# NOVID vs Brain Waves

The clearest difference is ads: NOVID at none against Brain Waves's shown. NOVID also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NOVID ships an update every 3 weeks, Brain Waves every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOVID | Brain Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novid/id1508029182/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **239** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +12 |
| Developer | [Expii, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1151582384) | [DrFranciscoLabs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874591149) |

## What reviewers say

### NOVID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novid/id1508029182)

This app provides proactive COVID-19 exposure alerts by warning you about potential cases within your personal network before you are exposed. It utilizes anonymous identifiers and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ultrasound technology to create a personalized COVID Radar, acting as a shield against the spread of the virus while maintaining user privacy.

**Highlights:** Proactive COVID-19 case warnings, Personal network exposure alerts, Anonymous identifier generation, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ultrasound scanning, Personalized COVID Radar

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative contact tracing concept
- 👍 Well-designed and intuitive interface
- 🔒 Anonymous and secure data handling
- 🚀 Effective in detecting connections (for some users)
- ✨ Brilliant idea and approach

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Low adoption rate, needs more downloads
- ❓ Unclear why microphone access is needed
- 🤷‍♂️ Uncertainty about app's actual effectiveness
- 🔋 Significant battery drain
- 🐌 Slow or non-existent contact detection

**Reported bugs**

- Keeps crashing, cannot open
- Setup fails, stuck on permissions screen
- App stuck on 'scanning forever'
- Does not seem to run in the background
- Failed to register any contacts even when tested directly

**Requested features**

- Clarify microphone access purpose
- Increase app promotion and downloads
- Integrate with Apple/Google exposure notification API
- Improve background operation for iOS
- Make app usage less effortful


### Brain Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-waves-focus-and-sleep/id6777341609)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NOVID free?

NOVID is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Brain Waves free?

Brain Waves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NOVID or Brain Waves have ads?

Brain Waves shows ads; NOVID does not.

### Which is updated more often, NOVID or Brain Waves?

NOVID ships an update every 3 weeks, and Brain Waves every 3 months. Most recently, NOVID was updated on November 3, 2026 and Brain Waves on October 31, 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.*