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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Is it worth paying for

Elevate

65
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

Elevate is a good brain training app that can improve cognitive skills, but its aggressive paywall and billing issues make the paid version a risky investment for many users.

Free + in-app purchases seen up to $399.99 4.8★ lifetime (536,183) since 2014

Elevate offers engaging games to improve vocabulary, math, and memory, with many users reporting significant cognitive improvements R2R8R9R11. However, a substantial portion of the app is locked behind a paywall, leading to complaints about false advertising and limited free content R4R6R19R54. Billing issues, including unauthorized charges and difficulty canceling subscriptions, are also frequently reported R15R31R49R77.

Free vs paid

The free version of Elevate offers a limited number of daily exercises, typically one to three games, which some users find undemanding and repetitive R6R36. Many core features and categories, such as memory training, are paywalled R4R19R54. The paid version, which can cost around $4/month or up to $399.99 for a lifetime subscription, unlocks all games and in-depth training R6. However, even paid users sometimes face issues with inconsistent scoring, repetitive content, and intrusive ads R53R71R170.

Value complaints

  • Many features are locked behind a paywall, making the free version very limited.R4R6R19R54
  • Users report being charged before free trials expire or after canceling subscriptions.R15R31R49R77
  • The app is considered overpriced for the content offered, especially given the paywall.R67R101R118R23
  • Ads are intrusive and make the free version unusable, sometimes even affecting streaks.R27R71R103R119
  • False advertising claims the app is "absolutely free" when it is not.R19R78R88R116
  • Coin costs for features like streak freezes increase over time, even for premium subscribers.R2R82

Where it delivers

  • The app effectively improves vocabulary, math, and overall cognitive skills.R2R8R9R11
  • Games are challenging, engaging, and help users think faster and stay mentally active.R12R22R25R28
  • The app is a good daily habit and can be integrated into routines.R17R24R35R45
  • Developers are responsive to user issues, such as bugs.R5
Worth paying if

It is worth paying for Elevate if you are committed to consistent brain training, find the free games genuinely helpful, and are confident in managing subscriptions to avoid billing issues R8R9R11. Users who appreciate a wide variety of challenges across different cognitive skills (math, vocabulary, memory) and are not deterred by the cost may find value in the premium content .

Skip / stay free if

You should skip paying for Elevate if you are sensitive to aggressive paywalls, dislike subscription models, or have experienced issues with app subscriptions in the past R15R31R49R77. Users with dyscalculia or specific learning challenges in math may find some exercises frustrating due to time limits . Those who expect a completely ad-free experience or constant new content may also be disappointed R27R53R71R103.

Evidence note: The reviews show a strong dichotomy between those who praise the app's cognitive benefits and those who criticize its monetization practices. Recent reviews lean heavily negative due to paywall issues and billing problems, while older reviews and high ratings often focus on the educational value. There are many complaints about the free trial and subscription management.

