Comparison

BrainWave vs iAwake® Technologies

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

Head to head
About

BrainWave

This app uses binaural sequences and ambient sounds to guide your brainwaves into specific states like meditation, sleep, or creativity. Customize your experience with nature sounds, music, or audio from other apps.

Highlights
  • Binaural brainwave programs
  • Nature sounds and ambient music
  • Integrates with iTunes and other audio apps
  • Customizable program duration
  • 22 specialized brainwave programs
  • 21 ambient background sounds
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Combine Mind Altering Binaural Sequences with Soothing Nature Sounds, Ambient Music, your own iTunes Music (with the built-in iTunes playlist creator), or play alongside apps like Spotify and Audio Book Readers. * Powerful Binaural Programs for Lucid Dreaming, Mindful Meditation, Dreamy Sleep, Astral Projection, Zen Meditation and much more! * Universal app with built-in UIs for iPhone/iPad * Different states of mind are associated with specific brainwave frequencies that would inaudible if played directly, but can be induced by playing two different audible binaural tones into each ear, which, after being processed by the brain, are perceived as an inaudible low frequency beat matching the target brainwave frequency. As you listen your brainwaves fall into step with this inaudible beat, and after several minutes synchronize with the target frequency. Uses the most advanced multi-stage binaural sequences available, combined with the flexibility to choose from a range of relaxing ambient backgrounds, other audio apps, or your own iTunes Music, allowing your mind you to relax and synchronize with your desired state. It achieves this using our unique process called Progressive Brainwave Entrainment. *** Progressive Brainwave Entrainment *** Progressive Brainwave Entrainment algorithms use layers of frequencies and carrier signals assembled in precise sequences to create profoundly unique experiences. Each program gently brings your brainwave frequencies to your desired state using a more natural frequency progression. *** Advanced Features *** - 22 Brainwave programs each specially designed for a different situation and desired mental state. - 24 ambient background sounds to choose from. - Independently adjustable ambient sound volume. - Visual timer countdown indicator. - Ability to set your own custom program duration. * Programs Included * - Chakra Meditation: A series of balanced, meditative brainwave programs each taking you to a different, deeper meditative state, ending in the ultimate state of meditation and calm. - Euphoric Bliss: The ultimate brainwave program designed to gently bring your mind through a series of uplifting states, culminating in a state of euphoria and bliss. This program will truly make your mood soar. - Lucid Beta Dreams: This program combines elements of meditative and dreaming frequencies to create a state where you can experience waking dreams and truly escape. Lucid dreaming is a very unique state of consciousness where you will find yourself slipping in out of dreams while remaining aware of them. - Tranquil Thoughts: Designed simply to relax, this program progressively drops your mind into deeper states of relaxation to help you unwind and reduce stress. - Inspired Creativity: Creates an elevated state of creativity by combining a series of focus, concentration and meditative frequencies to help you open your mind to new ideas and boost creativity. - Floating: A unique meditative program that combines lower frequency meditative sequences with higher frequency lucid dreaming programs to create a relaxed, yet heightened state of awareness. - Quiet Mind: Designed to help you clear your mind and empty your thoughts for a deeply relaxed state of mind. - Mindful Meditation: Achieve a calm, centered state of mindfulness. - Other Programs: - Morning Zen - Natural High - Awakened Mind - Deep Reflection - Astral Projection - Zen Meditation - High Beta Dreams - Heightened Awareness - Beta Meditation - Gamma Meditation - High Theta Meditation - Full Theta Spectrum These programs are powerful and can take effect quickly and should never be used while driving or operating machinery. If you have any medical questions, conditions or concerns please contact a physician before using any binaural program.

About

iAwake® Technologies

Enhance focus, relaxation, creativity, and meditation with innovative sound tools. This app uses brainwave entrainment technology to guide your mind into desired states, making it easier to access them repeatedly.

