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Brain-training apps are useful when you want structured practice, short puzzles, flashcards, or a more engaging way to learn. They are not established treatments for memory loss, ADHD, dementia, or other medical conditions—and completing a few daily games is not proven to raise general intelligence or IQ.
The nine apps below serve different purposes. Elevate, Lumosity, Peak, NeuroNation, and CogniFit are dedicated cognitive-training apps. Anki is a serious spaced-repetition study tool. Brilliant teaches mathematics and computer science, while Tetris and Pythagorea are puzzle games with narrower benefits. The right choice depends more on what you want to practice than on which app makes the biggest “brain boost” claim.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free option | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevate | Language, math, focus, and short daily workouts | iPhone/iPad, Android | Yes | The subscription offer appears before the free option |
| Anki | Memorizing facts, languages, and study material | AnkiDroid on Android; AnkiMobile on iPhone/iPad | Android only, officially | Official iOS app is a paid one-time purchase |
| NeuroNation | Personalized memory and attention exercises | iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch, Android | Limited free access | Consumer app is not the prescription NeuroNation MED app |
| Lumosity | Adaptive games and baseline score tracking | iPhone/iPad, Android | Yes; Android lists three games daily | Premium auto-renews unless canceled |
| Peak | Varied games and progress visualizations | iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch, Android | Basic version | Android users report intrusive ad behavior |
| CogniFit | Assessments and domain-specific exercises | iPhone/iPad, Android | Limited or offer-dependent | “Brain Age” is not a medical diagnosis |
| Brilliant | Interactive math, coding, and science learning | iPhone/iPad, Android | Limited free access | It is a learning platform, not a general brain-game trainer |
| Tetris | Casual spatial puzzle play | iPhone/iPad, Android | Yes, with ads | No personalized cognitive assessment or training plan |
| Pythagorea | Geometry and spatial reasoning | iPhone/iPad, Android | Yes | Solutions and explanations may be limited |
Prices, free limits, trials, and advertising can change by country, device, account, and promotion. Check the subscription screen before accepting a trial.
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Elevate is the strongest general-purpose option if you want short exercises covering several everyday academic skills. Its more than 40 games cover vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, speaking, math, memory, focus, processing, and precision. The app adjusts progression, records performance, provides weekly reports, and includes more than 150 achievements.
#1 Best Overall
It is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android. The current U.S. iPhone listing requires iOS 16 or later. A free version exists, but onboarding emphasizes the seven-day trial and subscription. After onboarding, the store listings say you can tap the X in the top-left corner to continue without subscribing.
Best for: People who want a polished daily routine with language and numeracy exercises.
Watch out for: Do not tap through the trial screen automatically. The annual and monthly prices shown can vary by storefront and offer, and a trial normally converts to a paid subscription unless canceled under the store’s terms.
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Anki belongs on this list because memorization is a practical form of cognitive training, even though Anki is not a collection of brain games. It uses spaced repetition: cards you find difficult return sooner, while cards you know well appear at longer intervals.
You can make cards containing text, images, audio, and MathJax equations, or download shared decks. Card statistics help you see retention and review workload. AnkiWeb synchronizes your collection between supported devices.
The platform names matter. Android’s official app is AnkiDroid Flashcards, maintained by the AnkiDroid Open Source Team. The official iPhone and iPad app is AnkiMobile Flashcards, published by Anki Software, LLC. AnkiDroid is free and open source; AnkiMobile is listed at $24.99 in the U.S. App Store. Other apps using “Anki” in their names may not work with the official ecosystem.
Best for: Languages, exam preparation, medical terminology, facts, formulas, and any material you need to recall reliably.
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Watch out for: Anki only works as well as the cards you create or select. Poorly written cards and an unrealistic review backlog make it feel harder than it needs to be. AnkiMobile stores card media on the device, so you can study offline.
3. NeuroNation
NeuroNation combines personalized plans with exercises for memory, attention, concentration, processing speed, logic, and problem solving. Its Android listing describes more than 34 exercises and 300 levels, while the iOS listing describes more than 30 exercises in Premium.
Features include adaptive difficulty, progress analysis, daily “NeuroBoosters,” peer-group comparisons, and competitions with friends. The Android listing promotes a 15-minute-a-day routine, but daily duration is not consistent across every listing and should not be treated as a clinical requirement.
Best for: Users who prefer a scheduled training plan and competitive progress features.
Watch out for: NeuroNation and NeuroNation MED are not the same product. The company directs users with a prescription to the MED app. Do not treat the standard consumer version as a prescribed medical program. Premium prices also vary; the U.S. iOS listing has shown products from $41.99 for three months and $83.99 for 12 months, alongside other offers.