Frequently asked

Is Elevate truly free to use?
No, Elevate is not truly free; while it is free to download, most content and in-depth training are locked behind a paywall, with the free version offering only a few daily games R6R19R36R54.
What are the common complaints about Elevate's pricing?
Common complaints about Elevate's pricing include being charged before free trials expire, difficulty canceling subscriptions, unauthorized charges, and the perception that the app is overpriced for its content R15R31R49R77.
Does Elevate help improve cognitive skills?
Yes, many users report that Elevate helps improve cognitive skills such as vocabulary, mental math, reading comprehension, and overall mental acuity R2R8R9R11.
Are there issues with ads in Elevate?
Yes, users report intrusive ads, especially in the free version, which can interrupt gameplay, run for minutes, and even cause loss of streaks R27R71R103R119.
Is the content in Elevate repetitive?
Yes, some long-term users find the content repetitive, having done certain puzzles multiple times, and wish for more frequent updates with new material R53R170R246.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] 3/5 · US Paywalled: Overall, I like Elevate. I don't even mind that you have to pay to access everything. But with 5 categories to train in, ideally, they should all be free, even if not all of their mini games are. Needing to pay to access memory training severely hinders the quality of the app, so while I'm sitting at expert in almost everything, my memory is intermediate. At least make the achievements
  2. [R6] 3/5 · US Half & half: The app is cool if you don't want to spend money. There is one game or two for the freebies. It was helpful and knowledgeable for sure. However, if you want in depth training for the brain, you would have to spend money. The price is 1.67 a month ish or you can do a free trial. Personally, I played the freebies and uninstalled😊.
  3. [R19] 1/5 · US Not free like the ads claim: Yeah, it's free to download but you can't do anything unless you pay. You can play about five minutes worth of games and everything else is behind a pay wall. I only downloaded this app because the ad said that it was completely free. False advertising! Too bad because it did seem like it could have potential.
  4. [R54] 1/5 · US all paid content: everything shown in ads is paid content, free version of the app is just bombardment with pop ups asking you to pay them on a subscription basis in order to access 95% of the app
  5. [R15] 1/5 · US Expensive: I was charged $40 before my free trial even expired, this is a scam!
  6. [R31] 1/5 · US Subscription: Still tried to take out 39.99 after I canceled the free trial way before the 7 days was up.
  7. [R49] 3/5 · US Cannot contact: I received a free trial and started to play a couple games. The games that I played were pretty fun. I just didn’t like it enough to pay the full price. So I decided after a day to delete the app. Usually I can delete an app and then go to my apple settings and opt out of the free trial. But I couldn’t find it in my settings for some reason. Then after a couple weeks, my card was c
  8. [R77] 2/5 · US Don’t get free trial unless you know how to end it: I can’t end my free trial and it keeps charging me money but it never gave me a option to end it
  9. [R67] 1/5 · US overpriced: overpriced for some learning app 😅 took $40 from me
  10. [R101] 1/5 · US Money hungry: This app is really good but there’s barely any options because they charge you money for even the simplest things. I could genuinely find half their games somewhere else for free I mean come on paying for a crossword puzzle?!
  11. [R118] 2/5 · US Nota bad game: But ads finally made me delete. They are far too intrusive and the plans are too expensive. Shame
  12. [R23] 3/5 · US Fine: Stop asking me to share my goals with others. It’s soooo annoying because it’s after everything. I paid $40 and I kinda regret it.
  13. [R27] 4/5 · US Excellent, Except the ads: These puzzle games are excellent because they include multiple types of puzzles (math, writing, speaking, etc.) However, after a while, the ads prevent you from completing the puzzles. They run for minutes before the next puzzle can be accessed. Sadly, this is so frustrating and tone consuming that It’s forcing me to find a new puzzle app.
  14. [R71] 1/5 · US Royal Match ruins it: I enjoy Elevate, and I am ok with ads. It is actually a really good app. Unfortunately, Royal Match ads ruin it. They don’t seem to have an end. I even added that app to see if it would help. Please at least make those ads end in a reasonable amount of time.
  15. [R103] 1/5 · US Decent Until Recent: The new ads are obtrusive and make the free version virtually unusable. Update: The ads have gotten worse and if you don’t watch them, you lose your streak. The game erased a streak that was more than 500 days long. Don’t play this.
  16. [R119] 1/5 · US Ads Present After Each Game: To integrate adware after each game play (free version) is counterintuitive to focus and brain building, learning. If your game training is going to become one continuous adware slop shop (like Peak’s), count me OUT
  17. [R78] 1/5 · US Ads are lying: Claims it’s “absolutely free” yeah… for a week? That’s a free trial, not that the app is free. Don’t try to scam people.
  18. [R88] 1/5 · US absolutely not: “this game is ABSOLUTELY free!”😍
  19. [R116] 1/5 · US Can’t you just tell us we have to pay for the service first?: It never disclosed earlier that I had to pay, when it asked about the free trial thing and I couldn’t find an x mark I just deleted it. Please atleast disclose you have to pay for this
  20. [R2] 4/5 · US Why?: It has improved my percentage skills and helped me learn new words. 4 stars because they randomly changed the streak freeze price from 100 to 150 coins.
  21. [R82] 3/5 · US Money grabs on premium subs: I like this app a lot and have been a premium subscriber for years. However, every time there is an update the coin cost increases. The introduction of this design made it feel too much like “fee” or non-subscription games, except these creators want both. This commoditization makes it feel less like a proper brain training app and more like a gimmick.
  22. [R8] 5/5 · US Elevate is the best!: I’ve used this app before and noticed significant changes in my mental acuity. I’m ready to get back on!
  23. [R9] 5/5 · US Excellent & Fun Education Tool: Elevate teaches many useful tools needed in this world. Scared of math? It’s games build your confidence to discover math’s structure and beauty. If English, or a learning challenge trouble you, Elevate has a variety of games to encourage and teach. I’ve been a user for 8 years and I’m still learning from it.
  24. [R11] 5/5 · US Vocabulary Development: This is a great way to develop your vocabulary. There are multiple games that challenge my thinking while reinforcing much needed cognitive skills.
  25. [R12] 5/5 · US Elevate - Brain: I’m enjoying these games a lot. They are challenging, due to some time constraints. That pushes me to read, think and react faster. Good Challenge!
  26. [R22] 5/5 · US Great for my mind: This app helps me think faster. It challenges me. I love it.
  27. [R25] 5/5 · US Fun: Good fun educational games
  28. [R28] 5/5 · US Brain: Good for the brain.
  29. [R17] 5/5 · US New games: Whoever came up with the idea to add mini daily games is a genius-I’ve had the app for years but just crossed a 100 day streak because when I do the smaller games first I finish the more challenging ones by rote. Love this app, highly recommend.
  30. [R24] 5/5 · US Daily Habit: Love this app since it only takes me a few minutes. Bummed when I miss a day
  31. [R35] 5/5 · US Daily Must: This is a great way to start my day! Love the challenges.
  32. [R45] 5/5 · US Amazing: Great way to start the morning
  33. [R5] 5/5 · US Buggy!: It has become very buggy on an iPad. Update: after posting this, I was almost immediately contacted by the developer who helped me correct the issue. Kudos!
  34. [R36] 3/5 · US nice, but you need premium.: Theres only 1 game available if you dont have premium, which is the DAILY game that you can only play ONCE a day. How lame.
  35. [R53] 3/5 · US Good but repetitive!: Elevate has been excellent for this 71 year-old male to improving maintain memory skills, math calculations, and improved speaking and writing. However, after almost a year, the program seriously needs some updating. Some of the puzzles I have done at least four or 5 or maybe 10 times.
  36. [R170] 3/5 · US Helps get my mind working: This app is pretty good. The games aren’t all that challenging, but I find if I do this in the morning, it helps wake me up and get my mind working. I do wish they would introduce some new content. For example, there are several math games that focus on subtraction and division, but not much for multiplication which is a little weird. I do appreciate how some of the game
  37. [R246] 3/5 · US Not enough new content: I enjoy using the app for its intuitive interface and variety of content. However, I frequently see the content repeatedly, which can become monotonous. It would significantly improve the experience if the app's content were refreshed and updated more often, perhaps weekly, to keep users engaged with new and diverse material.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store