# BrainWave vs BilateralBase

BrainWave and BilateralBase both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of BrainWave's written reviews are positive against 0% of BilateralBase's. BrainWave also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 1) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). BilateralBase's advantage is price (Free vs $5.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

BilateralBase is free to download; BrainWave costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for BrainWave against 5.0 for BilateralBase. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainWave has 11K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of BrainWave's written reviews are positive against 0% of BilateralBase's.

BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, BilateralBase fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainWave | BilateralBase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwave-40-binaural-series/id307219387/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bilateralbase/id1561326248/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **90.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 161 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Banzai Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/305909501) | [BilateralBase](https://appshunter.io/developer/1561326250) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainWave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwave-40-binaural-series/id307219387)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Health & Fitness, #146 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app uses binaural brainwave entrainment with ambient sounds and music to help users achieve various mental states like focus, relaxation, and sleep. It offers multi-stage programs and customizable playlists, recommended by a neuroscientist.

**Highlights:** Binaural brainwave entrainment, Ambient music and nature sounds, Multi-stage programs for sleep, focus, and mood, Customizable playlists, Pure tone frequency selection, Background sound options

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with sleep, focus, and relaxation
- 🚀 Effective for managing migraines and headaches
- 🧠 Useful for meditation, creativity, and productivity
- 💤 Facilitates deep sleep and power naps
- 🎨 Customizable settings and background sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or bugs after updates
- 🔊 Audio quality of background sounds could be improved
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating through all the program options
- 🔁 Inability to seamlessly switch between programs without stopping

**Reported bugs**

- App launching automatically when connected to Bluetooth
- Inconsistent behavior when pausing or interrupting a session

**Requested features**

- Ability to create custom binaural beat programs
- Integration with smart home devices and voice assistants
- Expanded selection of background sounds and music
- Improved sleep tracking and sleep cycle monitoring


### BilateralBase

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bilateralbase/id1561326248)

This app provides an optimized EMDR therapy experience for iPad and iPhone users. It allows seamless joining of online therapy sessions via a therapist-provided link, ensuring all tools are available and the session is optimized for your device.

**Highlights:** Optimized EMDR therapy experience, Seamless online session joining, Therapist-provided link integration, Tool availability for therapy sessions, Device optimization for iPad/iPhone

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainWave free?

BrainWave costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BilateralBase free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BrainWave or BilateralBase?

BilateralBase is rated higher. BrainWave averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while BilateralBase averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BrainWave or BilateralBase have ads?

Neither BrainWave nor BilateralBase shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainWave or BilateralBase?

BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, and BilateralBase fortnightly. Most recently, BrainWave was updated on November 8, 2026 and BilateralBase on November 3, 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.*