Comparison

self EMDR vs PulseWave

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

Head to head
About

self EMDR

This application provides auditory and visual stimulation to aid in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. It is designed to create effects that support the therapeutic process. Users should consult a healthcare professional before use.

Highlights
  • Auditory stimulation effects
  • Visual stimulation effects
  • Supports EMDR therapy process
  • Consultation advisories
  • Health warning resources
Features
Read full description

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. (Ref. *1) It is a therapeutic method that uses bilateral stimulation, often through guided eye movement, sound, or tapping. Self EMDR provides a simple, self-paced visual and audio stimulation tool. You control the movement, speed, appearance, and sound yourself. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MEDICAL DISCLAIMER This app is not a replacement for professional therapy. Please consult a doctor or therapist before using EMDR-style stimulation, especially if you have trauma symptoms, epilepsy, dissociation, severe anxiety, or other medical or psychological concerns. This app offers a function that creates auditory and visual effects for stimulation. Under certain circumstances, this stimulation may be contraindicated for you. (Ref. *2) Please consultat your doctor/therapist and read our health warning on https://selfemdr.app/intro.html before use. (Ref. *3) In addition, here are some sources you might want to consider: *1 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_Movement_Desensitization_and_Reprocessing/ *2 https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-908 *3 https://www.castlecraig.co.uk/therapy/dangers-of-emdr/ 4. https://emdrhealing.com/safe-place-for-your-emdr-session-here-are-some-script-examples/ 5. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ 6. https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/ 7. https://www.therapie.de/psyche/info/therapie/emdr/anwendungsgebiete/

About

PulseWave

Features
Read full description

Between tasks, before a meeting or as the day winds down: make room for a pause that fits your moment. Start a Guided Reset for 30, 60 or 120 seconds. Follow the orb: breathe in for five, out for five. Sound and haptics are optional, and no sign-up is needed to begin. CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT - Breathing: choose a rhythm, duration and atmosphere. Explore coherent breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8. - Tapping: follow guided points and instructions at your own pace. - Meditation: try the one-minute STOP pause or choose a longer guided session. - Evening: build a routine with narrated sleep sessions, gentle sounds and hypnosis sessions you can stop at any time. - Sound: explore ready-made soundscapes or mix rain, ocean, wind and noise textures for work or rest. - Reflection: check in with your mood and add a few words to your journal. A seven-day foundation program helps you continue after your first session. Breathing is free to start. Premium adds the extended library, custom sound creator and additional guidance tools. PRIVACY BY CHOICE Usage analytics stays off unless you choose to share limited feature and session events after your first completed session. It never includes journal text or audio content, and you can change the choice in Settings. No advertising or cross-app tracking. No named account is required. Journal and mood entries stay on the device by default and sync only after separate consent. PulseWave is a wellness app, not a medical device or clinical service. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. If you have a medical, cardiovascular, sleep, or mental health concern, consult a qualified professional. PulseWave Premium is available as a monthly or annual auto-renewable subscription. New eligible users may start the annual plan with a 7-day free trial; the monthly plan has no free trial. After any applicable free trial, payment is charged to your Apple ID under the terms shown before confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.highroadsoftware.com/apps/pulsewave/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.highroadsoftware.com/apps/pulsewave/terms.html

Screenshots

self EMDR4 screens
PulseWave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PulseWave at Free against self EMDR's $2.99. PulseWave also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). self EMDR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support 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

PulseWave is free to download; self EMDR costs $2.99 up front. PulseWave sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. self EMDR asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

self EMDR ships an update every 3 weeks, PulseWave weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
self EMDR versus PulseWave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterself EMDRPulseWave
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, Mac
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB191 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChristian AhrweilerCOBI Management

In-app purchases

None

self EMDR

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

PulseWave

Subscriptions2
  • PulseWave Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • PulseWave Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is self EMDR free?
self EMDR costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PulseWave free?
PulseWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do self EMDR or PulseWave have ads?
Neither self EMDR nor PulseWave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, self EMDR or PulseWave?
self EMDR ships an update every 3 weeks, and PulseWave weekly. Most recently, self EMDR was updated on November 4, 2026 and PulseWave on November 5, 2026.

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