Brain.fm alternative: Neurowave, compared honestly
We build Neurowave, so we're biased — and you should read this knowing that. Below is the straight version: what's genuinely different, what's the same science, and the cases where Brain.fm is still the better buy.
Last verified against brain.fm's published pricing: July 2026
The short version
Same science, different philosophy, a lower annual price. Both apps use amplitude-modulated audio to nudge your brainwaves toward a focused state. Brain.fm is the veteran with the bigger catalog and apps on every platform. Neurowave is iPhone-first and treats intensity as the product: the live pulse is adjustable from 1–5 with CortexDrive™, and you dial the neural drive up or down like an instrument — at $39.99/year instead of $99.99.
Neurowave is available on iPhone, and its free Chrome extension blocks chosen computer websites during your focus session. A native Mac app is coming soon. If you need an Android or web audio player, Brain.fm remains an option.
Feature by feature
| Neurowave | Brain.fm | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $39.99/yr (~$3.33/mo) | $99.99/yr¹ |
| Monthly price | $8.99/mo | $14.99/mo¹ |
| Free trial | 14 days, full library | Free trial offered¹ |
| Core science | Amplitude-modulation entrainment | Amplitude-modulation entrainment |
| Intensity control | CortexDrive™ 1–5 dial, set per session | Preset effect levels |
| ADHD-oriented mode | Hyperfocus picks (Level 4–5 only), 18 Hz Deep Work | Strong-effect settings |
| Nature soundscapes | 4 real field recordings, seamless loops | Nature and ambient tracks |
| Honest progress tracking | Focus Receipts — session summaries with an honesty gate | Streaks and stats |
| Apple Watch biometrics | Yes | Not advertised |
| Platforms | iPhone, Apple Watch; free Chrome extension; native Mac coming soon. One subscription covers iPhone, Mac and Vision Pro. | Web, iOS, Android, desktop² |
| Family Sharing | Apple Family Sharing included | Team/student discounts² |
| Attention line | Depth: held time and phone motion, with a Session Signature | See vendor’s current feature list |
| Original edition | Signature Volume I: six 45-minute arrangements; a separate live pulse | See vendor’s current feature list |
| Session Shield | Chosen iPhone apps + chosen Chrome websites during your iPhone focus session | See vendor’s current feature list |
| Session history | Redesigned Vault: hours held, receipts, best streak and since date | See vendor’s current feature list |
¹ As listed on brain.fm/pricing, July 2026. ² As listed on brain.fm, July 2026. Brain.fm is a trademark of its owner; Neurowave is not affiliated with or endorsed by Brain.fm. If any figure here is out of date, email support@getneurowave.app and we'll correct it.
Where each one wins
Choose Brain.fm if…
- You need an Android or web audio player. Neurowave’s native Mac app is coming soon.
- You want the largest catalog from the longest-running player in the space.
- You value their published research program.
Choose Neurowave if…
- You work on an iPhone and want the effect strength as a control, not a preset.
- You have ADHD-type focus patterns and want only the strongest tracks surfaced.
- You'd rather pay $39.99/year than $99.99 for the same underlying science.
- You want progress tracking that never flatters you — Focus Receipts only count real sessions.
The longer story
Focus music built on amplitude modulation isn't magic — it's a well-documented line of neuroscience research on auditory entrainment, and both apps stand on it. The difference is what the product does with it.
Brain.fm treats the modulation as an ingredient you mostly leave alone. Neurowave treats it as the instrument: every track in the library carries a CortexDrive™ pulse strength from 1 (barely-there ambient texture) to 5 (the strongest pulse), and the level dial in the player lets you decide how hard the session pushes. Sleep sessions lock to gentle levels automatically; speaker playback caps the drive because entrainment needs headphones to work fully. Small decisions like that are the product.
One more honest note: Neurowave is newer. You're trading catalog depth for control, price, and an iPhone-native experience — including Apple Watch biometrics during sessions. The 14-day trial is the whole app, so you can make that trade with real information.
Try the whole thing, free for 14 days
Every mode, every CortexDrive™ level, no stripped-down trial. Cancel in one tap in your App Store settings.
Download Neurowave on the App Store $39.99/year after trial · Family Sharing includedQuestions, answered plainly
- Is Neurowave a good alternative to Brain.fm?
- If you're on iPhone: yes, that's the exact use case we built for — same entrainment science, an adjustable 1–5 intensity dial, and $60 less per year. If you need Android or web audio, Neurowave does not currently offer those players. The native Mac app is coming soon; its Chrome extension provides website blocking.
- Does Neurowave use the same science as Brain.fm?
- Both are built on auditory brainwave entrainment via amplitude-modulated audio. Neurowave engineers a three-layer audio architecture and exposes the modulation strength as the CortexDrive™ 1–5 control.
- How much cheaper is Neurowave?
- $39.99/year vs Brain.fm's listed $99.99/year (July 2026) — about 60% less. Monthly, it's $8.99 vs $14.99.
- Does it work for ADHD?
- Neurowave was designed with ADHD brains in mind — Hyperfocus picks surface only Level 4–5 tracks, and Deep Work mode runs 18 Hz beta sessions. No focus-music app is a medical treatment; individual response varies, and the 14-day trial is the honest way to find out if it works for you.
- Can I switch without losing anything?
- There's nothing to import — just headphones and 25 minutes. Start a Focus session at CortexDrive™ Level 3 or 4; most people feel the pull within the first ten minutes.