Mindvalley vs Gaia: Which is Better for What?

Personal development courses are increasingly becoming important as people realize that the mind-body-spirit balance is crucial for success in every aspect of life. ‘Food for the soul’ is a concept that has been around for centuries, but never before have we had so many resources to aid self-development.

You have come to the right place if you are asking yourself ‘Which is better Mindvalley or Gaia?’. Today, we will discuss these two famous personal growth platforms that provide holistic wealth education and the unique benefits each offers.

We aren’t Ebenezer Scrooge; the ghosts of the past, present, and future aren’t going to visit us anytime soon.

Therefore, our transformational learning rests in the hands of these platforms. But, which one is the right choice? Is there a right choice? You will know the answer once you finish reading this comparison we painstakingly laid out for you.

Quick Overview: Mindvalley Vs Gaia

Criteria	Mindvalley	Gaia
Course Quality	4.3/5	4.2/5
Instructors	4.5/5	4.3/5
Support	3/5	4/5
Value for Money	3.8/5	4/5
Ease of Use	4/5	4/5
Overall Rating	3.9/5	4.1/5
	Try Mindvalley ↗️	Try Gaia ↗️

Comparing Mindvalley Vs Gaia

Since Gaia is Mindvalley’s top competitor, it’s no wonder people are curious about the Gaia vs Mindvalley debate. As Spock said, it is the lot of man to strive no matter how content he is. Therefore, knowing that both sites provide fantastic personal empowerment tools isn’t enough. 

We need to know which is better. So, let’s find which platform is best suited for aiding our emotional intelligence development. After all, are we not entitled to the best in everything? Yes, we are; don’t listen to anyone who says differently.

Variety of Courses

Gaia courses are, in reality, yoga classes, guided meditations, series, and documentaries & films. Gaia covers several relevant topics such as expanded consciousness, energy healing, meditation, spiritual growth, bio-hacking, alternate realities (who else remembers Star Trek’s Mirror, Mirror?), etc.

On the other hand, Mindvalley courses are in the form of multiple 20-minute video lectures. It has over 100 courses dealing with meditation, relationships, yoga, connection to the inner self, unlocking the power of the subconscious, etc.

Both platforms focus on mind, body, and soul.

Obviously, the courses on both sites can effectively capture your attention; however, Gaia offers a comparatively wider variety of topics and learning resources. I like exploring its library and stumbling onto documentaries I never knew I needed.

Free Resources

Gaia online courses are not available for free, but the Gaia free trial grants access to all the features for a week. You can explore all the documentaries, series, and Gaia yoga courses to your heart’s content. The site also sends free videos, articles, and exclusive offers if you sign up for its mailing list.

You can also read the articles for free on the site itself. Some articles bemused me, while others got me thinking. I am sure you, too, will find them interesting.

Mindvalley has several free masterclasses that help you build a solid foundation on various topics.

If you are wondering ‘What is Mindvalley masterclass?’, it’s simply a 60-90 minute video packed with information. However, you have to reserve a spot to attend the masterclasses. So, check their availabilities often.

Content Quality

Mindvalley offers more structured courses than Gaia. This is an unsurprising development because Gaia operates differently from its competitors. Gaia documentaries are so cool and the site’s talks (Missing Links), interviews (Beyond Belief), and docuseries (Psychedelica) are even more awesome.  

While a series or docuseries has episodes in chronological order, documentaries and feature films have no discernable order. However, the exploratory element makes the site all the more appealing. 

Mindvalley is a suitable option if you prefer courses with a set timeline and dedicated instructors. The content quality on both websites is fantastic, but I am skeptical about certain content. 

Can one manifest one’s dreams? Will emotional well-being ensure physical well-being? Maybe it’s possible to a certain extent (I am in disbelief that I conceded even this), but I don’t believe in it.

Course Instructors

Mindvalley has visionary instructors such as Lisa Nichols, Rachel Pringle, Marissa Peer, and Jon & Missy Butcher. All Mindvalley instructors have an in-depth understanding of the knowledge required for their respective fields.

Gaia has an interesting mix of ‘instructors’. The yoga and meditation classes and lessons have expert instructors. I like Lauren Lewis’s meditation videos. However, the other topics covered on this site don’t have instructors per se. 

Bradley Nelson, Freddy Silva, Teresa Bullard, and David Wolfe are some prominent figures featured in Gaia’s series, interviews, talks, and docuseries. We can still impress others with our newfound knowledge after we hear them out even though they aren’t instructors in the traditional sense.

Learning Methods

Mindvalley quests (fun micro lessons) and Mindvalley meditation techniques are fun ways to master your body and soul. Using Gaia is entertaining because you can watch interviews if you get bored with documentaries. If that, too, bores you, you can watch talks or read articles. 

The meditation videos and yoga classes are easy to find and even easier to follow along to. Some of the yoga poses nearly made me tuck my tail and run but the instructors’ calm demeanor and soothing voices let me delude myself into thinking I can do it. Needless to say, I failed miserably, but only because I am as flexible as a wooden board. 

Unfortunately, Gaia doesn’t offer live instructor-led courses. Since personal growth starts with our mentality, self-paced learning may prove advantageous. Access to live coaching on Mindvalley is available if you subscribe to the Pro subscription plan.

Practical Focus

Both platforms teach you the essential techniques and equip you with the tools required for a successful personal transformation journey. However, they expect you to take initiative and practice rather than ask you to perform a series of tasks to get a certification. 

