Productivity · head to head
Brain.fm vs Tana

Brain.fm
Productivity
Scientifically-designed music to enhance focus and productivity
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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); 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.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brain.fm and Tana actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), 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 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
- Focus and deep worknot Tana
- Sleep improvementnot Tana
- ADHD supportnot Tana
- Stress reductionnot Tana
- Creative work sessionsnot 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
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
Tana
Free- FreeFree
- 5 hosted meetings monthly with AI transcripts
- 1 calendar connection
- 50 AI queries
- Pro$20/month
- Early bird pricing (regular $30/month)
- Unlimited hosted meetings
- Botless meeting agent for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
- Max$80/month
- Early bird pricing (regular $120/month)
- 5x more AI than Pro plan
- Dedicated support and onboarding
- Business$null/year
- Custom pricing (billed yearly)
- SAML SSO and advanced security controls
- Designated customer success manager
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.
Choose Tana if
- You need outliner interface.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Desktop.
- You also want supertags.
Questions people ask
- Is Brain.fm or Tana better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brain.fm starts at Free 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?
- Brain.fm starts at Free and Tana at Free.
- 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 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 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.
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.
SourceTana: What is Tana's cheapest paid plan?
Tana Pro starts at $20/month with early bird pricing (regular $30/month) per user, offering unlimited hosted meetings and AI transcripts.
SourceBrain.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.
SourceTana: Does Tana offer a free trial?
Yes, Tana provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, plus a 60-day refund window for yearly plan subscribers.
SourceBrain.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).
SourceTana: What is the difference between Tana Pro and Max plans?
Max provides 5x more AI than Pro ($80/month early bird or $120 regular), dedicated support, onboarding, and unlimited agents and skills.
SourceBrain.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.
SourceRelated pages
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- Tana vs iA Writer
- Tana vs OmniFocus 3
- Tana vs Google Workspace
- Tana vs Hubstaff
- Tana vs Bear Notes
- Tana vs DeskTime
- Tana vs RowShare
- Tana vs Any.do
- Tana vs Forest
- Tana vs HEY
- Tana vs Mealime
- Tana vs Microsoft 365
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- Tana vs FigJam
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- Tana vs iLovePDF
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- Tana vs PDF Expert
- Tana vs TickTick
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