Comparison

EMDR vs Balanced Mind

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 guides users through EMDR therapy techniques to process traumatic memories and reduce distress. It utilizes bilateral stimulation to help reframe negative beliefs and alleviate physiological arousal associated with adverse life experiences.

Highlights
  • EMDR therapy practice
  • Bilateral stimulation
  • Traumatic memory processing
  • Adaptive resolution of adverse experiences
  • Reduction of physiological arousal
  • Reframing negative beliefs
Features
Read full description

EMDR Therapy App provides a private and flexible set of bilateral stimulation tools for personal wellness and use alongside professional guidance. Create personalized visual, audio, and haptic sessions, adjust the movement and pacing, save your favorite configurations, and track your routine locally on your device. CREATE YOUR ROUTINE Choose sessions from 5 to 20 minutes and customize the speed, movement pattern, visual object, size, color, and background. Available movement patterns include horizontal, vertical, diagonal, figure-eight, and circular movement. A live preview lets you see your configuration before starting. During a session, you can pause, resume, enable or disable audio, control haptic feedback, keep the screen awake, or end the session at any time. STEREO AUDIO AND HAPTICS Choose from five built-in stereo tone pairs, including Soft Chime, Gentle Tap, Soft Bell, Warm Tone, and Neutral Click. Adjust the volume and alternation pace to create a comfortable experience. Optional timed vibration pulses provide an additional rhythmic stimulus. All sounds are included with the app and do not require streaming or an internet connection. Headphones are recommended for the intended left and right stereo experience. BREATHE AT YOUR OWN PACE Use the visual breathing timer whenever you want a quiet pause. Choose Balanced Breathing, Long Exhale, or Box Breathing and select a duration of 2, 5, or 10 minutes. The animated visual guide displays the current breathing phase, remaining time, completed cycles, and overall progress. Optional haptic cues can indicate each phase change. TRACK YOUR ROUTINE Review completed sessions, daily minutes, current streaks, and activity from the last seven days. Save personalized session configurations as presets and return to your favorite routines whenever you need them. After each session, you can optionally record how you feel, select an intensity level, and write a private reflection. Session details and reflections remain available in your local history. PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE The Home screen changes automatically for morning, afternoon, and evening, providing a different visual atmosphere throughout the day. Choose between Light and Dark appearance and use Reduce Motion when you prefer a less animated experience. Configure your default duration, speed, audio, visual mode, and haptic preferences from Settings. IMPORTANT NOTICE EMDR Therapy App is a personal wellness utility that generates visual, auditory, and timed haptic stimulation. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. It does not provide psychotherapy, medical treatment, or individualized health recommendations. This app is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed mental health or medical professional. If you intend to use bilateral stimulation in connection with EMDR, trauma, or distressing memories, seek guidance from a properly trained professional and do not attempt to process traumatic memories alone. Stop immediately if you experience discomfort, dizziness, distress, disorientation, or other unwanted effects. Do not use the app while driving, operating equipment, or in any situation that requires your full attention. Further information EMDR Institute Inc. (Emdr.com) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Wikipedia.org) What is EMDR Therapy? (Emdria.org) Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://deisyapp.appmakerpro.website/privacypolicy.html

About

Balanced Mind

Features
Read full description

Feeling stuck on something — a memory, a worry, a knot in your chest that won't loosen? Balanced Mind gives you a five-minute, self-guided EMDR session you can do right now, on your phone, with no appointment and nothing to learn first. Pick what you want to feel calmer about, rate how intense it feels, and follow the moving dot with your eyes. That's it. Most people notice the intensity drop within a session or two, and the app tracks it so you can see the change. EMDR THERAPY Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychological Association (APA) as an effective treatment for trauma and emotional distress. Balanced Mind provides self-guided bilateral visual stimulation sessions based on protocols developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro. • Customizable visual stimulation (speed, color, pattern) • Multiple session modes and durations • Session history with progress tracking • Built-in safety timers and session reminders BINAURAL TONE THERAPY Stereo audio tones designed to support different mental states. Choose from five research-backed frequency presets: • Delta (0.5–4 Hz) — Deep relaxation & sleep • Theta (4–8 Hz) — Meditation & creativity • Alpha (8–14 Hz) — Calm focus & stress relief • Beta (14–30 Hz) — Alertness & concentration • Gamma (30–100 Hz) — Peak cognitive performance Requires stereo headphones for full effectiveness. ENCRYPTED JOURNALING Process your thoughts with a private, encrypted journal. Your entries are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it — not even we can read them. • End-to-end encryption (AES-256) • Mood tracking alongside journal entries • Search and revisit past reflections • Export your data anytime PROGRESS & INSIGHTS Track your wellness journey over time with clear, meaningful analytics. • Session frequency and duration trends • Mood patterns and emotional insights • Weekly and monthly progress summaries • Data export for sharing with your therapist PRIVACY FIRST Your mental health data deserves the highest level of protection. • End-to-end encrypted journals — only you can read them • No selling of personal data, ever • GDPR-compliant data export and account deletion • Minimal data collection — we track product analytics, not you BUILT WITH RESEARCH Every therapeutic feature in Balanced Mind is grounded in peer-reviewed research. The app includes a full citations page so you can explore the science behind EMDR and binaural therapy. CRISIS SUPPORT If you or someone you know is in crisis, the app provides immediate access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other mental health resources. IMPORTANT: Balanced Mind is a self-guided wellness tool and is NOT a replacement for professional therapy. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 988 or your local emergency services. EARLY ACCESS Balanced Mind is in Early Access: every feature — unlimited EMDR sessions, binaural therapy, encrypted journaling and progress tracking — is free, with no card required. Paid plans will come later and early members will hear about them first.

Screenshots

EMDR4 screens
Balanced Mind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Balanced Mind at weekly against EMDR's every 27 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Balanced Mind sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMDR ships an update every 27 months, Balanced Mind weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
EMDR versus Balanced Mind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDRBalanced Mind
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 27 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB59 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDeisy RenteriaChristopher Jerome Kiklas

In-app purchases

3 purchases

EMDR

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Premium Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium Access$44.99
6 purchases

Balanced Mind

Subscriptions6
  • Basic Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$29.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Basic Annual$69.991 Year
  • Preium Annual$129.991 Year
  • Pro Annual$199.991 Year

Questions

Is EMDR free?
EMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Balanced Mind free?
Balanced Mind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do EMDR or Balanced Mind have ads?
Neither EMDR nor Balanced Mind shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EMDR or Balanced Mind?
EMDR ships an update every 27 months, and Balanced Mind weekly. Most recently, EMDR was updated on October 11, 2026 and Balanced Mind on October 24, 2026.

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