# BrainWave vs Meditation

The clearest difference is price: Meditation at Free against BrainWave's $4.99. Meditation also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). BrainWave's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, Meditation every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainWave | Meditation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwave-altered-states/id308034723/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 161 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Banzai Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/305909501) | [Harry Mackinnon-Coleman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872050749) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainWave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwave-altered-states/id308034723)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective for focus and concentration
- 👍 Helps with sleep and relaxation
- 👍 Enhances creativity and productivity
- 👍 Versatile with many customization options
- 👍 Positive impact on mental well-being

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional technical issues like timer malfunctions and sound glitches
- 🔋 Drains device battery quickly
- 👎 Limited background sound options

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Meditation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-segment-timer/id6758297917)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainWave free?

BrainWave costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Meditation free?

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

### Do BrainWave or Meditation have ads?

Neither BrainWave nor Meditation shows ads.

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

BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, and Meditation every 8 days. Most recently, BrainWave was updated on October 15, 2026 and Meditation on September 26, 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.*