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Productivity · head to head

Brain.fm vs Habitica

Brain.fm logo

Brain.fm

Productivity

Scientifically-designed music to enhance focus and productivity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Habitica logo

Habitica

Productivity

Open source task manager that runs your habits, dailies and to-dos as a role-playing game

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brain.fm monthly plan at $14.99/month significantly more expensive per unit than annual plan ($8.33/month equivalent); Habitica nothing verifies a completed task, so the entire reward economy runs on self-report, and the first time you tick a Daily you did not do, the health and gold mechanics stop meaning anything and the app becomes a checklist with a cartoon on it.
  • They diverge on capability: Brain.fm covers Neuroscience-designed music, Habitica covers Three task types.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brain.fm and Habitica actually diverge.

Attributes where Brain.fm and Habitica differ
AttributeBrain.fmHabitica
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20152013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Brain.fm

  • Neuroscience-designed music
  • Focus tracks
  • Relaxation tracks
  • Sleep tracks
  • Offline mode
  • Multiple genres
  • Cross-platform access
  • Ad-free experience

Only in Habitica

  • Three task types
  • Health and damage
  • Parties and quests
  • Classes and skills
  • Pets and mounts
  • Challenges
  • Custom rewards
  • Group plans

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Brain.fm

  • Focus and deep worknot Habitica
  • Sleep improvementnot Habitica
  • ADHD supportnot Habitica
  • Stress reductionnot Habitica
  • Creative work sessionsnot Habitica

Habitica

  • You have abandoned every plain to-do list and need an external consequence for skipping a routine.not Brain.fm
  • A small group of friends or a study group wants mutual accountability without a project tracker.not Brain.fm
  • Building daily habits such as medication, exercise or practice, where the streak matters more than any deadline.not Brain.fm
  • You want a task tool you can export from and in principle self-host, rather than one that holds your data.not Brain.fm

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Brain.fm

  • Monthly plan at $14.99/month significantly more expensive per unit than annual plan ($8.33/month equivalent)
  • ADHD mode available only with active subscription; no trial access to specialised features
  • No offline mode documented; requires internet connectivity for audio delivery
  • Content library composition not published (proprietary vs. licensed music distinction unclear)

Habitica

  • Nothing verifies a completed task, so the entire reward economy runs on self-report, and the first time you tick a Daily you did not do, the health and gold mechanics stop meaning anything and the app becomes a checklist with a cartoon on it.
  • Missed Dailies cost health whether you were ill, travelling or on holiday, so returning after a week away can mean death, a lost level and stripped gear, which is the point at which many users abandon the account rather than rebuild it.
  • The task features are thin next to conventional managers, with no subtask dependencies, no file attachments, no nested projects and limited recurrence rules, so anything more structured than a flat list has to be kept somewhere else.
  • Development is carried by a small core team with volunteer contributors, so mobile releases, sync fixes and platform updates arrive slowly and reported bugs can sit on the community boards for a long time.
  • There is no organisational layer at all, meaning no admin console, no single sign-on and no way to provision or remove members, so a company cannot adopt it centrally even where individual employees rely on it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Brain.fm

Free
  • Monthly$14.99/month
    • Task-based audio across all categories
    • Focus modes: Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work, Motivation
    • Relaxation modes: Unwind, Destress, Recharge, Chill
  • Yearly$99.99/year
    • All monthly plan features
    • 40% savings vs. monthly billing
    • Task-based audio across all categories

Habitica

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic habit and task tracking
    • Character creation
    • Community features
  • Membership$4.99/month
    • Premium items and gear
    • Extra experience
    • Pet and mount system

Which should you pick?

Choose Brain.fm if

  • You need neuroscience-designed music.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want focus tracks.
Brain.fm review

Choose Habitica if

  • You need three task types.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want health and damage.
Habitica review

Questions people ask

Is Brain.fm or Habitica better?
Neither clearly leads. Brain.fm starts at Free and Habitica at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brain.fm or Habitica?
Brain.fm starts at Free and Habitica at Free.
Does Brain.fm or Habitica run on more platforms?
Brain.fm runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Habitica runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Brain.fm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Brain.fm best used for?
Brain.fm is most often used for focus and deep work, sleep improvement, adhd support, stress reduction. Of those, focus and deep work and sleep improvement are not what Habitica is typically brought in for.
What can Brain.fm do that Habitica cannot?
Brain.fm covers Neuroscience-designed music, Focus tracks, Relaxation tracks, Sleep tracks. Habitica covers Three task types, Health and damage, Parties and quests, Classes and skills.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brain.fm: How much does Brain.fm cost?

Brain.fm costs $14.99/month or $99.99/year. The yearly plan offers 40% savings compared to paying monthly.

Source
Habitica: Is Habitica actually free?

Yes. Every task feature is free with no time limit. The subscription buys gems, monthly mystery items and higher drop rates, so not paying never costs you access to your own lists.

Brain.fm: Can I try Brain.fm before paying?

Yes. Brain.fm offers a free trial before you commit to either the monthly or yearly paid plan.

Source
Habitica: Can I get my data out?

Yes. Habitica exports your user data as JSON and your task history as CSV, and the code is open source, so the data is genuinely portable even though nothing else will import the game state.

Brain.fm: What audio modes does Brain.fm offer?

Brain.fm includes task-based audio for Focus (Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work, Motivation), Relaxation (Unwind, Destress, Recharge, Chill), Sleep (Guided Sleep, Deep Sleep, Sleep and Wake, Wind Down, Power Nap), and Meditation (Guided and Unguided).

Source
Habitica: Does it work offline?

Badly. The mobile apps queue some actions, but scoring, drops and party activity need a connection, and long offline stretches tend to produce sync conflicts.

Brain.fm: Can I cancel Brain.fm anytime?

Yes. You can cancel at any time from your Account Overview or by contacting support. There are no long-term contracts.

Source
Habitica: Can a team at work use it?

There are paid group plans for parties, but no admin console, no single sign-on and no company billing, so it suits a group of willing colleagues rather than a managed rollout.

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