# Brainwaves vs Star Writer

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Brainwaves | Star Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwaves-binaural-beats/id450655712/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 42 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#181** | — |
| Size | 267 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iMobLife Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/398953205) | [Rainbow Brainskull LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/886945476) |

## What reviewers say

### Brainwaves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwaves-binaural-beats/id450655712)

**Currently charting:** #181 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Discover the Science of Sound | $12.99 | per month |
| Brainwaves special offer | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Brainwaves special offer | $14.99 | per month |
| Brainwaves Special Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Optimize Your Focus | $37.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $47.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $48.99 | per year |
| Yearly Special Offer | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium for Spiritual Healing | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent selection of binaural beats and frequencies
- 🧘‍♀️ Helpful for relaxation, sleep, and meditation
- 🤯 Noticeable effects on mental state and focus
- 🙌 Positive impact on health issues like pain and anxiety
- 👍 User-friendly app with good organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription and individual track prices
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and playback issues
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find desired tracks
- 🔁 Lack of playlist and looping functionality
- 🤖 Aggressive marketing and upselling tactics

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*