Comparison

BrainWave vs Allume

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

Head to head
About

BrainWave

Enhance focus, memory, and problem-solving skills with advanced brainwave programs. This app combines binaural tones with ambient sounds and music to guide your mind into optimized mental states for learning and creativity. Customize your experience with adjustable settings and enjoy a unique approach to brainwave entrainment.

Highlights
  • 18 Advanced Brainwave Programs
  • Binaural Tones with Music/Audiobooks
  • Ambient Backgrounds & Alarm Sounds
  • Adjustable Brainwave Intensity
  • Customizable Timer
  • Progressive Brainwave Entrainment
Features
Read full description

18 Advanced Brainwave Programs in One App! Sharp Mind induces optimized mental states ideal for school, exam preparation, confidence, problem solving, memory, creativity, confidence and learning. Combine Binaural Tones with iTunes Music, Audiobooks, Spotify * Built-in iTunes Playlist Creator * 24 Soothing Ambient Backgrounds and 10 Gentle Alarm Sounds. * Universal App * iPhone and iPad UIs HD&SD * Headphones/Earbuds must be worn for Binaural Tones to be Effective. To combine Brainwaves and Ambience with Audio from Another App use Background Mode 'Ambience + Other App' in the Background Settings. To use just Brainwaves and Audio from Another App use the "No Background" option for the Background Source. Warning: These are powerful brainwave entrainment programs and should never be used while driving or operating machinery. BrainWave Sharp Mind is unlike any other brainwave entrainment application. Other brainwave and binaural beat applications use only a single brainwave frequency and carrier signal. The Sharp Mind Progressive Brainwave Entrainment algorithms use a series of brainwave programs, multiple frequencies and carrier waves to gently bring your brainwave frequencies to your desired state using a more natural and effective frequency progression. *** Advanced Features *** - Multiple Brainwave programs each specially designed to elevate you to a unique mental state. - Multiple ambient background sounds to choose from. - Adjustable Brainwave Intensity - The intensity of the brainwaves can be adjusted independently of the ambient background sound. This allows you to set the brainwave volume to your comfort level. The application will also save your preference for future use. - Adjustable ambient background volume. - Visual timer countdown indicator. - Automatic saving of preferred brainwave entrainment program and ambient background sounds. - Ability to create your own custom time option. *** Programs Included *** - Brain Energizer: Takes you through a series of brainwave programs and progressively elevates your level of alertness. - High Beta Concentration: Designed to put your mind into the ultimate state of focus and concentration. Ideal when you need to block out surrounding distractions and study. - Creative Brainstorming: A series of brainwave programs that elevates your mind to a state of open-mindedness and creativity. Perfect for when you're stuck on a problem or are having difficulty coming up with an idea. Sit back and plug into this program to completely open your mind. - Creative Problem Solving: The ultimate combination of focus and creativity achieved through a series of brainwave programs and frequency mixes. - Gamma Memory Boost: This program was designed to be used whenever you feel like taking a break and letting what you've just learned sink in. This will help you maximize memory recall. - Beta Confidence Boost: Designed to be taken before a test or presentation. The other programs help you prepare, solve problems, come up with ideas and remember what you've learned. Sharp Mind also includes: - Creative Thinking - Lateral Thinking - Convergent Thinking - Deductive Thinking - Centered Mind - Focus/Concentration - Gamma Creativity Boost - Evening Memory Boost - Full Beta Spectrum - Full Gamma Spectrum * How Binaural Brainwave Entrainment Works * This app uses advanced Binaural Brainwave Entrainment to stimulate brainwave frequencies associated with different states of mind. These brainwave frequencies are in most cases inaudible and therefore must be induced through the use of binaural tones. In this process two different tones are played, one for one ear, and one for the other (headphones or earbuds must be used). When processing these two different tones the human brain perceives the difference as a beat matching the target brainwave frequency. The listener’s brainwaves synchronize with this beat due to the brain’s frequency following response.

About

Allume

This app provides a digital canvas for organizing thoughts and ideas. It allows users to create nested boards, link content, and combine various media types like text, images, and PDFs. Collaborate with others in real-time on shared workspaces.

