Choose BrainHQ if long-term brain health is your goal. It offers the exact speed training exercise linked to a lower dementia risk in a 20-year study, and many Medicare Advantage plans include it free. Choose Lumosity if you want varied, polished games you’ll enjoy opening every day, for about $36 a year less.
BrainHQ and Lumosity are the two best-known names in brain training, but they’re built on very different ideas. BrainHQ is a research tool that happens to be an app. Lumosity is a game library designed to keep you coming back.
| App | Best for | Price (annual) | Rating | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrainHQ | Strongest research, older adults | $96/yr | 8.6 | iOS, Android, Web |
| Lumosity | Polished variety, lower price | $59.99/yr | 7.4 | iOS, Android, Web |
The science
BrainHQ has the strongest evidence of any consumer brain training app. Its Double Decision exercise is the speed training used in the ACTIVE study, a large NIH-funded trial of 2,832 older adults. In a 20-year follow-up published in February 2026, people who did speed training plus at least one booster session had about a 25% lower risk of a dementia diagnosis than the control group (Coe et al., 2026). Three caveats: the benefit appeared only with booster sessions, one study author disclosed financial ties to BrainHQ’s maker, and an independent reanalysis found that no result stayed statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons (Dickens, 2026).
Lumosity reliably makes you better at its own games, and it’s been refined for more than fifteen years. In 2016, Lumos Labs, the company behind Lumosity, paid $2 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it made unfounded claims about its games’ cognitive benefits.
Winner: BrainHQ, clearly. See is BrainHQ worth it for the full story on the research.
Price
BrainHQ: $14 a month or $96 a year. Family members can be added to a yearly plan for $59 each.
Lumosity: $11.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the US.
Winner: Lumosity, by about $36 a year.
What you get free
BrainHQ gives you one free exercise a day through its Daily Spark, and many Medicare Advantage plans and some public libraries include full access at no cost. There’s no standard free trial. See our BrainHQ free trial guide.
Lumosity gives you three free games a day, with promotional trials of Premium from time to time. Yearly plans bought on its website have come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. See our Lumosity free trial guide.
Winner: Lumosity for everyday free play; BrainHQ if your health plan covers it.
What training feels like
BrainHQ is deliberately slow and adaptive, and its design feels dated. Some exercises work best with your phone turned sideways. It suits people who like steady, focused practice.
Lumosity feels like a game. Its 40-plus games are colorful, quick, and varied, which makes the daily habit easier to keep.
Winner: Lumosity, for most people.
Which should you choose?
Choose BrainHQ if you’re an older adult focused on long-term brain health, you’ll train consistently for months and years, or you can get it free through your Medicare Advantage plan or library.
Choose Lumosity if you mainly want an enjoyable daily mental workout, you’ll use it on both your phone and computer, or you’d rather pay less.
Other options worth a look
Elevate, $39.99/year. Practical skills like reading, writing, and math.
For the full rankings, see our best brain training apps roundup.
Zenelia is a brain training app made by Mindkindly’s owner, so we don’t rank or score it here. It costs $6.99 a month or $44.99 a year, has a 7-day free trial, and is iPhone only for now; read more about Zenelia or see it on the App Store.
Common questions
Is BrainHQ better than Lumosity? For research-backed brain health, yes. For an enjoyable daily habit, Lumosity is easier to stick with.
Which is cheaper? Lumosity, at $59.99 a year versus $96. But BrainHQ is free through many Medicare Advantage plans.
Can brain training prevent dementia? No app can promise that. BrainHQ’s speed training was linked to a lower risk of diagnosis over 20 years, but only for people who kept up with booster training.
Are both on Android? Yes. Both work on iOS, Android, and the web.
The bottom line
BrainHQ is the choice for evidence and long-term brain health, especially if your health plan covers it. Lumosity is the choice for fun, variety, and a lower price. For more, see our BrainHQ review and Lumosity review.