Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Brain.fm vs Tana

Brain.fm logo

Brain.fm

Productivity

Scientifically-designed music to enhance focus and productivity

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tana logo

Tana

Productivity

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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); Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • They diverge on capability: Brain.fm covers Neuroscience-designed music, Tana covers Outliner interface.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Brain.fm and Tana differ
AttributeBrain.fmTana
Starting price$14.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopWeb, Desktop
Founded20152020

Identical on both: 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 Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Brain.fm

  • Knowledge workers requiring focus audio for deep work blocksnot Tana
  • ADHD individuals seeking neurologically-optimised audio for concentrationnot Tana
  • Students preparing for exams with learning and meditation supportnot Tana

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot Brain.fm
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot Brain.fm
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot 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)

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Brain.fm

$14.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Brain.fm review.

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features
    • Supertags
    • Searches
  • Pro$10/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Priority support
    • Extended history

Which should you pick?

Choose Brain.fm if

  • You need neuroscience-designed music.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want focus tracks.
Brain.fm review

Choose Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.
Tana review

Questions people ask

Is Brain.fm or Tana better?
Neither clearly leads. Brain.fm starts at $14.99/month and Tana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brain.fm or Tana?
Tana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14.99/month for Brain.fm and Free for Tana.
Does Brain.fm or Tana run on more platforms?
Brain.fm runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Tana runs on Web, Desktop.
Can I use Tana for free?
Yes. Tana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Brain.fm starts at $14.99/month.
What is Brain.fm best used for?
Brain.fm is most often used for knowledge workers requiring focus audio for deep work blocks, adhd individuals seeking neurologically-optimised audio for concentration, students preparing for exams with learning and meditation support. Of those, knowledge workers requiring focus audio for deep work blocks and adhd individuals seeking neurologically-optimised audio for concentration are not what Tana is typically brought in for.
What can Brain.fm do that Tana cannot?
Brain.fm covers Neuroscience-designed music, Focus tracks, Relaxation tracks, Sleep tracks. Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration.
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Related pages

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