6th Mind vs BrainTap
A free BrainTap alternative — without the $797 headset
Clinically based AVE therapy. Free forever.
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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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 | Completely free - no subscription, no ads |
| 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 — 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.
6th Mind is free — the whole app, every session, no ads, no premium tier, 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 completely free solution
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.
Frequently asked questions
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