Highlights
  • Nested boards for deep ideation
  • Linked cards for referencing
  • Remixing content from PDFs and images
  • Unified canvas for text, ink, and files
  • Real-time collaboration with shared workspaces
  • PDF annotation and export
Features
Read full description

Allume (formerly Muse) is a canvas for thinking that helps you get clarity on things that matter. Think in private or collaborate with others. BEYOND WHITEBOARDS with nested boards Each Muse board is like a whiteboard that can hold even more whiteboards. Your boards grow organically over time as you develop an idea. Stay in the ideation flow, worry about organizing later. REFERENCE & REMIX with linked cards & excerpts Linked cards let you reference boards from multiple places. And excerpts let you remix parts of PDFs and images without losing the context of the source. Grow your Muse into a space of interconnected whiteboards. ONE CANVAS FOR ANYTHING with ink + text + cards Developing an idea starts with collecting inspiration and stray thoughts. Muse lets you put everything on a single canvas: writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and any other files. Lay out all the raw materials, then connect the dots with ease. COLLABORATION with shared workspaces Add collaborators to a Muse workspace to plan and strategize together. They'll feel right at home with live cursors, comments, following, and templates. AND PLENTY MORE → Search and quick-jump to boards → Read and annotate PDFs → Create connections between cards → Export boards as PDFs or PNGs → Local-first data with instant sync LEARN MORE Website: https://allume.com/ Community: https://allume.com/community Contact us: hello@allume.com Terms of service: https://allume.com/terms

Screenshots

BrainWave4 screens
Allume3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Allume at Free against BrainWave's $4.99. Allume also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). BrainWave's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (88% vs 64%). On ads 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

Allume is free to download; BrainWave costs $4.99 up front. Allume sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. BrainWave asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BrainWave holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 332 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of BrainWave's written reviews are positive against 64% of Allume's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, Allume every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
BrainWave versus Allume: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainWaveAllume
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.2K ratings) — better4.6 (332 ratings)
Positive reviews87.9% of reviews — better64.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K — better332
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size158 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBanzai LabsMilestone Made, LLC

Customer experience

BrainWave

All ratings1,151 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive87.9%
Neutral6.9%
Negative5.2%

Allume

All ratings332 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative25.5%

User reviews

BrainWave

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helps with focus and concentration
  • 👍 Effective for ADHD and TBI
  • 🧠 Improves cognitive abilities
  • 💤 Aids in sleep and relaxation
  • 🎨 Enhances creativity and problem-solving

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or audio issues
  • 🔇 Stops playing when notifications occur
  • 🔍 Cluttered interface could be simplified

Allume

From 332 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Organize ideas and information
  • 🚀 Unique and very cool features
  • 👍 Indispensable app - incredibly well designed
  • 👍 Great thinking and creative tool
  • 👍 Exceptional app

Room to improve

  • 💰 Too expensive subscription price
  • 🔒 Lack of privacy of user data
  • 🔒 Requires email to try
  • 🐛 Bugs are prevalent
  • 🔒 Outrageous pricing

Bugs and requests

BrainWave

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Alarm clock not working properly
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add more background sound options
  • Allow customization of sound mixes
  • Enable background playback while device is locked

Allume

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Eraser size issues
  • Undo history reset when navigating between boards
  • Crashes when erasing large areas
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • iPhone app not usable without iPad or Mac
Show 1 more
  • Freezing and performance issues

Requested features

7 requests
  • More pen color and workspace options
  • Zoom in/out within a board
  • Search functionality
  • Checklists
  • Support for pen tablets on Mac
Show 2 more
  • Straight line drawing with arrowheads
  • Monthly payment plan

In-app purchases

None

BrainWave

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Allume

Subscriptions4
  • Unlimited membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited membership, yearly$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro membership, yearly$99.991 Year

Questions

Is BrainWave free?
BrainWave costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Allume free?
Allume is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BrainWave or Allume?
BrainWave is rated higher. BrainWave averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Allume averages 4.6 from 332 ratings.
Do BrainWave or Allume have ads?
Neither BrainWave nor Allume shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BrainWave or Allume?
BrainWave ships an update every 2 months, and Allume every 2 weeks. Most recently, BrainWave was updated on October 14, 2026 and Allume on October 9, 2026.

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