TheBrain

RATING:

4.6

(13)

About TheBrain

TheBrain is an innovative software tool that serves as the ultimate digital memory for individuals seeking to enhance their thinking and expand their ideas. By digitizing the mind, TheBrain allows users to visually see and organize their thoughts, generating a comprehensive context for thinking and action. Users can store unlimited amounts of various kinds of information, including notes, files, web pages, images, and even emails. With a simple drag-and-drop function, users can effortlessly add and access these items directly within TheBrain, creating a unified hub for all their important data.

TheBrain Pricing

Starting price: 

$299.00 per year

Free trial: 

Available

Free version: 

Available

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TheBrain Reviews

Overall Rating

4.6

Ratings Breakdown

Secondary Ratings

Ease-of-use

4.5

Customer Support

4.5

Value for money

4.5

Functionality

4.5

Most Helpful Reviews for TheBrain

1 - 5 of 13 Reviews

User Profile

Omer

Verified reviewer

Professional Training & Coaching, 1 employee

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review Source: Capterra

OVERALL RATING:

5

EASE OF USE

5

VALUE FOR MONEY

5

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

5

FUNCTIONALITY

5

Reviewed March 2024

Materially changed my approach to work

This software, more than any other aoftware or any other tool for that matter, has materially changed my approach to work, ideation, storage and knowledge management.

PROS

TheBrain closely resembles how we tend to think. Non-linear and unorthodox point to point connections.

CONS

I have been using it since 2008 and have no regrets or complaints. The software pushes the envelope in innovation and with that comes the price of staying up to speed on all of the features.

PAUL

Online Media, 1 employee

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review Source: Capterra

OVERALL RATING:

5

EASE OF USE

5

VALUE FOR MONEY

5

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

5

FUNCTIONALITY

5

Reviewed March 2024

Literally, my brain. I keep everything I know I'll forget in it.

I have very few negative things to say about The Brain. It is phenomenal and fast. It has been around a looong time, too. I'm loving the new features coming out and I hope those get added to the app instead of staying web-based. But even if they changed nothing today, I'd still be using it probably forever. It's better than any other thought organization system out there. My gripes are mainly about the mobile experience, but it does still work - it's just due for an upgrade. They offer a free version which I used for a while. The only reason I decided to upgrade was to support the development. The upgrade allows tags and other things I don't use, so I don't really need it. But I'm happy to support people that make my life easier. And my life has become much easier with The Brain.

PROS

My physical brain doesn't do well with software like Evernote and Asana. It does a tad better with OneNote. However, The Brain is SO perfect because of all the associations. Meaning that if I add a recipe for apple pie, for example, it isn't limited to my category of "Desserts." I can also create other high-level categories like "Comfort Food" and "Off My Diet," etc. Most systems I've used are linear. The Brain is multi-dimensional. And getting to each category is a "piece of cake" because the drill-down process is so easy. Furthermore, I can type in the search bar and find what I'm looking for right away - no drilling down necessary. I use this thing for almost everything I will need later (did I like that restaurant? I'll ask my brain. What was the serial number for that software? I'll ask my brain.) It has saved me so many times.

CONS

The mobile app is never updated and simply doesn't work as well. Searching for things in the mobile app doesn't always work. I use the brain on mobile so much. I wish they would update it. Now they are creating a web version (a different one, they already have one which works okay) which in its current state is slower, web-based (not app based), and requires login every time I use it. It also doesn't display correctly nor scroll correctly (like when I'm typing, the keyboard covers what I'm typing). The web version is early, so it's unfair to judge. But the development on it is pretty slow. I hope they don't move us to only web-based because it's a bit frustrating to use. However, the new web version is also introducing new features, including AI, so there's SO much potential here. Now if they just update their mobile application to include all the new features, it'd be 5 stars in every category.

Reason for choosing TheBrain

I tried quite a few thought (and more) organizers, but none worked like The Brain.

Reasons for switching to TheBrain

None of the software I used before The Brain worked like my brain. The main reason The Brain works so well for me is that some "thoughts" can be put into different buckets. The Brain allows those different buckets. Also, the visual interface keeps what's important in focus without overloading me with EVERYTHING I don't need to see. If I want to see the rest, it's easy. But in many other programs, the interface is just loaded with too many categories and options.

User Profile

Kate

Verified reviewer

Computer Software, 11-50 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months

Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered

OVERALL RATING:

2

EASE OF USE

5

VALUE FOR MONEY

1

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

2

FUNCTIONALITY

3

Reviewed October 2018

Excellent idea, poor execution

PROS

Thebrain enables me to think the way my brain does. Instead of a hierarchical data map, it allows to quickly and easily create associations, so one node will appear in my client's tasks, the person who is doing the task, in Focus cluster for the week, and so on. I found it fantastic as a task management tool by assigning TODO task type to anything that I want on my list, Follow up for things I delegated, and so on. It even has the ability to set reminders, color-code tasks so urgent matters jump out at me, and "Wander" around the brain, sort of scanning for anything interesting.

CONS

The Android app does not work at all since Android 9 came out. No support there. Does not have an API, so I can't integrate with any other workflow using Zapier. The software is unbelievable as a beta, but I am now looking for alternatives.

Vendor Response

Good news! Much has changed in the Android build since your post. Be sure to visit the Google Play store and update. New help manual is built in as well. And API? It's there now too :) Find more info at https://www.thebrain.com/blog/introducing-thebrain-api

Replied March 2024

George

Health, Wellness and Fitness, 2-10 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review Source: Capterra

OVERALL RATING:

5

EASE OF USE

5

VALUE FOR MONEY

5

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

5

FUNCTIONALITY

5

Reviewed March 2024

My go to note taking app!

Very intuitive software. Really inspiring to see my ideas in the interfaces. I started using this as a work tool, but now use it for family matters, my gardening and travel.

PROS

I love how visual it is, combined with easy to use note taking features like Unlinked Mentions and Backlinks. The recently integrated AI to help me brainstorm and create content quickly. You can navigate through the thoughts or use the search to find content anywhere in my Brain. I've recently started using their BrainBox feature (like a quick save feature) on my mobile phone to capture important information quickly when I'm browsing. Now, years after I started using TheBrain, I'm finding information that I saved in the past that I personally forgot about in my REAL Brain.

CONS

I didn't find a project template immediately for the work I do in the medical field, but now I can create my own with the help of their new AI features.

Reason for choosing TheBrain

Visualization and powerful note taking. It is the only mind mapping tool that can scale to handle thousands of files and topics. It also has very strong collaboration which I don't see in other similar products.

Reasons for switching to TheBrain

No visual link options or ways to see cross connections. Was unhappy with the search.

Patrick

Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 10,000+ employees

Used daily for less than 2 years

Review Source: Capterra

OVERALL RATING:

5

EASE OF USE

5

VALUE FOR MONEY

5

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

5

FUNCTIONALITY

4

Reviewed March 2024

Excellent product, very useful.

10/10. I love it. There are other tools that kind of get there, but none with the ability to cross-link data like The Brain does.

PROS

The best feature of The Brain is the ability to build complex relationships between data elements, and then see them and navigate through them quickly.

CONS

The only thing I dislike about The Brain is that sometimes when searching for something, if the thing I'm searching for is not found, there's a default action that creates that thought under the current active thought. I never want to do that, so when this happens I have to go and delete the thought it just created.

Reasons for switching to TheBrain

Because the complex data structures you can build in The Brain are not possible with any other tool.