SAINT® vs NeuroStar
Why patients choose SAINT® over NeuroStar.
NeuroStar is the TMS most clinics own: one session a day, five days a week, for six weeks or more. SAINT® is what Stanford built to replace that model — fMRI-guided targeting, 50 sessions in five days, and 79% remission in a placebo-controlled trial.
Verified SAINT® Provider
Listed on Magnus Medical's official locator. The only verified outpatient SAINT® provider on the East Coast.
Board-certified medical director
Care led by Dr. Daniel Pietras, MD, a psychiatrist specializing in treatment-resistant depression.
Placebo-controlled results
79% remission vs 13% sham in a double-blind randomized trial. Average time to remission: 2.6 days.
See if SAINT® is right for you
Five questions. No obligation. A real answer from our clinical team.
Side-by-Side
SAINT® vs NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy
Developer
SAINT®
Magnus Medical (developed at Stanford)
NeuroStar®
Neuronetics, Inc.
FDA status
SAINT®
FDA-cleared, September 2022 (Breakthrough Device designation)
NeuroStar®
FDA-cleared for depression since 2008 — the first TMS device cleared in the U.S.
Cleared for
SAINT®
Adults with major depressive disorder who did not get adequate relief from antidepressant medication in the current episode
NeuroStar®
Major depressive disorder, anxious depression, and OCD (adjunct); adolescents 15–21 for depression (2024)
Ages
SAINT®
Adults 22+
NeuroStar®
Adults; adolescents 15–21 for depression
How the target is chosen
SAINT®
Resting-state fMRI of your own brain, with a proprietary algorithm that picks the stimulation site from your individual connectivity
NeuroStar®
Figure-8 coil positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using scalp measurements from the motor-threshold location (often the '5.5 cm rule' or a similar landmark method)
Treatment schedule
SAINT®
5 consecutive days, 10 short sessions per day (about 10 minutes each) with 50-minute breaks
NeuroStar®
One session per day, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks, plus a taper — typically 36 sessions of about 19 minutes (shorter theta-burst options exist)
Total course
SAINT®
50 sessions in 1 week
NeuroStar®
36 sessions over about 6–9 weeks
Clinical evidence
SAINT®
Double-blind, sham-controlled RCT: 79% remission vs 13% sham (Cole et al., Am J Psychiatry 2022). Open-label: 90% remission, average 2.6 days to remission (Cole et al. 2020)
NeuroStar®
Pivotal RCT supporting 2008 clearance. Company-reported real-world registry: 83% response and 62% remission among patients completing treatment (clinician-rated); 69% response and 36% remission on patient-rated scales
Insurance & cost
SAINT®
Self-pay is most common. BCBS in select states and the BCBS Federal Employee Program in select states; some patients pursue reimbursement
NeuroStar®
Broadly covered by commercial insurance, Medicare, and the VA for treatment-resistant depression
Where it's available
SAINT®
Limited number of Verified SAINT® Providers nationwide. Neuro Wellness is the only verified outpatient SAINT provider on the East Coast
NeuroStar®
Thousands of NeuroStar systems in clinics nationwide
Treatment length
5 days vs 36 sessions over about 6–9 weeks
Targeting
Your fMRI vs scalp landmarks
Evidence
Placebo-controlled RCT, 79% remission
Remission and response figures come from different study designs and populations and are not head-to-head comparisons. Individual results vary. Information about NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy is drawn from public sources as of September 2026; confirm current details with any provider you're considering.
Key Differences
What sets SAINT® apart
The calendar
Each square is one weekday. Filled squares are days you come in for treatment.
Each square is one weekday. Filled squares are days you come in for treatment.
SAINT® sessions are about 10 minutes each, ten per day, with 50-minute breaks in between — you stay awake, and most patients read, work, or rest between sessions.
Five days versus six-plus weeks
A standard NeuroStar course is one 19-minute session a day, five days a week, for six weeks, followed by a taper — 36 visits in all. SAINT® delivers 50 short sessions in five consecutive days. For people who can't step away from work or family for two months, or who are in a severe episode and can't wait, that timeline is the reason they seek out SAINT®.
How the coil finds its spot
NeuroStar targets the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using scalp landmarks measured from the point that makes your thumb twitch. It works well for many people, but the 'right' spot varies from brain to brain. SAINT® replaces the ruler with a resting-state fMRI and an algorithm that computes your individual target from how your prefrontal cortex connects to deeper mood circuits.