4. Lumosity
Lumosity offers more than 40 adaptive games covering speed, memory, attention, flexibility, problem solving, math, and word skills. Its approximately 10-minute Fit Test establishes baseline scores and lets you compare performance with people in the same age group.
The app provides daily workouts, progress tracking, performance insights, and browsing by skill. The current Android listing says the free tier includes three games per day, with Premium unlocking more content and deeper analysis. It is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Best for: People who want a familiar, game-like interface and a baseline score to track over time.
Watch out for: Lumosity’s earlier advertising claims led to a 2016 Federal Trade Commission case involving unsupported claims about school, work, athletics, ADHD, cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and chemotherapy-related impairment. Lumos Labs agreed to pay $2 million. That history does not make the current app useless, but it is a reason to judge it as practice and entertainment—not as a proven medical intervention. Premium subscriptions auto-renew; cancel at least 24 hours before renewal where required by the relevant app store.
5. Peak
Peak has more than 45 games spanning memory, attention, math, problem solving, mental agility, language, coordination, creativity, and emotion control. Its named modes include Coffee Break, Weakest Link, Low Rank, and The Total Workout. Brain Map and progress tools show how your performance changes across categories.
The app is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Android. A basic version is free, while Peak Pro adds personalized workouts, advanced modules, and deeper insights. The Android listing says it works offline.
Rank #3
- MONITOR EVERY MOVEMENT AND IMPROVE YOUR TIMES: Track every spin and every lap. Connect the cube via Bluetooth to your phone or tablet and download the Rubik's Connected app to start tracking your speed and resolution times
- RESOLVE, TRACK AND CONNECT: The app not only keeps track but also allows you to interact, play and challenge other players from all over the planet to compete. Play mini-games, quests, and more to take advantage of your ConnectedX Rubik's Cube as much as possible
- FOR ALL LEVELS: For beginners, learn in a fun and interactive way with a step-by-step solving guide. For professionals, beat your personal results and improve with the most comprehensive stats mode
- ROTATE, SPIN AND REPEAT: The ConnectedX Rubik's Cube features six different colored sides, each with nine squares. Once the faces are messy, twist and rotate the cube until each of the six faces is a single color
- INCLUDES: 1 Rubik's ConnectedX Hub, 1 Information Guide
The store listings mention collaborations with academics at Cambridge and NYU, including a Wizard memory game developed with University of Cambridge researchers. That is evidence of a development collaboration, not proof that using every Peak game produces broad improvements outside the exercises.
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Watch out for: Recent Android reviews report intrusive ads, including ads that sometimes lack an obvious exit control and force users to close and reopen the app. This is a reported issue, not behavior guaranteed on every phone or version. Subscription prices and promotions differ across stores.
6. CogniFit
CogniFit combines cognitive assessments with adaptive games, daily guidance, reminders, weekly plans, reflections, mindfulness techniques, and video coaches. Its listings describe more than 100 interactive games and training in memory, attention, coordination, reasoning, perception, processing speed, and reaction time.
CogniFit reports daily and weekly scores on a 0–100 scale and presents a “Brain Age.” These are app-generated metrics. They are not equivalent to a standardized neuropsychological evaluation, and a score should not be used to diagnose impairment.
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Best for: People who want more formal-looking assessments and a broad set of cognitive categories in one app.
Watch out for: Full access is paid, while trials and free content vary. Read the billing terms carefully: a recent Google Play review described an annual charge after a trial had previously been used. A historical Android review also reported an email-verification error that the developer said had been fixed; update the app before troubleshooting an old account issue.
7. Brilliant
Brilliant is better described as interactive learning than brain training. It teaches mathematics, algebra, calculus, geometry, probability, statistics, physics, computer science, Python, algorithms, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and neural networks through guided problems.
Instead of simply displaying an answer, its interactive tutor responds to what is on screen, highlights concepts, asks questions, and guides you toward a solution. That makes it a good choice when your goal is to build specific analytical knowledge rather than collect scores in generalized memory games.
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Watch out for: Brilliant should not be marketed as an app proven to improve general intelligence or IQ. The amount of free content can change; current listings confirm ads and in-app purchases, while user reports suggest free daily access may be limited.
8. Tetris
The official TETRIS® app is a conventional puzzle game rather than a personalized cognitive-training system. It includes hundreds of levels, Marathon, Quick Play, daily challenges, XP and rewards, player profiles, themes, backgrounds, avatars, and offline single-player play.
