While both TMS and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) are effective in the treatment of depression, there are many differences in safety and tolerability. Both are designed to treat depression through the application of energy into the brain, but the similarities quickly dissolve.

ECT is a much more intensive and invasive procedure than is TMS Therapy. ECT applies electicity to the brain, which is designed to create seizures and requires hospitalization. The side effects from ECT are much more intense and occur in more instances. TMS utilizes electromagnetic pulses, and is an outpatient procedure with little side-effects.