Is Headway free? One summary a day, then Premium

By the edgi team Facts checked September 30, 2026

Headway, the book summary app, is free for one summary a day: as of September 30, 2026, its Free Daily Read plan gives you one pre-selected book to read or listen to each day, and the rest of the library needs Premium, which starts at $19.99 for the first 4 weeks and then renews at $39.98. If you want a free app to learn something new every day, edgi is free: a Lesson takes 60 seconds, you collect a card for every idea, and the cards build a Map of what you know.

We make edgi, and we built it to be the most fun few minutes of your day.

Headway's terms are from its own FAQ and price page and its US App Store listing, checked September 30, 2026.

What Headway's free plan gets you

Headway's FAQ calls it the Free Daily Read: "one pre-selected book daily," text and audio, with no card details needed. You don't choose the book. Premium opens the full library, plus offline downloads and personalized growth plans, according to the FAQ.

Premium is priced by the week on Headway's site. The 4-week plan is $19.99, then $39.98 every 4 weeks; the 12-week plan is $39.99, then $79.98; the 24-week plan is $59.99, then $119.98. The FAQ adds that price "can differ by region, currency," platform and promotion. In the iPhone app, the App Store lists Premium purchases from $12.99 to $89.99. There's a 7-day free trial with the yearly plan, once per app store account, and it turns into a paid plan unless you cancel.

edgi: free, every day, on anything

On edgi, nobody pre-selects your day. You open a Lesson on whatever you're wondering about, and 60 seconds later you understand it well enough to use it. The idea becomes a card, the card lights up your Map, and the Map shows what sits next to it, across more than 104,000 ideas. 44,000 of them have a Lesson.

Headway sells challenges on Success, Self-Confidence and Emotional Intelligence. Here's edgi on willpower, in a Lesson you can play right here:

Self-Control Self-control is the ability to regulate your thoughts, emotions, and behavior when facing immediate temptations and impulses.

60-second Lesson

Self-Control

Self-control works less like a muscle and more like a setup: the kids who waited longest looked away.

Play it here Read about self-control

On the Map, self-control leads to the marshmallow test and to delayed gratification. Each card turns foil, then gold, as you learn more around it, and a streak counts your days.

For the full comparison, see edgi vs Headway; for reviews and how to cancel, see our Headway review.

Pick something else only if…

• You want the main argument of a nonfiction bestseller in 15 minutes: Headway.
• You want to listen to book summaries on a commute: Headway's summaries come as audio too.
• You need an Android app. edgi's Lessons play in a browser at edgi.tv/learn.

FAQ

Is Headway free? Partly. The free plan is one pre-selected summary a day, as of September 2026. The rest of the library needs a Premium subscription.

How much does Headway Premium cost? On Headway's site, $19.99 for the first 4 weeks, then $39.98 every 4 weeks, with 12- and 24-week plans at $39.99 and $59.99 that also double on renewal. The App Store lists Premium purchases from $12.99 to $89.99.

Does Headway have a free trial? Yes, 7 days with the yearly plan, once per app store account. If you don't cancel before it ends, it becomes a paid subscription.

Is edgi free? Yes. Lessons, cards and the Map are free, and Sets unlock with coins you earn by learning, not money. An optional Pro subscription adds extras like offline access.