NurseBrain® Synapse vs Vitals
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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)
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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.
Vitals
This medical app helps healthcare professionals easily measure patient pulse rates by tapping along to the palpated beat. It also provides a persistent timer and a chart of vital signs by age group, accessible directly from a watch complication.
- Pulse measurement by tapping
- Persistent timer
- Vitals chart by age
- Watch complication support
- Offline functionality
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The easiest way to get your patient's pulse: - Feel your patient's pulse (as you would normally) with your non-watch hand - Tap your index finger and thumb to each palpated pulse - The app will calculate the beats per minute based on your taps The app also includes a second counter that will not turn off, even if you tilt your wrist downward. Inside you'll also find a chart of vitals summary information by patient age bracket, from infant to adult. Launch the app from the built-in complication.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: NurseBrain® Synapse at Free against Vitals's $4.99. NurseBrain® Synapse also leads on ratings volume (31 vs 1). Vitals's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
NurseBrain® Synapse is free to download; Vitals costs $4.99 up front. NurseBrain® Synapse sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. Vitals asks for nothing beyond the download.
Vitals holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NurseBrain® Synapse has 31 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
NurseBrain® Synapse ships an update weekly, Vitals every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NurseBrain® Synapse | Vitals |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (31 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 31 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #193 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 146 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nursebrain LLC | Ian George Gillespie |
Customer experience
NurseBrain® Synapse
Vitals
Bugs and 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
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- 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
Vitals
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NurseBrain® Synapse
- Monthly Premium Access7 Days trial$29.991 Month
- Quarterly Student Access$29.993 Months
- Yearly Premium Access7 Days trial$149.991 Year
Vitals
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NurseBrain® Synapse free?
Is Vitals free?
Which has better reviews, NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals?
Do NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals have ads?
Which is updated more often, NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals?
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