Benchmark // 3
Compare devices
Channels
0
OpenBCI Cyton
Best in group
0
Muse S Athena (Gen 3)
0
EMOTIV Insight 2.0
Resolution bits
0
OpenBCI Cyton
Best in group
0
Muse S Athena (Gen 3)
0
EMOTIV Insight 2.0
Price (USD)
0$
OpenBCI Cyton
0.0$
Muse S Athena (Gen 3)
Lowest price
0$
EMOTIV Insight 2.0

OpenBCI Cyton
OpenBCI
shipping
- Sensors
- EEGEMG
- XR platforms
- —
- Sampling rate
- 250 Hz
- Wireless
- RFDuino USB dongle
- SDK
- GUI + BrainFlow (Python/Java/C++/C#/MATLAB/Julia/Rust/R)
- Raw data access
- unrestricted (open)
- Subscription required
- No
- Best for
- custom EEG/EMG/ECG hardware, student BCI projects
- Limitations
- bare board; assembly required; older radio architecture

Muse S Athena (Gen 3)
InteraXon
shipping
- Sensors
- EEGfNIRSPPGIMU
- XR platforms
- —
- Sampling rate
- 256 Hz
- Wireless
- BLE 5.3; USB-C
- SDK
- Muse SDK
- Raw data access
- via SDK / research tools
- Subscription required
- NoSDK raw EEG has no Premium requirement; app features $49.99/yr
- Best for
- EEG/fNIRS focus training, sleep studies, portable experiments
- Limitations
- still 4 standard on-head EEG channels; frontal fNIRS coverage

EMOTIV Insight 2.0
EMOTIV
shipping
- Sensors
- EEGIMU
- XR platforms
- —
- Sampling rate
- 128 Hz
- Wireless
- BLE 5 + 2.4GHz dongle
- SDK
- Cortex JSON/WebSocket
- Raw data access
- included (consumer entitlement)
- Subscription required
- NoNo extra API licence; EmotivPRO optional for advanced recording
- Best for
- portable BCI development, teaching, neurofeedback prototypes
- Limitations
- 5 fixed locations; 128 Hz ceiling; proprietary ecosystem