A free BrainTap alternative — without the $797 headset

Clinically based AVE therapy, in a free app.

BrainTap and 6th Mind are built on the same idea: rhythmic light paired with rhythmic sound, guiding your brain toward a healthier state. The difference is what it takes to get there. BrainTap asks $797 for the LED visor and $260 a year for the app. 6th Mind produces the light with the phone you already own, and costs nothing.

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6th Mind app: session player and session library

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	BrainTap	6th Mind
Upfront cost	$797 for the headset, or $907 bundled with a year of the app	Nothing
Ongoing cost	$29.99/month or $260/year after a 14-day trial	Free app, no ads, no subscription needed. Optional Premium: $5.99/month
How the light is delivered	LEDs inside a proprietary visor you must buy	Your phone's camera flash through closed eyelids, or its screen full-field in headset mode
Using it without hardware	Audio only, so you lose the light entrainment	Full light and sound entrainment, always
Portability	A visor to pack, charge and keep track of	Whatever is already in your pocket
Primary Purpose	General brain fitness and relaxation library	Clinically based mental health therapy for depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout
Foundation	Proprietary session library sold through practitioners	Real clinical practice data from therapeutic sessions
Personalization	Browse and choose from the library	Clinical questionnaires assessing symptoms and personality traits
Best For	Clinics and practitioners equipping a treatment room	Anyone who wants AVE therapy at home without buying equipment

Why choose 6th Mind over BrainTap

1. The screen replaces the visor

BrainTap's light entrainment lives in the headset. Without it you are left with audio, which means the $797 purchase is not really optional if you want what the method is built on.

6th Mind pulses light through your phone's camera flash, synchronized to the audio. Both channels of Audio-Visual Entrainment, no hardware in the path, nothing to buy or replace. And if you do want the visor form factor, headset mode delivers it: a $10–$30 3D-printed holder puts the screen right at your eyes, one half per eye, filling your whole visual field.

2. No subscription on top of the hardware

The headset is a one-off cost, but the sessions are not. BrainTap's app runs $29.99 a month or $260 a year, indefinitely, on top of what you already paid for the visor.

The 6th Mind app is free: all 36 sessions, no ads, no trial that quietly converts. There is no plan to choose and nothing to cancel.

3. Therapy protocols, not a content library

BrainTap offers a broad library covering sleep, focus, stress and general brain fitness. You browse and pick what sounds relevant.

6th Mind's sessions are protocols with targets: reducing depression symptoms, calming anxiety, improving sleep quality, recovering from burnout. They come from real therapeutic practice, and the app tracks whether your symptoms actually move.

4. Personalization from clinical assessment

BrainTap lets you filter a catalogue. That is a browsing experience, not an assessment.

6th Mind begins with validated clinical questionnaires covering your symptoms and personality traits, then tailors sessions to that profile and keeps adapting as you report back, the way a therapeutic protocol is meant to work.

5. Available anywhere, immediately

BrainTap is often encountered in a chiropractor's or practitioner's office, with the home version gated behind shipping and setup.

6th Mind downloads in under a minute and works wherever you are: no appointment, no delivery, no device to remember to pack.

When to choose which

Choose BrainTap if you:

Run a clinic and want equipment for a treatment room
Specifically want a dedicated LED visor rather than your phone in headset mode
Want a large general library of brain fitness content
Are comfortable with hardware plus an ongoing subscription

Choose 6th Mind if you:

Do not want to spend $797 on a headset
Struggle with depression, anxiety, or burnout
Have insomnia or sleep problems
Want light entrainment without carrying a device
Want a free app with no subscription needed

The same method, without the equipment

6th Mind delivers Audio-Visual Entrainment (synchronized light and sound) using nothing but the phone you already carry. Protocols built from real therapeutic practice, sessions that adapt to your symptoms, and no headset, subscription or clinic visit standing between you and the first session.

A 6th Mind collection

Deep Rest

Guided rests that take you down and bring you back up again: a power nap that wakes you up alert, an NSDR body scan that leaves you rested but awake, and Nightfall for when the day is over.

3 packs · 18 sessions · 12 guided · with 6th Mind Premium

Explore Deep Rest →

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to BrainTap?

Yes. The 6th Mind app is free, with no ads, no subscription needed and no trial that converts to paid. BrainTap charges $29.99/month or $260/year for the app, and the headset is a separate $797 purchase. The 6th Mind app gives you all 36 of its clinically based sessions at no cost, using only your phone.

How much does BrainTap cost?

As of August 2026, BrainTap lists the app at $29.99/month or $260/year after a 14-day free trial, the headset at $797 as a standalone purchase, and a Power Bundle of headset plus one year of the app at $907. Promotional pricing is often shown at $180/year, $597 for the headset and $707 for the bundle.

Can I get the BrainTap effect without buying the headset?

The light half of BrainTap's approach comes from LEDs in the visor. 6th Mind produces its light pulses through your phone instead, synchronized with the audio: the camera flash through closed eyelids, or the screen filling your whole visual field in headset mode. You get both channels of Audio-Visual Entrainment without buying or charging a $797 device; the one optional extra is headset mode's 3D-printed holder, at $10–$30.

Does 6th Mind use the same technology as BrainTap?

Both are built on Audio-Visual Entrainment, pairing rhythmic light with rhythmic sound to guide brainwave activity. BrainTap delivers the light through a visor; 6th Mind delivers it through your phone: the camera flash by default, or the screen in headset mode, where a 3D-printed holder turns it into a full-field visor of its own, one half per eye. 6th Mind's session protocols come from real therapeutic practice and target specific mental health symptoms.

Is 6th Mind suitable for anxiety, sleep and burnout?

Yes. 6th Mind's protocols are designed around specific concerns (anxiety, depression, insomnia and burnout) rather than a general library of relaxation tracks. Sessions adapt to the symptoms you report when you begin.

Why is 6th Mind free when BrainTap charges for both hardware and a subscription?

BrainTap is a commercial product sold largely through practitioners and clinics, with the headset and the membership priced separately. At 6th we believe mental health support should be accessible to anyone who needs it, so the 6th Mind app is free, with no ads and no accessory to buy.

Compare 6th Mind with other apps

Weighing up other apps, headsets or light machines? See how the free, clinically based 6th Mind compares as an alternative to each:

Clinically based mental health therapy

Download 6th Mind for free - the clinically based BrainTap alternative. No headset, no subscription needed.