Elevate has the most useful free tier for everyday training: a new daily workout every day. BrainHQ gives you one free research-backed exercise a day, and some public libraries and Medicare Advantage plans include full BrainHQ access at no cost. The free tiers of Lumosity, NeuroNation, Peak, and CogniFit are a limited taste designed to lead you to a subscription.
Brain training apps almost all use the same business model: a free tier that gives you a taste, and a subscription that unlocks everything. The real question is which free tiers are genuinely useful on their own, and which are just teasers. We compared the free versions of six apps and checked each one against the app’s own help center and app store listing.
How the free tiers compare
| App | Best for | Price (annual) | Rating | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevate | Most useful free tier | Free / $39.99 yr | 8.4 | iOS, Android |
| BrainHQ | Free daily exercise, deepest research | Free / $96 yr | 8.6 | iOS, Android, Web |
| Peak | Limited free games | Free / ~$34.99 yr | 8.0 | iOS, Android |
| Lumosity | Three free games a day | Free / Premium varies | 7.4 | iOS, Android, Web |
| CogniFit | Free first assessment | Free / varies by platform | 7.1 | iOS, Android, Web |
NeuroNation is not yet part of our scored roundup, so it has no rating here, but its free tier is covered below.
What each free tier includes
| App | What you get free | The main limit |
|---|---|---|
| Elevate | A new daily workout every day, study materials, and weekly performance reports | Unlimited access to all 40+ games, detailed tracking, and adaptive difficulty need a paid plan |
| BrainHQ | The Daily Spark (one exercise a day, in a different category each day) and four exercises on its homepage | The personalized program and full exercise library need a subscription |
| Lumosity | 3 games a day, which you can replay as often as you like | Games are chosen for you; full workouts and all 40+ games need Premium |
| NeuroNation | A limited selection of exercises and basic training features | Locked exercises show a padlock; the Android listing says it contains ads |
| Peak | A basic version with some of its games | All games and advanced statistics need Pro; the Android listing says it contains ads |
| CogniFit | The initial cognitive assessment, plus games up to level 2.0 on the website | Games in the mobile app need a subscription |
Elevate — the most genuinely useful free tier
Of all the apps we reviewed, Elevate has the free tier that stands best on its own. Elevate’s help center says free users get a new daily workout every day, along with study materials and weekly performance reports. The paid version adds unlimited access to more than 40 games, detailed performance tracking, and adaptive difficulty. For a casual user who wants to sharpen practical skills like writing and mental math without paying anything, that free daily workout has real, lasting value. You may simply never need the subscription. If you do want more, Elevate offers a 7-day free trial, and the annual plan is $39.99 in the US App Store.
BrainHQ — a free daily exercise, or full access through a library or plan
BrainHQ has the deepest research record in brain training, and its free option is small but real. With a free account you get the Daily Spark: one exercise a day, in a different training category each day of the week, which you can train on until you earn five stars that day. BrainHQ’s homepage also has four exercises you can try without a subscription. That is enough to judge whether BrainHQ’s slow, deliberate style suits you, though not enough for a full program.
The bigger opportunity is free full access. Some public libraries let patrons use the full version of BrainHQ with a library card, and BrainHQ’s 2026 list names three Medicare Advantage plans that include it at no cost to members. Our BrainHQ free trial guide covers every free route, including which plans are on that list. Otherwise, BrainHQ costs $14 a month or $96 a year.
NeuroNation — a limited free tier with locked extras
NeuroNation is a brain training app from Berlin-based Synaptikon, available on iPhone, Android, and the web. Its help center says the free version gives you a limited selection of exercises and basic training features, while Premium unlocks more than 30 exercises, personalized training plans, and detailed progress evaluations. Exercises that need Premium are marked with a padlock, and when the app shows you its subscription offers, you can close the window and keep training for free. Its Google Play listing notes that the app contains ads.