Arranging falling pieces requires visual-spatial judgment, rotation, planning, and rapid decisions. Those are legitimate reasons to enjoy the game, but the app does not assess a defined set of cognitive abilities or provide an individualized training plan.
Best for: Anyone who wants a familiar spatial puzzle and offline casual play.
Watch out for: The official app is free with advertising and in-app purchases. Recent reviews report frequent or difficult-to-dismiss ads, including ads after levels or attempts. Experiences vary by version and platform. Also check the exact title: Tetris® is different from Tetris Block Blast and other Tetris-branded apps.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.9. Pythagorea
Pythagorea focuses on geometry on a square grid. Its problems involve distance, area, angles, triangles, circles, parallel and perpendicular lines, symmetry, and the Pythagorean theorem. You construct lines and segments and solve problems using spatial reasoning, patterns, and geometric intuition.
The iOS listing describes more than 350 tasks across 28 subjects and a glossary with more than 70 geometric terms. The Android listing describes more than 330 tasks and more than 25 subjects, so the store descriptions are not synchronized across platforms.
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Best for: Students and puzzle fans who specifically want geometry and spatial reasoning challenges.
Best Value
Watch out for: The app does not promise step-by-step explanations for every puzzle. Reviews indicate that difficult levels may require looking elsewhere for solutions or explanations. The Android listing has also been comparatively old, with a reported last update of March 3, 2024, so do not expect frequent updates.
What the evidence actually supports
These apps can improve your familiarity and performance with the activities you repeatedly practice. For example, repeated Anki reviews can improve recall of the cards in your deck, and repeated geometry problems can make that type of construction easier.
That is different from proving “far transfer”—a durable improvement in unrelated abilities such as overall intelligence, school or workplace performance, or protection from dementia. A meta-analysis found no convincing evidence that working-memory training improves intelligence or other far-transfer abilities. Claims that a consumer app prevents Alzheimer’s disease, delays cognitive decline, or treats a medical condition therefore require current, product-specific clinical evidence; an app-store description is not enough.
Use these apps as structured practice, learning tools, or entertainment. If you are concerned about a real change in memory or thinking, speak with a qualified healthcare professional rather than relying on an in-app score or “Brain Age.”
How to choose the right app
- Define the skill. Choose Anki for recall, Brilliant for math or coding, Pythagorea for geometry, and Tetris for casual spatial puzzles. Select Elevate, Lumosity, Peak, NeuroNation, or CogniFit when you want a mixed menu of exercises.
- Check the platform listing. Confirm the developer, package name, iOS requirement, and whether you are installing AnkiDroid or AnkiMobile. Avoid similarly named unofficial apps.
- Inspect the free tier before starting a trial. Look for the close button, renewal date, trial length, and total price. On iPhone, manage subscriptions through Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. On Android, use Google Play > profile picture > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions.
- Measure a useful outcome. Track cards retained, lessons completed, geometry problems solved, or consistency—not an app-generated “brain age” as a medical measure.
- Stop if the routine becomes counterproductive. A five-minute activity you actually use is more useful than an expensive plan that creates review debt, subscription anxiety, or excessive screen time.
FAQ
Do brain-training apps increase IQ?
There is no convincing general evidence that working-memory and similar exercises produce broad, durable gains in intelligence or unrelated real-world abilities. They are best treated as structured practice, learning, or entertainment.
Which brain-training app is best for studying?
Anki is the best choice in this list for memorizing facts, vocabulary, formulas, and exam material because it uses spaced repetition. Brilliant is better when you want to learn concepts through interactive math, coding, and science problems.
Is Anki free on iPhone and Android?
AnkiDroid Flashcards is the official free Android app. AnkiMobile Flashcards is the official iPhone and iPad app and is listed as a paid one-time purchase in the U.S. App Store. Avoid unrelated apps that merely use “Anki” in their names.
Can these apps prevent dementia or diagnose memory problems?
No. These consumer apps should not be presented as dementia prevention, medical treatment, or diagnosis. An app-generated score such as CogniFit’s “Brain Age” is not a standardized clinical evaluation. Consult a healthcare professional about concerning symptoms.
The Bottom Line
Choose the app according to the activity you want to practice: Anki for memorization, Brilliant for structured math and coding, Pythagorea for geometry, and Tetris for casual spatial puzzles. For mixed daily exercises, Elevate, Lumosity, Peak, NeuroNation, and CogniFit offer more conventional brain-game formats. None should be treated as a proven way to raise IQ, prevent dementia, or diagnose cognitive decline.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
