Comparison

EMDR vs Impulse AI

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

Head to head
About

EMDR

This app provides customizable bilateral stimulation across Apple devices, offering control over visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. It supports various use cases like research, education, focus enhancement, and relaxation, with accessibility features and online broadcasting capabilities.

Highlights
  • Customizable pace and auto-stop
  • Stereo sounds, animations, and vibrations
  • Cross-device connectivity (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
  • Game controller support
  • Online broadcasting via EMDR Connect
  • Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support
Features
Read full description

The EMDR app puts you in full control of visual, audio, and haptic bilateral stimulation. Turn game controllers and Joy-Cons into tappers, position sound precisely in stereo, and fine-tune vibration intensity. Sync across your Apple devices or broadcast to any browser with EMDR Connect. Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support is built in. STIMULATION YOUR WAY Tailor every session to your needs: • Set your pace with presets or fine-tune it with a slider. • Use auto-stop so you never have to count along. • Choose from a wide range of sounds, animations, and vibrations. • Hear the count spoken aloud in 21 languages. • Position stereo sound to the left, right, or center. • Fine-tune vibration intensity, automatically adapted to each device. • Personalize colors, patterns, and more. WORKS ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Connect iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Joy-Cons, and game controllers. Alternate flashes or vibrations between devices, or use one as a remote control for another. No specialized tapper hardware is needed. The devices you already own do the work. BROADCAST WITH EMDR CONNECT Send your stimulation to a protected webpage on any computer, tablet, or phone, whether it's your own device or someone else's. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account is needed. Shared names are encrypted, and EMDR Connect session data is removed from the server when the session ends. START FROM ANYWHERE • Start stimulation from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or the Action button. • Ask Siri, or automate your setup with Shortcuts. • Control playback from your headphones or a widget, even in the background. BUILT FOR ACCESSIBILITY Full support for Assistive Access and VoiceOver makes the app usable for people with diverse needs, with specialized interfaces that don't compromise on capability. TRY ONE MONTH FREE Explore everything the EMDR app offers with a free one-month trial for new subscribers. EMDR+ unlocks the full feature set across your Apple devices. EMDR Connect adds broadcasting to any browser. Download today and see how it fits your routine. APP PURPOSE This app is a general-purpose tool for generating bilateral and other types of stimulation. It supports a wide range of applications, including: • Research, e.g. testing the effects of bilateral stimulation. • Education, e.g. illustrating bilateral stimulation principles. • Focus and attention, e.g. pacing tasks with timed signals. • Relaxation and wellness, e.g. promoting physical relaxation through bilateral vibration. This app is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Impulse AI

Read full description

"I keep saying yes to things I don't want to do." "I'm ready to stop playing small and own what I'm good at." "I'm holding back from sharing my work because it might not be good enough." These are impulses. They arise in you every day. Each one is a starting point for real transformation. BE. DO. RECEIVE. Most people are stuck in DO mode. Always taking action, rarely changing outcomes. Impulse AI lifts you into BE mode first. Change your inner state, and the right actions follow naturally. HOW IT WORKS Type what you're feeling. That's the impulse. Impulse AI identifies the direction: a clearing for what holds you back, or a manifestation for what's ready to emerge. Then a five-step session takes you through it: feel it, own it, shift your state, envision the outcome, and let go. Under five minutes. As structured as physical training, but for your inner life. CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF "What are you doing right now?" Impulse AI shows you what your daily activity is actually doing to your state. A mirror you can't hold up alone. WHAT GROWS OVER TIME Your impulses build a personal pattern map. Which life areas carry the most blockages. Which states lead to the most growth. The picture you can't see from the inside. Your Momentum score reflects your practice. It decays without activity. Not a reward. A mirror. Your impulses. Your patterns. Your transformation. Change your state. Transform your reality. - Terms of Use: https://impulseai.app/terms - Privacy Policy: https://impulseai.app/privacy

Screenshots

EMDR4 screens
Impulse AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: EMDR at weekly against Impulse AI's every 3 weeks. EMDR also leads on device support (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15 vs 18.2). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. EMDR sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Impulse AI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMDR ships an update weekly, Impulse AI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
EMDR versus Impulse AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDRImpulse AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (172 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews45.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings172 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB22 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBas OppenheimDigiteers AS

Bugs and requests

EMDR

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Apple Watch app won't launch after update
  • Sound issues (thudding noise, stereo problems)
  • Apple TV app doesn't work
  • Session disrupted by upsell window
  • App crashes when selecting features
Show 5 more
  • Sound doesn't work after purchasing
  • App doesn't work without internet
  • Trial starts without warning
  • Trial period doesn't work
  • App doesn't play in background or when screen is locked

Requested features

13 requests
  • Gradient effect for circle
  • More customization for circle
  • Alternating controller vibration
  • Timer feature
  • Slower BPM options (down to 30)
Show 8 more
  • More frame rates per second
  • Additional movements (Achten, Kreise)
  • Slower option for Slow EMDR
  • Use two Nintendo controllers for each hand
  • Pitch control for tone option
  • Option for 48 repeats
  • Ability to run with screen locked or in background
  • Manual input for repetitions and speed

Impulse AI

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

EMDR

Subscriptions5
  • EMDR+1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Monthly)1 Month trial$39.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • EMDR+ (Yearly)1 Month trial$49.991 Year
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Yearly)1 Month trial2 variants$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • EMDR+ for Research$9.99
4 purchases

Impulse AI

Subscriptions4
  • Foundation$6.001 Month
  • Mastery$9.001 Month
  • Foundation$49.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Mastery$69.001 Year

Questions

Is EMDR free?
EMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Impulse AI free?
Impulse AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do EMDR or Impulse AI have ads?
Neither EMDR nor Impulse AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EMDR or Impulse AI?
EMDR ships an update weekly, and Impulse AI every 3 weeks. Most recently, EMDR was updated on October 20, 2026 and Impulse AI on October 19, 2026.

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