Highlights
  • Brainwave entrainment technology
  • Focus and flow enhancement
  • Deep relaxation and stillness
  • Creativity and healing sounds
  • Multi-layered sound entrainment strategies
  • Neuroplasticity support
Features
Read full description

Innovative sound-based tools to power your focus & flow, deep relaxation, creativity, profound meditation, and healing. Imagine using the power of resonance to set your mood and dial the brainwave states you want. Think joy, total relaxation, deep stillness, high focus, out-of-the-box creativity, rest...delivered through a pair of headphones and this app. Welcome to iAwake®. HOW DOES THE TECH WORK? As you read this text, billions of brain cells are generating measurable electrical activity across your brain. Extensive scientific research has revealed how all our mind states (relaxation, focus, anxiety, sleep, meditation...) correspond to specific brainwave patterns. All the feelings, thoughts, and actions we engage in on a daily basis are somehow electro-chemically rooted in neuron-to-neuron communication and so reflected in our ever-changing brainwave states. Due to the tendency of our brains to synchronize with external stimuli, it is possible to use sound to influence the amplitude of our various brainwave frequencies. For example, as you listen to an alpha brainwave track, certain areas of your brain want to quite literally follow the rhythm and get synchronized to the speed of alpha waves. When that happens, you might feel the calm and open focus that is associated with alpha rhythms. Thanks to neuroplasticity (the brain's endless and amazing capacity to change, adapt, and reorganize itself), the more frequently you enter a state, the easier you are able to go back to it. Brainwave entrainment lets your brain calm down or speed up, depending on your needs. THE IAWAKE® DIFFERENCE iAwake's sound entrainment envelops brainwave activity, strategically guiding it toward transformative states of consciousness. Rather than embedding simple binaural frequencies into a nature soundtrack, the iAwake’s approach influences neurological activity through a multi-layered approach that synergizes numerous brainwave entrainment strategies. These may include: binaural, isochronic, monaural beats, as well as psychoacoustic (using music itself as part of entrainment process), panning from side to side (to facilitate releasing of stress), exhaustive binaural encoding, dual pulse binaural signals, harmonic layering, carrier frequency therapy, and much more. iAwake® integrates science AND art in the creation of its unique, powerful yet kind, and beautiful soundscapes. CONNECT WITH US Website: http://www.iawaketechnologies.com/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProfoundMeditationProgram/ Facebook Practitioners Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profoundmeditation/ Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/iAwakeTechnologies Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamIawake iAWAKE® PRICING & TERMS The iAwake® App is free, with a selection of free brainwave entrainment tracks. The full iAwake® library is accessible through product purchases via the iAwake® Technologies website, but accessed in the app with just your email address. Read more about our terms of use here - http://www.iawaketechnologies.com/terms-of-service/ Read more about our privacy policy here - http://www.iawaketechnologies.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

BrainWave4 screens
iAwake® Technologies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: iAwake® Technologies at Free against BrainWave's $4.99. BrainWave's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 27). On update cadence, 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

iAwake® Technologies is free to download; BrainWave costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BrainWave holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainWave has 1.3K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of BrainWave's written reviews are positive against 80% of iAwake® Technologies's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
BrainWave versus iAwake® Technologies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainWaveiAwake® Technologies
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better4.6 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better27
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#199 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better13.4
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBanzai LabsiAwake Technologies, LLC

Customer experience

BrainWave

All ratings1,349 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews140 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.7%

iAwake® Technologies

All ratings27 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.7%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

BrainWave

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Timer not working as expected
  • Sudden sound cut-off at the end of sessions
  • Occasional loss of functionality when multitasking

Requested features

5 requests
  • Custom program creation option
  • Fade-out at the end of sessions
  • Ability to directly control frequencies and combinations
  • Program for studying and improving focus
  • Integration with music library

iAwake® Technologies

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BrainWave

No in-app purchases

None

iAwake® Technologies

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BrainWave free?
BrainWave costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iAwake® Technologies free?
iAwake® Technologies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BrainWave or iAwake® Technologies?
BrainWave is rated higher. BrainWave averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while iAwake® Technologies averages 4.6 from 27 ratings.
Do BrainWave or iAwake® Technologies have ads?
Neither BrainWave nor iAwake® Technologies shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BrainWave or iAwake® Technologies?
BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, and iAwake® Technologies every 2 months. Most recently, BrainWave was updated on October 20, 2026 and iAwake® Technologies on October 7, 2026.

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