Comparison

BSDR Player vs EMDR

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

Head to head
About

BSDR Player

This app utilizes bilateral beeps, inspired by EMDR techniques, to help users process past emotional experiences and reduce anxiety. It can be used to aid in the treatment of traumas, disturbing thoughts, and improve overall well-being by facilitating adaptive changes in thinking and emotional self-regulation.

Highlights
  • Bilateral beeps generation
  • EMDR technique inspiration
  • Trauma processing aid
  • Emotional self-regulation
  • Upsetting situation processing
  • Improved future performance
Features
Read full description

BSDR Player (Bilateral Sounds Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an application that generates bilateral beeps. It is based on bilateral stimulation (a way of stimulating the brain one side at a time) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). These techniques can produce a direct effect on the way the brain processes or re-processes past emotional experiences. You can use this application to aid in the treatment of traumas, process upsetting situations, disturbing thoughts, improve future performance, or simply feel better. Studies done with patients undergoing EMDR while in CAT scans have shown physiological changes in the brain that lead to adaptive changes in thinking and emotional self-regulation. "A study comparing the effectiveness of Prozac vs. EMDR showed that EMDR was more successful than Prozac in achieving substantial and sustained reductions in anxiety and depression." - The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, January 2007

About

EMDR

This app provides customizable bilateral stimulation across Apple devices, offering control over visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. It supports various use cases like research, education, focus enhancement, and relaxation, with accessibility features and online broadcasting capabilities.

Highlights
  • Customizable pace and auto-stop
  • Stereo sounds, animations, and vibrations
  • Cross-device connectivity (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
  • Game controller support
  • Online broadcasting via EMDR Connect
  • Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support
Features
Read full description

The EMDR app puts you in full control of visual, audio, and haptic bilateral stimulation. Turn game controllers and Joy-Cons into tappers, position sound precisely in stereo, and fine-tune vibration intensity. Sync across your Apple devices or broadcast to any browser with EMDR Connect. Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support is built in. STIMULATION YOUR WAY Tailor every session to your needs: • Set your pace with presets or fine-tune it with a slider. • Use auto-stop so you never have to count along. • Choose from a wide range of sounds, animations, and vibrations. • Hear the count spoken aloud in 21 languages. • Position stereo sound to the left, right, or center. • Fine-tune vibration intensity, automatically adapted to each device. • Personalize colors, patterns, and more. WORKS ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Connect iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Joy-Cons, and game controllers. Alternate flashes or vibrations between devices, or use one as a remote control for another. No specialized tapper hardware is needed. The devices you already own do the work. BROADCAST WITH EMDR CONNECT Send your stimulation to a protected webpage on any computer, tablet, or phone, whether it's your own device or someone else's. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account is needed. Shared names are encrypted, and EMDR Connect session data is removed from the server when the session ends. START FROM ANYWHERE • Start stimulation from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or the Action button. • Ask Siri, or automate your setup with Shortcuts. • Control playback from your headphones or a widget, even in the background. BUILT FOR ACCESSIBILITY Full support for Assistive Access and VoiceOver makes the app usable for people with diverse needs, with specialized interfaces that don't compromise on capability. TRY ONE MONTH FREE Explore everything the EMDR app offers with a free one-month trial for new subscribers. EMDR+ unlocks the full feature set across your Apple devices. EMDR Connect adds broadcasting to any browser. Download today and see how it fits your routine. APP PURPOSE This app is a general-purpose tool for generating bilateral and other types of stimulation. It supports a wide range of applications, including: • Research, e.g. testing the effects of bilateral stimulation. • Education, e.g. illustrating bilateral stimulation principles. • Focus and attention, e.g. pacing tasks with timed signals. • Relaxation and wellness, e.g. promoting physical relaxation through bilateral vibration. This app is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

BSDR Player4 screens
EMDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: EMDR at Free against BSDR Player's $4.99. EMDR also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 11 months). BSDR Player's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (63% vs 46%). On ads and iOS requirement 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

EMDR is free to download; BSDR Player costs $4.99 up front. EMDR sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BSDR Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

EMDR holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EMDR has 172 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of BSDR Player's written reviews are positive against 46% of EMDR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BSDR Player ships an update every 11 months, EMDR weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
BSDR Player versus EMDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBSDR PlayerEMDR
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (8 ratings)4.4 (172 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.2% of reviews — better45.8% of reviews
Number of ratings8172 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#199 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB113 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKrasamo Inc.Bas Oppenheim

Customer experience

BSDR Player

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive63.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative31.6%

EMDR

All ratings172 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive45.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

BSDR Player

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

EMDR

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Apple Watch app won't launch after update
  • Sound issues (thudding noise, stereo problems)
  • Apple TV app doesn't work
  • Session disrupted by upsell window
  • App crashes when selecting features
Show 5 more
  • Sound doesn't work after purchasing
  • App doesn't work without internet
  • Trial starts without warning
  • Trial period doesn't work
  • App doesn't play in background or when screen is locked

Requested features

13 requests
  • Gradient effect for circle
  • More customization for circle
  • Alternating controller vibration
  • Timer feature
  • Slower BPM options (down to 30)
Show 8 more
  • More frame rates per second
  • Additional movements (Achten, Kreise)
  • Slower option for Slow EMDR
  • Use two Nintendo controllers for each hand
  • Pitch control for tone option
  • Option for 48 repeats
  • Ability to run with screen locked or in background
  • Manual input for repetitions and speed

In-app purchases

None

BSDR Player

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

EMDR

Subscriptions5
  • EMDR+1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Monthly)1 Month trial$39.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • EMDR+ (Yearly)1 Month trial$49.991 Year
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Yearly)1 Month trial2 variants$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • EMDR+ for Research$9.99

Questions

Is BSDR Player free?
BSDR Player costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is EMDR free?
EMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BSDR Player or EMDR?
EMDR is rated higher. BSDR Player averages 3.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while EMDR averages 4.4 from 172 ratings.
Do BSDR Player or EMDR have ads?
Neither BSDR Player nor EMDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BSDR Player or EMDR?
BSDR Player ships an update every 11 months, and EMDR weekly. Most recently, BSDR Player was updated on October 14, 2026 and EMDR on October 16, 2026.

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