Comparison

Brainwave vs offnote

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

Head to head
About

Brainwave

Capture and organize your thoughts with this note-taking application. Create calendar events, reminders, and export notes in various formats. Protect sensitive information with password protection and manage your data with backup and restore options.

Highlights
  • Organize notes with tags
  • Password protect sensitive notes
  • Create calendar events and reminders
  • Export notes to PDF or text
  • Supports various links (web, phone, maps)
  • Backup and restore notes
Read full description

Transfer your ideas from brain wave to Brainwave. • Organize on the fly by tagging notes with any number of tags • Flag important notes; password protect sensitive notes • Create calendar events and reminders based on your notes • Change the size and font of the text • Export notes directly from Brainwave to a variety of destinations, in formats including: ◦ Email as PDF ◦ Send to Dropbox or almost any app as PDF ◦ Email as text • Create restore points, backing up all notes to a single file • Supports links (web, phone numbers, map addresses - that can even be opened in Google Maps, calendar dates) • Numerous configuration options • Length of a note is limited only by device memory • Supports all device orientations Sometimes an idea can circle around and around in your mind - like a whirlpool swirling, or a tidal wave growing, it confuses, it overwhelms, and it isn't until you write it down that it becomes clear. Write it down. Get it out. Record it before it’s washed away. Free your mind to work on other thoughts. Store your brain waves in Brainwave.

About

offnote

A minimalist note-taking app focused on privacy and offline use. It offers powerful organization tools and optional LAN web access for editing notes on any browser within your local network. Your data remains entirely on your device.

Highlights
  • 100% offline note-taking
  • Full-text search with filters
  • Tag system with auto-complete
  • LAN web access for browser editing
  • Note lock for privacy
  • One-tap ZIP backup
  • Activity heatmap
Features
Read full description

offnote is the minimalist note-taking app built for people who just want to write — no accounts, no subscriptions, no distractions. **What makes offnote different?** Every note lives on your device. No cloud syncing. No data collection. Just you and your thoughts. But when you need to type on a real keyboard, offnote has you covered: tap one button and your notes are instantly available in any browser on the same WiFi network. **Powerful yet lightweight** • Full-text search with tag, time range, and status filters • Tag system with auto-complete — organize notes your way • Priority levels — highlight what matters most • Archive and trash with 30-day auto-clean • Activity heatmap — see your writing habits at a glance • Note lock — keep sensitive notes private • Light, dark, and system-follow themes • Customizable gestures — tap, double-tap, or long-press to edit, expand, or select **LAN Web Access (Premium)** Turn any computer into your editor. offnote's built-in HTTP server lets you access, create, and edit notes from any browser on your local network. QR code pairing makes connection effortless. Password protection keeps it secure. **Your data, your rules** • 100% offline — no account, no sign-up, no internet required • One-tap ZIP backup and restore • Privacy-first: nothing leaves your device unless you choose to share it **One-time purchase. No subscriptions.** Unlock all premium features with a single lifetime purchase. No monthly fees. No hidden charges. Your tool should be yours — period. offnote is free to use with full note-taking capabilities. Upgrade for LAN web access, auto-create on launch, auto-submit on close, and all future premium features.

Screenshots

Brainwave4 screens
offnote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: offnote at 100% against Brainwave's 20%. offnote also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Brainwave's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). 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

offnote is free to download; Brainwave costs $0.99 up front. offnote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Brainwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brainwave ships an update every 3 months, offnote weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Brainwave versus offnote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainwaveoffnote
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZymbiotic Technologies昊 孟

Customer experience

Brainwave

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative50.0%

offnote

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Brainwave

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

offnote

One-time1
  • Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Brainwave free?
Brainwave costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is offnote free?
offnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Brainwave or offnote have ads?
Neither Brainwave nor offnote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brainwave or offnote?
Brainwave ships an update every 3 months, and offnote weekly. Most recently, Brainwave was updated on October 1, 2026 and offnote on October 8, 2026.

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