Comparison

RNotes vs NurseBrain® Synapse

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® Synapse

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
Read full description

Less rewriting. More time for your patients. Nurses already rely on a report sheet or brain sheet to stay organized. NurseBrain® Synapse takes that same workflow and turns it into something you can use throughout your shift, so the information you capture once keeps working for you at report, at the bedside, and at handoff. Instead of juggling paper, memory, and the EHR, everything stays connected in one place. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NURSEBRAIN SYNAPSE Your brain sheet. Your workflow. Build a brain sheet around the details you actually track. Choose a template for your unit, customize the fields and layout, use it digitally during your shift, or export a clean PDF when you want paper. Stay organized throughout your shift Keep patients, tasks, notes, and handoffs together. See what needs attention now, what is done, and what is coming up next, without relying on memory. Give report without starting from scratch Each patient has a clear, organized view with SBAR, notes, and updates. Everything is already structured, so you are not scrambling when it is time to give report. Capture information as you go Use voice or quick entry to record 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, ready to copy into your charting. Share a handoff without retyping Hand off a patient to another NurseBrain Synapse user by QR code. Works the way nurses actually work You are 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, and 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 trial, then one subscription Free to download. The Brain Sheet Builder is free to use. Everything else is included in one subscription, and you can start with a free trial. Plans, prices, and trial details are shown in the app before you subscribe. Use fictional examples while you explore. Before adding real patient information, follow your organization's policies. Replace your report sheet and bring structure, clarity, and confidence back to your shift.

Screenshots

RNotes4 screens
NurseBrain® Synapse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RNotes at 5.0 against NurseBrain® Synapse's 4.1. RNotes also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). NurseBrain® Synapse's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly 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® Synapse 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 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 31 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RNotes ships an update every 5 months, NurseBrain® Synapse weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RNotes versus NurseBrain® Synapse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRNotesNurseBrain® Synapse
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (26 ratings) — better4.1 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews—85.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2631 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB146 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperSkyscape Medpresso IncNursebrain LLC

Customer experience

RNotes

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

NurseBrain® Synapse

All ratings31 ratings
Positive77.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative12.8%

Bugs and requests

RNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

NurseBrain® Synapse

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® Synapse

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® Synapse free?
NurseBrain® Synapse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RNotes or NurseBrain® Synapse?
RNotes is rated higher. RNotes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while NurseBrain® Synapse averages 4.1 from 31 ratings.
Do RNotes or NurseBrain® Synapse have ads?
RNotes shows ads; NurseBrain® Synapse does not.
Which is updated more often, RNotes or NurseBrain® Synapse?
RNotes ships an update every 5 months, and NurseBrain® Synapse weekly. Most recently, RNotes was updated on September 2, 2026 and NurseBrain® Synapse on September 29, 2026.

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