Comparison

RNotes vs NurseBrain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RNotes

This medical reference app provides essential nursing information for students and professionals. It offers quick access to clinical content, NCLEX tips, and safety alerts, with updated guidelines and laboratory values. An in-app purchase unlocks all features and ongoing updates.

Highlights
  • Nursing Alerts for critical safety information
  • HIPAA- and OSHA-compliant notes
  • Quick-access tabs for fast navigation
  • Highlighted critical laboratory values
  • Interventions and patient education
  • ACLS resuscitation procedures
Features
Read full description

"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. A Davis’s Notes title! Your one-stop source for class, clinical, and practice! Access the clinically oriented content you need to deliver safe and effective health care in hospital and home settings for all of your patients. Handy mobile app is great for students and educators on the go, while NCLEX® tips, highlighted throughout, make it perfect for those preparing for the licensure exam. KEY FEATURES - ‘Nursing Alerts’ that highlight critical safety information. - HIPAA- and OSHA-compliant write-on/wipe-off pages - Quick-access tabs - Critical level laboratory values highlighted in bold, red type to correlate to potential diseases and disorders described in other sections. - Interventions and patient education information for the most common conditions - Coverage of life span considerations as well as complications and emergencies associated with pregnancy and delivery - Tools for a thorough general assessment of the adult patient - ACLS resuscitation procedures as well as pediatric and neonatal advanced life support information - The basics of 12-lead interpretation tailored to nurses with little or no 12-lead experience - An emphasis on symptom and patient presentation rather than medical diagnosis NEW TO THIS EDITION - Updated & Revised! Thoroughly updated, reviewed, and revised throughout to reflect the art and science of nursing practice today. - New! All laboratory values sourced from Van Leeuwen: Davis's Comprehensive Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests With Nursing Implications. New! 2020 AHA Guidelines - Updated! ACLS content and reorganized to appear at the beginning of the Emergency section Content licensed from printed editionISBN 10: 1719646252 Content licensed from printed edition ISBN 13: 9781719646253 SUBSCRIPTION : Please purchase a yearly auto-renewing subscription to receive content access and available updates. Yearly auto-renewing payments- $29.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable." If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Author(s): Ehren Myers Publisher: F. A. Davis Company

About

NurseBrain

This app digitizes nursing report sheets, allowing nurses to manage their entire shift from a single, connected platform. It helps organize patient information, tasks, and notes, facilitating confident handoffs and efficient documentation.

Highlights
  • Customizable digital brain sheets
  • Real-time shift tracking
  • Organized patient handoff views
  • Voice and quick entry documentation
  • Generate progress notes and care plans
  • Cross-device compatibility (phone, watch)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Replace your report sheet. Run your entire shift. Nurses already rely on brain sheets to stay organized. NurseBrain Synapse takes that same workflow and turns it into something you can actually use throughout your shift. Instead of juggling paper, memory, and the EHR, everything stays connected in one place. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NURSEBRAIN SYNAPSE Brain sheets that match how you think Create customizable brain sheets that reflect your unit and your workflow. Use them digitally during your shift or export clean PDFs when you want paper. Stay on top of your shift in real time Keep track of everything without relying on memory: Patients, Tasks, Notes, Handoffs. See what needs attention now, what's done, and what's coming up next. Give report with confidence Each patient has a clear, organized view with SBAR, notes, and updates. Everything is already structured so you're not scrambling during handoff. Capture information as you go Use voice or quick entry to document updates during your shift. No need to remember everything later. Turn your shift into usable notes The information you already captured can be turned into progress notes and care plans you can reuse in the EHR. Works the way nurses actually work You're constantly switching between patients, report sheets, and the EHR. NurseBrain Synapse is designed to fit into that reality — use it at the workstation, on your phone during rounds, or on your watch for quick updates. Built for real nursing shifts Bedside nurses, Travel nurses, Charge and resource nurses, Nursing students. Secure and nurse-built NurseBrain Synapse is HIPAA-compliant and designed with patient privacy in mind. Built by nurses, based on real workflows — not theory. Free to start NurseBrain Synapse is free to use, with optional paid features available. Replace your report sheet and bring structure, clarity, and confidence back to your shift.

Screenshots

RNotes4 screens
NurseBrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RNotes at 5.0 against NurseBrain's 4.3. RNotes also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). NurseBrain's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RNotes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year and NurseBrain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 31 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RNotes ships an update every 5 months, NurseBrain every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
RNotes versus NurseBrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRNotesNurseBrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (26 ratings) — better4.3 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews—87.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2631 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#195 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB128 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperSkyscape Medpresso IncNursebrain LLC

Customer experience

RNotes

All ratings26 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NurseBrain

All ratings31 ratings
Positive80.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative16.1%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive87.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative10.9%

Bugs and requests

RNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

NurseBrain

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App won't let users sign up and make an account
  • Cannot log in after signing up
  • App glitches and won't load
  • Cannot edit active patient list
  • Patient list duplicates entries
Show 2 more
  • Desktop version not functioning
  • Nursing AI feature returns errors

Requested features

4 requests
  • Include more specialties, specifically for outpatients
  • Add a 'Return' button for new lines in text fields
  • Ability to time medications
  • 24-hour clock option

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RNotes

Subscriptions1
  • RNotes 1/Y Sub$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • RNotes®: Nurse's Clinical Pock$29.99
  • RNotes Ed.6$29.99
3 purchases

NurseBrain

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Premium Access7 Days trial$29.991 Month
  • Quarterly Student Access$29.993 Months
  • Yearly Premium Access7 Days trial$149.991 Year

Questions

Is RNotes free?
RNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NurseBrain free?
NurseBrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RNotes or NurseBrain?
RNotes is rated higher. RNotes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while NurseBrain averages 4.3 from 31 ratings.
Do RNotes or NurseBrain have ads?
RNotes shows ads; NurseBrain does not.
Which is updated more often, RNotes or NurseBrain?
RNotes ships an update every 5 months, and NurseBrain every 5 days. Most recently, RNotes was updated on September 2, 2026 and NurseBrain on September 14, 2026.

Other comparisons