After all, self-improvement programs cannot be expected to track your personal growth. Only you will know whether the programs are effective and if not, what’s wrong and why they aren’t effective. Remember, the definition of self-improvement varies from person to person. 

One may define it as improving life’s quality, whereas another may consider it as developing a positive mindset. Yet others see it as a continuous journey in search of something ‘more’. So, think about what it means for you and how well these websites can help you achieve that goal.

Certification Programs

Mindvalley offers five certification programs: Business coaching, hypnotherapy, life coaching, Holobody coaching, and Nutrition coaching.

Gaia offers only two certification courses through Gaia Marketplace (a space for Gaia members to be a community with access to hand-curated content). One is the Food Matters Institute Nutrition Certification Program and the other is the iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation course.

Are the certifications of either platform worth it? Beyond recognition as a professional, I don’t believe they contribute much. Of course, some may disagree. In which case, my only response: let’s agree to disagree.  

Customer Support

The Gaia customer service experience is good but can be improved. On the other hand, its competitor seems to be losing its grip in this area. People have been disgruntled with the Mindvalley customer service lately and are making it blatantly obvious with their reviews.

Pricing and Value for Money

People have been vocal about the almost unfair expensiveness of Mindvalley membership. So, how much is a Gaia subscription? Does it cost more? Is the Gaia Plus subscription worth it? We will cover these points one by one.

The Gaia monthly subscription costs $13.99 and the yearly subscription costs $119. These subscription plans are less expensive than Mindvalley’s. You can watch Gaia content on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Xfinity without subscribing to Gaia’s plans. However, you won’t get the benefits a member would get through a direct subscription.

Gaia Plus costs $299/year and this plan grants access to live events (past and present), workshops, and guided programs.

So, how much is Mindvalley membership? It costs $49/month and $399/year. However, you can purchase it for half the price during flash sales. The Mindvalley Membership Pro costs only $199/year.

It is always good to know how to cancel subscriptions because god knows we have enough on our minds without worrying about auto-renewals. So, how to cancel Gaia subscription? You merely have to go to account settings on the website and select the Cancel Membership option.

If you are wondering how to cancel Mindvalley membership, go to the billing section in your account settings and select Cancel Membership. That’s it. Now, you can go about your day without worrying about nasty auto-renewals and their depleting effect on your wallet. But hopefully, you will enjoy the contents of both sites and won’t regret subscribing.

Community

The Mindvalley community is awesome and supportive. However, you must subscribe to Mindvalley Pro membership to join exclusive peer networks. You can interact with other members on Gaia using the comments section for each video. You can create your own thread or participate in an existing thread.

User Interface

Mindvalley’s UI is easy to use. The clean interface ensures you find what you are looking for quite easily. Gaia’s user interface is good. The design is awesome and the search filters for yoga and meditation classes are straightforward. However, the lag time detracts from the awe inspired by the site’s design. So, Mindvalley wins this round.

Learner Reviews: What Other Users Say

Mindvalley users can’t stop gushing about the effectiveness of its yoga and meditation programs, whereas Gaia members love its spiritual development resources. The courses (or in Gaia’s case, the content) on both sites covering other topics are great, too.

Both Mindvalley and Gaia are marked as “Great” learning platform by the users with a rating of 4.2/5 on Trustpilot.

However, some people feel the pricing models of either website are not affordable.

Who Should Use Mindvalley?

Mindvalley is the right choice for holistic health education and learning lucid dreaming techniques, mindfulness training, and mindset transformation techniques. The other pros of using Mindvalley are:

• Mindvalley events such as Mindvalley University (a live event with workshops, seminars, and talks), Future Human (an upcoming festival), etc.
• Mindvalley manifestation practices.
• Psychic development classes. 

The cons of choosing this platform are:

• Much too expensive subscription plans.
• The techniques and practices taught may not work for everybody.

Who Should Use Gaia?

You will love Gaia if spirituality, portals, consciousness expansion, and energy healing courses fascinate you. The other reasons to choose Gaia are:

• Awesome quantum physics and spirituality content.
• Intriguing astral projection tutorials.
• Thought-provoking metaphysical studies.
• Access to esoteric wisdom teachings.

The cons are:

• No structured courses.
• Lag time.
• Some videos put forward far-fetched theories.

Want to try Alternatives?

1. MasterClass

Who doesn’t love being taught by celebrities? On MasterClass, bigger-than-life personas and industry experts teach the various health and wellness classes. The lessons are short and informative. You will have fun while gaining valuable insights, too.

2. Coursera

Is there anyone out there who hasn’t used Coursera? It is so popular (with good reason) that using it has almost become a rite of passage. The high-quality content of Coursera’s courses on Lifestyle and health makes it one of the best alternatives to Mindvalley and Gaia.

3. Udemy

The King of Course collection – our beloved Udemy – is a significant player among online learning platforms. If you are thinking ‘Duh, it has the most courses on any given topic’, you are right. 

However, it’s also affordable and has several courses taught by experts. Just keep in mind that the course quality varies on this platform. For every diamond you find, there are bound to be some nickels on this website.

Final Verdict: Mindvalley Vs Gaia

To conclude the Gaia vs Mindvalley review, both websites are great choices. However, the subtle differences between them make each site preferable to different groups. In short, pick Mindvalley if you want structured personal development courses. Choose Gaia if you want courses on more niche topics.