The Brain.fm alternative that shows its working
Hum is wordless music for focus and sleep, at $59.99 a year next to Brain.fm’s $99.99. It tells you why it picked each setting, and a coach reads your own ratings. Here’s how the two compare.
Eight ways Hum beats Brain.fm
$40 less a year
Hum is $59.99 a year. Brain.fm lists $99.99. Paying monthly, it’s $7.99 against $14.99, and your first 14 days with Hum cost $1.
A pulse that answers to you
If a steady pulse gets on your nerves, switch it off and keep the music. Or pick Low, Medium or High, or set the rate by hand up to 40 Hz, with the number on screen. We couldn’t find a rate you can set by hand at Brain.fm.
A coach that reads your own ratings
It compares your sessions by time of day, session length and whether you named the task first, then gives you one thing it noticed and one thing to try. We couldn’t find anything like it at Brain.fm.
Every setting explains itself
Hum shows you why it picked each setting and how strong the evidence is, and you can change any of it. We couldn’t find that at Brain.fm.
Music written live as you listen
Five styles of music written as it plays, plus 52 library tracks. No words at all, and no chorus to get stuck in your head. We couldn’t find live-written music at Brain.fm.
Listen before you sign up
Try the live app on our home page, then get up to 3 minutes in the setup, with no account, no email and no card. We couldn’t find a way to listen at Brain.fm without signing up.
Money back, even if you listened every day
14 days, on monthly or yearly, for any reason. Brain.fm’s terms rule out refunds for partial terms, and the 60-day guarantee on its blog is for the yearly plan.
No trackers
No analytics, ads or third-party scripts, on the site or in the app. Brain.fm’s home page references Google Tag Manager, Facebook, TikTok and Amplitude.
Hum vs Brain.fm, feature by feature
| Feature | Hum | Brain.fm |
|---|---|---|
| Hear the real sound with no account or email | Yes | Not found |
| A reason and the strength of the evidence for each setting | Yes | Not found |
| A coach that reads your own ratings | Yes | Not found |
| A pulse you can set by hand, with the rate shown in Hz | Yes | Not found |
| Music written live as it plays | Yes | Not found |
| Nature sounds and noise you can mix yourself | Yes | Yes |
| Focus, relax, meditate and sleep in one place | Yes | Yes |
| In English, French, German, Spanish and Italian | Yes | Yes |
| Money back within 14 days even after listening, on monthly and yearly | Yes | Not found |
| Cancel from your own account | Yes | Yes |
| No analytics, ad or third-party scripts | Yes | Not found |
| Price | $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year, with $1 for your first 14 days | $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a free trial |
What Hum gives you
- Reasons you can check. Each setting comes with the reason and the strength of the evidence, and you can change any of it.
- A coach that reads your own ratings. It compares your sessions, then gives you one thing it noticed and one thing to try.
- A pulse you control. Off, Low, Medium or High, with the rate shown in Hz, and up to 40 Hz by hand.
- A deal that’s hard to get wrong. Hear it free with no account, then $1 for your first 14 days, with your money back if you change your mind, even if you’ve listened every day.
- No trackers. No analytics, no ads and no third-party scripts, on the site or in the app.
What Brain.fm does well
Brain.fm has its own apps for iOS, Android and desktop, downloads for offline listening on mobile, and a published study of its own music, which our science page covers. Its blog also mentions a 60-day money-back guarantee on the yearly plan. Hum runs in your browser and has its own apps for Windows, Mac and Android, with music you can keep for offline.
Questions
Is Hum better than Brain.fm?
On price, control and transparency, yes. Hum costs $40 less a year, lets you switch the pulse off or set its rate by hand, explains every setting and has a coach that reads your own ratings. Brain.fm’s edge is its own apps, offline listening and a published study of its own music. Hear Hum free and judge by ear.
Is Hum or Brain.fm better for ADHD?
Hum gives you the control. It asks how often you lose focus, sets the pulse and the noise from your answers, shows you why, and lets you change any of it. We know of no test of the two head to head.
Is Hum a good alternative to Brain.fm?
If you want to see why you got each setting, set the pulse yourself and have a coach read your own ratings, yes. You can judge it by ear first: the live app on the home page needs no account and no email.
Is Hum cheaper than Brain.fm?
Yes, at the listed prices. Hum is $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year, with $1 for your first 14 days. Brain.fm lists $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a free trial. We checked both on 5 November 2026.
Will Hum help me focus or sleep?
That’s what it’s built for, and you can judge it by ear before you pay. Its settings draw on research into music, noise and breathing, and the science page has the numbers. Then test it on yourself: Hum’s blind test plays your next 16 focus sessions with the pulse or without it, in an order it keeps from you, and shows you how the two compared.
You’ve read enough. Press play
Answer the first question and the sound starts, with no card to hear it. If it isn’t for you, close the tab.