Comparing the outcome data
NeuroStar's most-cited numbers — 83% response, 62% remission — come from a large real-world registry of patients who completed treatment, without a sham comparison. SAINT®'s 79% remission figure comes from a smaller double-blind, sham-controlled trial where the sham group reached 13%. A registry counts everyone who finished; a placebo-controlled trial proves the treatment itself is doing the work. SAINT® has the harder kind of evidence — and delivered it in five days.
Why It Matters
Five reasons patients pick SAINT® over NeuroStar
- 1
One week instead of six to nine.
SAINT® is 50 sessions in five consecutive days; NeuroStar is 36 visits spread over more than two months.
- 2
Your target from your own fMRI.
NeuroStar places the coil using a ruler from the spot that makes your thumb twitch — a population average, not your brain.
- 3
Placebo-controlled proof.
SAINT®'s 79% remission came from a double-blind, sham-controlled trial. NeuroStar's 83%/62% headline numbers come from a company registry of patients who finished treatment, with no sham comparison — and its patient-rated remission rate is 36%.
- 4
Relief in days, not weeks.
Average time to remission was 2.6 days in the SAINT® open-label study.
- 5
A path forward if NeuroStar already failed you.
Prior standard TMS does not rule you out for SAINT®.
SAINT® is cleared for adults 22 and older with major depressive disorder who haven't improved on antidepressant medication, and it requires an fMRI. If you're outside those criteria — or NeuroStar-style once-daily TMS is what your insurance will cover — we offer standard TMS in our clinic too, and we'll tell you honestly. Either way, your consultation is free.
FAQ
Common questions
Is SAINT® better than NeuroStar?
On the measures that matter most to someone with treatment-resistant depression — how the target is chosen, how fast relief comes, and how strong the evidence is — SAINT® leads. It's fMRI-guided, finishes in five days, and showed 79% remission against a placebo. NeuroStar's advantage is insurance coverage, and if that's the deciding factor for you, we provide standard TMS in our clinic as well.
I already finished NeuroStar and I'm still depressed. Is SAINT® an option?
Often, yes. A prior course of standard TMS does not exclude you from SAINT®, and a meaningful share of our SAINT® patients have already tried it. Bring your records; our medical director will review your history and fMRI safety.
Why is SAINT® so much faster? Is it just more sessions per day?
Partly. SAINT® uses intermittent theta-burst stimulation ten times a day with 50-minute breaks, which in the trials produced a faster and larger effect than once-daily stimulation. The other half is targeting: each patient's stimulation site is computed from their own fMRI rather than from scalp measurements.
Is standard TMS still a good option?
Standard TMS still helps many people, and it's well covered by insurance, which is why we keep it available. But if you're eligible for SAINT® and can access it, it is the faster, more precisely targeted option with the stronger evidence. If SAINT® isn't possible for you, we'll help you start standard TMS here instead.
Free Consultation
Find out if you're a SAINT® candidate — at no cost
Tell us a little about your history and our care team will reach out within one business day. We'll review your eligibility for SAINT®, walk you through the fastest path to treatment, and answer every question.
Same-day or next-day appointments are often available. Self-pay patients typically start SAINT® within days.
9734 West Sample Road, 2nd Floor, Suite B, Coral Springs, FL 33065
Sources
- 1.Cole EJ et al. Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Am J Psychiatry 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35624717/
- 2.Cole EJ et al. Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Am J Psychiatry 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32552917/
- 3.Neuronetics, NeuroStar results (company-reported registry outcomes). https://neurostar.com/hcp/results/
- 4.Neuronetics, NeuroStar TMS therapy overview and FDA indications. https://neurostar.com/
- 5.Croarkin PE et al. Effectiveness of TMS in adolescents and young adults with MDD (NeuroStar registry). 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41367968/
Explore Related Resources
SAINT® Accelerated TMS
FDA-cleared, 5-day fMRI-guided TMS protocol
Compare Treatments
Side-by-side matrix of all treatments
How SAINT Compares to Other Depression Treatments
Broader treatment comparison guide
Am I a Candidate?
Screening factors — not disqualifiers
Cost & Insurance
Financing options and insurance information
Traveling for Treatment
What the week looks like, hotels, what to bring