Comparison

Brainwaves vs Star Writer

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

Head to head
About

Brainwaves

This app uses science-backed binaural beats to guide your brain into desired states like deep sleep, sharp focus, or calm. It offers over 500 precision sessions for sleep, focus, relaxation, and consciousness exploration without requiring meditation experience. Just use headphones for 15-60 minutes to experience its benefits.

Highlights
  • Science-backed binaural beats
  • 7 brainwave bands (Delta to Epsilon)
  • Signature sessions for focus, sleep, and calm
  • Sleep aid and insomnia relief
  • Focus aid and brain fog reduction
  • Anxiety calm and stress relief
  • Consciousness exploration features
Features
Read full description

Step inside your mind. Foggy mornings, wired midnights, the 3 PM crash in between, your brainwaves are stuck out of sync, and sound can shift them back. Science-backed binaural beats guide your brain into deep sleep, sharp focus, calm, recovery, or states beyond ordinary awareness. No meditation. No pills. Just headphones and 15 to 60 minutes. Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman has publicly discussed 40 Hz gamma binaural beats as a tool for focus and concentration. That is the science Brainwaves is built on. 7 BRAINWAVE BANDS, DELTA TO EPSILON Delta for deep sleep. Theta for dreaming. Alpha for calm. Beta for focus. Gamma for peak cognition. Epsilon for deep transcendence. SIGNATURE SESSIONS Deep Gamma Focus (40 Hz Gamma): sharp attention and working memory. Deep Sleep Night (Theta): drift into deep sleep faster. Ultra Sleep System (Delta 2 Hz): slow-wave sleep for physical restoration. Nervous System Reset (Alpha 10 Hz): calm stress, restore balance. Flow State Engine (Alpha 11 Hz): peak flow for deep work. Serotonin Release (Alpha 10 Hz): lift mood, ease tension. SLEEP AID AND INSOMNIA RELIEF Fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Delta journeys (0.5 to 4 Hz) for racing thoughts, 3am wake-ups, stress, late-night screens, and jet lag. A drug-free sleep aid for people who have tried everything. FOCUS AID AND BRAIN FOG Cut through fog with beta and gamma sessions (13 to 40 Hz). Sharpen clarity for deep work, study, and mental fitness. ANXIETY CALM AND STRESS RELIEF Alpha and theta soundscapes (4 to 12 Hz) ease tension and rebalance your nervous system. No meditation experience needed. HEALTH AND RECOVERY Solfeggio frequencies layered with brainwave audio for whole-body reset and recovery from burnout. CONSCIOUSNESS EXPERIENCE, EXCLUSIVE TO BRAINWAVES Beyond sleep and focus, Brainwaves is built for altered states of consciousness you will not find in other brainwave apps. Astral Projection: guided exploration beyond the limits of the physical. Remote Viewing: expand perception beyond ordinary sight and strengthen intuition. Lucid Dreaming: become aware inside your dreams and learn to steer them. Fifth Dimension: transcend ordinary perception. Gamma and Epsilon Journeys: expanded awareness and deep transcendence. 963 Hz Pineal Gland Activation: the God Frequency, for deep meditation, whole-brain coherence, and higher states of awareness. WHY BRAINWAVES 500+ precision sessions across sleep, focus, relaxation, spiritual exploration, and health. EEG-mapped frequencies: science-informed design, not random tones. Personalized journeys: tell us your goals, we guide your first session. Offline listening and Family Sharing: download favorites and share with your family. Free trial: try it before you commit, cancel anytime. WHAT TO EXPECT Night 1 to 3: the beat gives your attention somewhere to go, so it is easier to switch off. By day 4 to 7 you reach sleep, focus, or calm faster, and from week 2 the state holds longer. Individual results vary. WHO IT IS FOR You have tried meditation apps and they did not stick. You want a drug-free sleep, focus, or recovery aid. Brainwaves was made for you. SAFETY Headphones or earbuds are required. Do not listen while driving or operating machinery. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Begin with a free trial. Your subscription automatically renews 24 hours before the end of each billing period and is charged through your iTunes account. Cancel anytime before the trial ends and you will not be charged. Turn off automatic renewal anytime in your account settings. No refund for unused portions. Privacy Policy: http://www.imoblife.net/PrivacyPolicy/ Terms of Service: http://www.imoblife.net/PrivacyPolicy/Terms_of_Use.html Disclaimer: Brainwaves is a wellness tool supported by neuroscience research. Not a medical device. Consult your physician for clinical conditions.

About

Star Writer

Create mesmerizing psychedelic art with this drawing tool. The speed of your finger movements directly influences the flow of energy in your creations. Explore endless visual possibilities by adjusting star sizes.

Highlights
  • Psychedelic imagery creation
  • Finger-drag responsive energy flow
  • Adjustable star sizes
  • Intuitive drawing interface
Features
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Star Writer is the essential tool for creating beautiful psychedelic imagery. The flow of energy through your drawing is directly responsive to how fast you drag your finger across the screen. Adjust the size of your stars for endless possibilities!

Screenshots

Brainwaves4 screens
Star Writer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Star Writer at 5.0 against Brainwaves's 4.4. Star Writer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). Brainwaves's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 6). On price, review sentiment, 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

Both are free to download. Brainwaves sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Star Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainwaves has 3.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Brainwaves's written reviews are positive against 83% of Star Writer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brainwaves ships an update weekly, Star Writer every 42 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Brainwaves versus Star Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainwavesStar Writer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (3.3K ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.3K — better6
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 42 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#166 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size267 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiMobLife Inc.Rainbow Brainskull LLC

Customer experience

Brainwaves

All ratings3,328 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews1,111 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative20.2%

Star Writer

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Brainwaves

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Subscription issues and inability to cancel
  • Tracks randomly stopping or skipping
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Syncing problems between app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to create and save custom playlists
  • Option to loop tracks or set sleep timers
  • Better search and filtering capabilities
  • More detailed information about each track
  • Integration with other health/wellness apps

Star Writer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Brainwaves

Subscriptions10
  • Discover the Science of Sound14 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Brainwaves special offer$12.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription3 Months trial$12.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Brainwaves special offer$14.991 Month
  • Brainwaves Special Offer$34.991 Year
  • Optimize Your Focus7 Days trial$37.991 Year
  • Annual Premium$47.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium7 Days trial$48.991 Year
  • Yearly Special Offer$49.991 Year
  • Premium for Spiritual Healing7 Days trial$59.991 Year
None

Star Writer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brainwaves free?
Brainwaves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Writer free?
Star Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brainwaves or Star Writer?
Star Writer is rated higher. Brainwaves averages 4.4 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Star Writer averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Brainwaves or Star Writer have ads?
Neither Brainwaves nor Star Writer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brainwaves or Star Writer?
Brainwaves ships an update weekly, and Star Writer every 42 months. Most recently, Brainwaves was updated on November 10, 2026 and Star Writer on November 6, 2026.

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