# Brain.fm vs Readwise Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: Readwise Reader at every 9 days against Brain.fm's every 4 weeks. Brain.fm's advantage is ratings volume (5.6K vs 592) and chart position (#117 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brain.fm sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Readwise Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Brain.fm against 4.6 for Readwise Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brain.fm has 5.6K ratings behind it against 592, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Brain.fm's written reviews are positive against 72% of Readwise Reader's.

Brain.fm ships an update every 4 weeks, Readwise Reader every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brain.fm | Readwise Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainfm-focus-and-sleep-music/id1110684238/reviews) | **[4.6 (592 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-reader/id1567599761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 592 |
| Positive reviews | 66.5% of reviews | **72.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#117** | — |
| Size | 168 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Brain.fm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1110684237) | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) |

## What reviewers say

### Brain.fm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainfm-focus-and-sleep-music/id1110684238)

**Currently charting:** #117 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This app uses science-backed music to enhance focus, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety. It employs brainwave entrainment technology to help users achieve deep focus or fall asleep faster. Features include personalized music, adjustable stimulation levels, and ADHD-specific modes.

**Highlights:** Science-backed music for focus and sleep, Brainwave entrainment technology, ADHD mode with boost option, Personalized music for brain type, Adjustable stimulation levels, Offline music downloads, Pomodoro mode for productivity

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brain.fm Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| Brain.fm PRO | $6.99 | per month |
| Brain.fm PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| Brain.fm PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| Brain.fm PRO | $14.99 | per month |
| Brain.fm Pro | $15.99 | per 3 months |
| Brain.fm Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Brain.fm PRO | $49.99 | per year |
| Brain.fm PRO | $69.99 | per year |
| Brain.fm PRO | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with focus and productivity
- 🧘‍♀️ Effective for meditation and relaxation
- 💤 Improves sleep quality
- 🎶 High-quality audio and music
- 🤖 Scientifically-backed technology

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with connectivity issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤖 Lack of customization options
- 🔇 Offline mode limitations
- 📱 Subpar user interface and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Playback issues with interruptions and disconnections
- Inconsistent behavior across platforms
- Login and subscription management problems
- Offline downloads not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Customizable timer and session lengths
- Offline playback with full library access
- Apple Watch and macOS app support
- More diverse music and sound selection
- Better integration with health/fitness apps


### Readwise Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-reader/id1567599761)

Consolidate all your reading materials, from web articles and newsletters to PDFs and ebooks, into a single, streamlined platform. Enhance comprehension with powerful highlighting, text-to-speech narration, and AI-powered insights. Seamlessly integrate your annotations with popular writing tools.

**Highlights:** Consolidates web articles, newsletters, RSS, Twitter threads, PDFs, EPUBs, Powerful highlighting and annotation tools, Text-to-speech narration, AI-powered 'Ghostreader' for questions and simplification, Full-text search, Integration with Readwise for export to Obsidian, Notion, etc., Offline access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader Monthly Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Reader Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Reader Annual Plan | $95.90 | per year |
| Reader Yearly | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic reading experience
- 👍 Seamless integration with Readwise
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive UI
- 📚 All-in-one reading solution
- 🔍 Powerful search and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and performance issues
- 🔍 Cluttered interface for some users
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🖥️ Lack of iPad-specific features
- 📚 Missing basic reader features (e.g., bookmarks)

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Unreliable RSS feed updates
- Frequent crashes on iPad
- Issues with resuming reading position

**Requested features**

- Improved PDF and ebook support
- Customizable reading themes and layouts
- Better integration with note-taking apps
- Reading progress and statistics tracking
- Bulk management of saved items


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brain.fm free?

Brain.fm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Readwise Reader free?

Readwise Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Brain.fm or Readwise Reader?

Readwise Reader is rated higher. Brain.fm averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Readwise Reader averages 4.6 from 592 ratings.

### Do Brain.fm or Readwise Reader have ads?

Neither Brain.fm nor Readwise Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Brain.fm or Readwise Reader?

Brain.fm ships an update every 4 weeks, and Readwise Reader every 9 days. Most recently, Brain.fm was updated on November 7, 2026 and Readwise Reader on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*