Lumosity has the largest game library and genuine cross-platform support, but at $109.99/year it is now one of the most expensive apps in the category — and newer rivals personalize better for less than half the price.
For many people, Lumosity is brain training — the app that defined the category, with well over 100 million downloads since 2007. We tested it for thirty days to answer one question: in 2026, does the famous name still justify what Lumosity now costs?
What Lumosity is
Lumosity is a cognitive-training platform on iOS, Android, and web. Its core is a library of 40-plus games across memory, attention, problem-solving, speed, and flexibility. A “Fit Test” sets your baseline, and the app builds daily workouts from the catalog.
The breadth is the real selling point — no other app here offers as many distinct games.
What works, what to know
- The broadest game library available
- Genuinely cross-platform with synced progress
- Polished, refined after a decade of iteration
- Works on desktop, not just mobile
- $109.99/year — more than double some rivals
- Personalization shallower than newer apps
- 2016 FTC settlement over past advertising claims
- No longer does anything cheaper apps cannot
The pricing problem
Lumosity Premium now costs $24.95 per month or $109.99 per year, with a $199.99 family plan. That annual figure is the issue — more than double Zenelia’s $44.99, and well above Peak and Elevate. Long-time users have publicly objected to the repeated increases.
It is worth knowing some history, too: in 2016, Lumosity’s parent company settled with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over advertising that regulators said claimed cognitive benefits the evidence did not support. The app today is competent and its marketing more measured — but it is a useful reminder to treat bold cognitive-benefit claims skeptically. Our guide on whether brain training works covers what the science genuinely supports.
How it scores
On our five-criterion framework, Lumosity scores well on engagement and platform availability, moderately on personalization and science, and poorly on price-to-value after the recent hikes. The weighted result is 7.4 out of 10 — above our threshold, but the lowest of the established apps in our roundup.
The bottom line
Lumosity is not a bad app — it is polished, comprehensive, and genuinely cross-platform. But in 2026 it is also one of the most expensive, and it no longer does anything its cheaper rivals cannot. Buy it if cross-platform access or the sheer catalog size genuinely matters to you. Otherwise, you can get better personalization for less than half the price — see our full roundup for where we would point you.