Comparison

NurseBrain® Synapse vs Vitals

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

Head to head
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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Pulse measurement by tapping
  • Persistent timer
  • Vitals chart by age
  • Watch complication support
  • Offline functionality
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

NurseBrain® Synapse4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NurseBrain® Synapse ships an update weekly, Vitals every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
NurseBrain® Synapse versus Vitals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNurseBrain® SynapseVitals
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.1 (31 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings31 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#193 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size146 MB1 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperNursebrain LLCIan George Gillespie

Customer experience

NurseBrain® Synapse

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

Vitals

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
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

Vitals

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
None

Vitals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NurseBrain® Synapse free?
NurseBrain® Synapse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vitals free?
Vitals costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals?
Vitals is rated higher. NurseBrain® Synapse averages 4.1 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Vitals averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals have ads?
Neither NurseBrain® Synapse nor Vitals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NurseBrain® Synapse or Vitals?
NurseBrain® Synapse ships an update weekly, and Vitals every 3 days. Most recently, NurseBrain® Synapse was updated on October 16, 2026 and Vitals on October 10, 2026.

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