Brain.fm vs Portal

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

Portal

• People who focus or sleep better with nature sounds than music
• Mac users who want a moving nature scene as their desktop
• Homes with Philips Hue or Nanoleaf lights
• Families: Premium can be shared with up to five relatives

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.

Portal

• Apple devices only: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. No Android, Windows or web version is listed.
• Open Access covers 3 portals at a time; the rest of the library and smart lighting support need a Premium membership.
• The App Store listing requires iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or macOS 15.4 or later, and some v4 features need iOS 26.
• On the Mac, HomeKit lights are not supported and visuals cannot span more than one screen.

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.

Portal

Motion visuals

Window-like views of nature filmed with digital cinema cameras in up to 12K resolution. On the Mac they play full screen or as a moving desktop background.

Spatial audio

Nature recordings in spatial audio, up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. Head-tracked playback needs AirPods (3rd generation or later), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or Beats Fit Pro.

Timers, breathing and wake-up alarm

A Pomodoro timer, a sleep timer, meditation timers and breathing exercises are built in, along with a virtual sunrise wake-up alarm.

Smart lighting

Philips Hue lights on a Hue Bridge and Nanoleaf panels can follow the light and hue of each scene. HomeKit lights are supported on iPhone and iPad but not on the Mac.

Circadian Flow

Syncs Portal with the local time of day and plays portals that follow the changing light outside from sunrise to sunset. Whole collections can also play in sequence.

Audio mixing and offline use

Portal's sound can play under your own music, podcasts, audiobooks or guided meditations. Portals can be made available offline, and Siri, Shortcuts and widgets give quick access.

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.

Portal

• Open Access$0

  Three portals, changed monthly, with no ads or time limits, plus the timers, breathing exercises and audio mixing.

• Monthly Membership$2.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Portal Premium billed monthly: the full library of more than 100 portals on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro, with smart lighting.

• Annual Membership$29.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same Premium access, billed as one payment for the full year.

• Portal Membership (Lifetime)$99.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium access for a single up-front payment. Portal's FAQ says Lifetime memberships may be available from time to time.

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.

Portal

• Annual discount

  Annual Membership costs about 16% less than monthly

  The US App Store lists the Annual Membership at $29.99 against the Monthly Membership at $2.99, which comes to $35.88 over twelve months.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Membership for a one-time payment

  A Portal Membership (Lifetime) in-app purchase is listed at $99.99 on the US App Store, charged as a single up-front payment.