Comparison

Brainwave vs Nodus

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

Nodus

Features
Read full description

Nodus is a minimal Zettelkasten note-taking app for iPhone and iPad. Your notes are plain Markdown files stored in iCloud Drive — no proprietary format, no lock-in, no subscription. Why Nodus? Most note apps are too complex. Nodus focuses on what matters: writing, linking, and thinking. Features - Plain Markdown files in iCloud Drive — open with any Markdown editor on Mac or iOS - Wiki-style links with [[timestamp]] syntax that survive title renames - Fast full-text AND search across filenames and body text - Clean edit / preview toggle with full GFM Markdown rendering - Sort by updated date, created date, title, backlink count, or random - Created and updated timestamps read from the file system — no front matter needed Your files, your way Select any folder in iCloud Drive as your Zettelkasten. Use Nodus alongside your existing notes and desktop editors — everything stays in sync automatically.

Screenshots

Brainwave4 screens
Nodus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Nodus at Free against Brainwave's $0.99. Nodus also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). Brainwave's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.6). On 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

Nodus is free to download; Brainwave costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brainwave ships an update every 3 months, Nodus every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Brainwave versus Nodus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainwaveNodus
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZymbiotic TechnologiesNakada Kyota

In-app purchases

None

Brainwave

No in-app purchases

None

Nodus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brainwave free?
Brainwave costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nodus free?
Nodus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Brainwave or Nodus have ads?
Neither Brainwave nor Nodus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brainwave or Nodus?
Brainwave ships an update every 3 months, and Nodus every 5 days. Most recently, Brainwave was updated on November 1, 2026 and Nodus on October 28, 2026.

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