zensoundlab vs Thought Waves
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
zensoundlab
Create personalized audio therapy sessions with real-time generation of binaural beats, noise colors, and pure tones. Customize frequency, spectrum, and layer sounds for focus, sleep, or relaxation. Features a smart sleep timer and optional responsive visuals.
- Real-time binaural beat generation (0.5-40 Hz)
- Customizable noise colors (white, pink, brown, blue, violet)
- Pure tones and Shepard tones
- Layered sound sessions
- Pre-set therapy sessions
- Smart sleep timer with Lock Screen integration
- Responsive visuals
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Your own audio therapy. ZenSoundLab generates binaural beats, noise colours and pure tones in real time, and lets you layer them into a session you control down to the hertz. WHAT YOU CAN BUILD • Binaural beats from 0.5 to 40 Hz across the Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma bands, on a dial that gives the low frequencies the room they need • Noise in white, pink, brown, blue and violet — or shape your own spectrum • Pure tones, and rising or falling Shepard tones • Stack as many layers as you like, each with its own level SESSIONS TO START FROM Focus, Deep Sleep, Relaxation, Study Session, Settling, Paced Breathing, Alternating Pan, and the plain noise colours. Load one, then change anything about it. THE SLEEP TIMER Set it and the session winds down over its final 30 seconds rather than stopping dead. It runs on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, counting down on its own, with a pause button that works without opening the app. VISUALS, IF YOU WANT THEM Four generated visuals that respond to what you are actually hearing, or your own looping video. Or turn them off entirely. FREE, AND SELLING YOU NOTHING Apps in this category commonly charge around $60 a year. ZenSoundLab is free. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads, and no data collection of any kind — there is no account and no analytics. Binaural beats need headphones to work, and the app tells you when they are required.
Thought Waves
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Thought Waves is an AI-powered music creation and discovery app designed to match your mood. Whether you want to generate original music with AI or discover songs that fit how you feel, Thought Waves delivers a personalized listening experience. Simply choose your mood and describe what you want. Thought Waves uses advanced AI to create unique music tailored to your preferences. You can also explore mood-based recommendations from Spotify and YouTube, making it easy to switch between AI-generated music and your favorite streaming platforms. **Key Features** • Generate original music from simple text prompts using AI. • Select your mood to personalize both music generation and recommendations. • Create instrumental or vocal tracks. • Discover music that matches your mood from Spotify and YouTube. • Enjoy AI-powered DJ transitions that create smooth connections between tracks. • Search for songs, artists, and AI-generated music. • Save your favorite tracks for quick access. • Enjoy a seamless and intuitive music listening experience. Thought Waves combines cutting-edge AI with the world's leading music platforms to create a unique experience where every playlist, recommendation, and AI-generated track is inspired by your mood. Whether you're relaxing, working out, studying, celebrating, or simply looking for something new to listen to, Thought Waves helps you discover and create the perfect soundtrack for every moment. Download Thought Waves today and experience music that truly matches your mood. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Thought Waves at 14.0.0 against zensoundlab's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
zensoundlab ships an update every 2 months, Thought Waves monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | zensoundlab | Thought Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 14.0.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PracticallyZen, LLC | Thought Waves LLC |
In-app purchases
zensoundlab
No in-app purchases
Thought Waves
No in-app purchases









