really like that I can replace my mindless doomscrolling with bite sized learning that actually feels fun. Regular readers will know that I really enjoy reading and like to learn about new things - especially when it comes to psychology and self improvement.
And while I do like getting stuck into a good non-fiction book, there are lots of topics that I’d like to learn about but wouldn’t necessarily want to spend several hours reading about. For me, this is where the headway app comes in.
So who isn’t it for?
If you’re not keen on spending time on your phone, then the Headway app won’t be for you. Similarly, you do need to be interested in micro learning and willing to commit to using the app regularly in order to get the most out of it. At the end of the day, learning new things does take a bit of time and commitment, even if it’s presented to you in the best way possible!
Overall, I really enjoy using the Headway app. Learning in bitesized chunks works well, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow my micro learning habit.
Want to give it a go for yourself? Use this link, complete the quiz and receive a 60% discount on a paid subscription!