NeuroNation says its prices vary by region and device, and its App Store listing shows several different Premium plans, so check the subscription page for your price before you upgrade. It is a reasonable free option to explore, but the full program sits behind Premium. Because NeuroNation is not in our scored roundup yet, we have not given it a rating.
Lumosity and Peak — limited tastes
Lumosity gives free users three games a day for as long as they have an account, and its help center says you can replay those three as often as you like from the Games tab. The games are chosen for you, while Premium unlocks all 40-plus games, full five-game workouts, and personalized insights. It is enough to get a feel for the app, but it is clearly built to move you toward Premium. If you are torn between Lumosity and Elevate, our Lumosity vs Elevate comparison goes beyond the free tiers. Peak is similar: a basic free version with some of its games, while all games and advanced statistics are reserved for Pro. Its Google Play listing notes that it contains ads.
Neither free tier is bad, but neither is a destination on its own. They are previews. If a short puzzle each day is all you want, our roundup of daily games like Wordle includes several that are free to play.
A note on CogniFit
CogniFit offers the least for free, and what you get depends on where you use it. Its help center says a free account lets you take the initial cognitive assessment. On a computer, you can also play any of its games up to level 2.0 before a subscription is required. In the mobile app, games need a subscription, though free users can try some of its meditations. CogniFit’s subscription plans differ between the website and the app, so check the price where you plan to buy, and its Google Play listing notes ads. If a genuinely usable free option matters to you, CogniFit is not it, though the free assessment is a fair way to see its clinical, assessment-first style before paying.
Zenelia is a brain training app made by Mindkindly’s owner, so we don’t rank or score it here. Its free tier includes 4 games and 2 training sessions a week, premium costs $6.99 a month or $44.99 a year after a 7-day free trial, and it is iPhone only for now; read more about Zenelia or see it on the App Store.
Are free brain training apps worth using?
Yes — with the same honest caveat that applies to paid ones. A free brain training app is a perfectly good way to enjoy a daily cognitive habit. Just keep your expectations realistic: as we explain in our guide on whether brain training works, no app — free or paid — will make you broadly “smarter” on its own. Use one because you enjoy it and it gives your day structure. If you are weighing an app against a daily crossword, our brain training vs crosswords comparison sets out the research on both.
Common questions
What is the best free brain training app? For most people, Elevate. Its free version gives you a new daily workout every day. If research matters most to you, BrainHQ’s free Daily Spark gives you one exercise a day.
Is BrainHQ free? Partly. The Daily Spark gives you one free exercise a day, and four more exercises are free to try on BrainHQ’s homepage. Full access costs $14 a month or $96 a year, unless your library or Medicare Advantage plan includes it.
Can I get a paid brain training app for free? Sometimes. Some public libraries offer full BrainHQ access with a library card, and a few Medicare Advantage plans include BrainHQ as a member benefit. Ask your library, or call the member services number on your plan card.
Is NeuroNation free? It has a free version with a limited selection of exercises and basic training features. Premium unlocks the full program, and NeuroNation says its prices vary by region and device.
Does CogniFit have a free version? Only a limited one. You can take the initial assessment for free and, on a computer, play games up to level 2.0. Ongoing training needs a subscription.
Which free apps can I use on a computer? BrainHQ, Lumosity, NeuroNation, and CogniFit can all be used in a web browser as well as on a phone.
The bottom line
If you want a free brain training app you can genuinely use long-term, Elevate is the clear pick: its free version gives you a new daily workout every day. If research matters most to you, start with BrainHQ’s free Daily Spark and check whether your library or Medicare Advantage plan gives you full access at no cost. Lumosity, NeuroNation, and Peak give you a taste but expect you to subscribe, and CogniFit offers little beyond its first assessment and low-level games on its website. For the full picture on the paid versions, see our complete brain training roundup. If memory is your main goal, our guide to the best memory improvement apps compares tools for different memory goals.