Brain.fm vs Freedom

Brain.fm

• People who find lyrics distracting while they work
• Timed work sprints with a built-in interval timer
• One subscription that also covers sleep and meditation audio

Freedom

• People who want one blocking session to cover a computer and a phone together
• Cutting off the whole internet, not only selected sites, for a set period
• Buyers who would rather pay once for lifetime access than subscribe

Brain.fm

• There is no free plan; listening after the free trial requires a subscription.
• The pricing page does not state how long the trial lasts; the 14-day figure comes from the App Store listing.
• The yearly plan is charged as a single $99.99 payment; paying monthly costs $14.99 a month.
• The student discount and team pricing are arranged by contacting the company rather than at checkout.

Freedom

• Free accounts are limited to Start Now sessions of up to 2 hours; scheduling, recurring sessions and Locked Mode need Premium.
• Linux and Chromebook are supported through the browser extension only, and app blocking is not available on Chromebook.
• Website exceptions, which allow only the sites you list, work on Mac and Windows only.

Brain.fm

Modes for different activities

Focus covers Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work and Motivation. Separate modes handle relaxation, sleep, including power naps, and guided or unguided meditation.

Adjustable neural effect level

The intensity of the modulation in the music can be turned up or down. A short quiz at sign-up sets a starting level, and a high level is aimed at listeners with ADHD.

Built-in timers

A count-up timer tracks how long you have worked, a countdown timer ends a session, and an interval timer alternates work and breaks in the Pomodoro style.

Music made to stay in the background

Tracks have no lyrics or intrusive sounds and run extra long so that a work session is not broken up by song changes.

Offline listening on mobile

The App Store listing says music can be downloaded for offline use, including in airplane mode.

Desktop apps with menu bar control

Apps for macOS 12 or later and Windows 10 or later sit alongside the web player, with playback control from the Mac menu bar.

Freedom

Website, app and internet blocking

A session can block chosen websites, chosen apps or all internet access. App blocking covers Mac, Windows, iOS and Android but not Chromebook.

Preset and custom blocklists

Start from a preset list of distracting sites and apps or build your own. On Mac and Windows a list can also work in reverse, allowing only the sites you name.

Sessions across devices

One session can include several devices at once, such as a laptop and a phone. Every plan, including Free, allows unlimited devices.

Scheduled and recurring sessions

Premium lets sessions start automatically at a set time and repeat on a schedule. Free accounts can only start a session immediately.

Locked Mode

A Premium setting that prevents a session from being ended before its timer runs out.

Focus sounds

Background audio for a session, with a choice of music and ambient recordings such as cafes, libraries and nature.

Brain.fm

• Yearly plan$99.99

  per year, billed annually

  Full access to the focus, relax, sleep and meditate modes on web, desktop and mobile. Starts with a free trial.

• Monthly plan$14.99

  per month, billed monthly

  The same access paid month to month, with cancellation at any time.

Freedom

• Free$0

  Website, app and internet blocking on unlimited devices with custom blocklists. Start Now sessions only, capped at 2 hours.

• Premium Yearly$3.33

  per month, billed yearly ($39.99)

  Adds scheduled, recurring and start-later sessions, Locked Mode, sessions longer than 2 hours and partner discounts.

• Premium Monthly$8.99

  per month, billed monthly

  The same Premium features as the yearly plan, paid month to month.

• Forever$199

  one-time purchase

  Lifetime Premium access with no recurring charge. The pricing page showed it marked down to $99.50 on the date checked.

Brain.fm

• Annual discount

  Yearly plan costs less than paying monthly

  The yearly plan is $99.99 against $14.99 a month, which comes to $179.88 over twelve months. The pricing page marks the yearly plan with a 40% discount badge.

• Education

  20% discount for active students

  Students can email support from a .edu address, or send a copy of a student ID or other proof of enrollment, to receive 20% off.

• Other savings

  Special pricing for teams

  Brain.fm supports team accounts for companies and classrooms and asks teams to get in touch through a form for special pricing.

Freedom

• Annual discount

  Lower price with yearly billing

  Premium costs $39.99 billed yearly, shown as $3.33 a month, against $8.99 billed monthly. The pricing page labels the yearly option "Save 40%".

• Lifetime license

  Forever plan: pay once for lifetime Premium

  Freedom sells lifetime Premium access as a single payment with no recurring charges. The list price is $199; the pricing page showed $99.50 on the date checked.