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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Elevate vs Lumosity

Elevate 4.8★ · Free + IAP 80
Winner Elevate
Lumosity 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65

Elevate offers a more diverse and adaptable brain training experience with better customer support, making it the preferred choice over Lumosity, which suffers from repetitive content, technical issues, and less responsive support.

Full reviews: Elevate · Lumosity

Elevate and Lumosity both offer brain training games, but Elevate stands out for its variety, adaptability, and generally positive user experience, despite some free-tier limitations. Lumosity struggles with content updates, technical glitches, and a less satisfying free experience.

Head to head

Features and Content Variety edge: ElevateR2R6R8R14
Elevate Elevate users appreciate the variety of puzzles and challenges, noting that the games adapt to their skill level and offer continuous ways to improve R2R8. Many find the games fun and educational, helping with language skills, mental math, and overall cognitive function R14R17. However, some long-term users desire more new content, finding games repetitive after a year R6R30R54.
Lumosity Lumosity users also enjoy the variety and challenge of the games, finding them stimulating and helpful for cognitive abilities . However, a significant number of users express disappointment over a lack of new games, with some stating that updates are promised but never delivered R67. Recent updates have also been criticized for diminishing the experience, introducing confusing new games, and not carrying over legacy scores .
Ease of Use and User Experience edge: ElevateR9R11R17R20
Elevate Elevate is generally praised for being engaging and easy to incorporate into a daily routine R11R17R20. Users appreciate the short, time-efficient workout sessions . However, some users report issues with sound cutting in unexpectedly , inconsistent scoring that is demotivating R9, and occasional bugs in specific games . There are also complaints about the app being "very American" with Americanisms and spellings, which can hamper improvement for non-US English speakers .
Lumosity Lumosity is described as keeping the brain thinking and making fast decisions . However, many users find the games frustratingly timed, leading to stress rather than enjoyment . Some games are criticized for unclear instructions or becoming too fast too quickly . Technical issues like controls not responding and progress not being counted are also reported. Users also mention age restrictions preventing younger users from accessing the app and some games being difficult for colorblind individuals .
Reliability and Support edge: ElevateR3R19R37R40
Elevate Elevate's customer support receives positive feedback, with one user reporting a quick refund and resolution after an incorrect charge . However, multiple users report significant issues with canceling free trials and subscriptions, leading to unwanted charges and difficulty contacting support R3R19R37. Some users also report the app giving incorrect answers in math questions R40 or experiencing issues with the app restarting .
Lumosity Lumosity users report severe reliability issues, including being unable to log on for a week , losing long streaks and badges due to email changes , and having accounts deleted without consent after upgrading subscriptions . Support is described as unresponsive or unhelpful, with users being sent in circles by AI . Password reset issues are also noted as difficult .
Price and Value tieR4R10R12R13
Elevate Elevate is frequently criticized for its aggressive monetization, with many users feeling that the free version offers very limited content and is bombarded with pop-ups and ads to push for a paid subscription R4R12R13. Some users feel it's overpriced for a learning app R10 and that the coin cost for premium features increases with updates . However, many premium users find it worth the money, citing the adaptive challenges and improvement over time .
Lumosity Lumosity faces similar criticism regarding its pricing, with users calling it expensive and a "bait and switch" for monthly vs. yearly subscriptions R70. Many feel that the free version is too restrictive, offering only a few games per day and locking most content behind a paywall R72R84R88R94. Some users question the value, stating it's not worth the regular price given unproven benefits and that the games are too simplistic for the cost . There are also complaints about price hikes .
Pick Elevate if

Pick Elevate if you are looking for a brain training app with a wide variety of games that adapt to your skill level, and you prioritize improving language skills and mental math R14. It's also a good choice if you appreciate responsive customer service for billing issues and want an app that offers consistent challenges over time R2R8.

Pick Lumosity if

Pick Lumosity if you prefer timed, fast-paced games that focus on quick decision-making and cognitive abilities, and you are less concerned about content updates or potential technical glitches . It might also appeal if you have specific brain injury recovery needs, as some users find it helpful for therapy .

Evidence note: Both apps have a free-to-paid model, and a significant portion of negative reviews for both Elevate and Lumosity stem from the limitations of their free tiers and aggressive pushes for subscriptions. This free-vs-paid asymmetry means that many paid users express satisfaction, while free users often feel misled or frustrated by the locked content. Elevate has a much larger user base and more reviews, which contributes to a broader range of feedback, both positive and negative.

Frequently asked

Is Elevate truly free?
Elevate offers a free version, but it is heavily limited, providing access to only a few daily challenges and bombarding users with pop-ups and ads to encourage a paid subscription, which costs around $40 R4R10R24R25.
Does Lumosity offer enough free content?
Lumosity's free version is very restrictive, typically offering only three games per day, with the majority of its content locked behind a paid subscription R72R84R88R94.
Are there issues with canceling subscriptions for these apps?
Both Elevate and Lumosity have users reporting significant difficulties in canceling free trials or subscriptions, leading to unexpected charges and problems with customer service R3R19R37R70.
Do these apps provide new games and content regularly?
Elevate users sometimes desire more new content after long-term use, but it generally adapts and offers new challenges R6R30R54. Lumosity, however, receives frequent complaints about a lack of new games, with users stating that promised updates are often delayed or never delivered R67.

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. [R2] Elevate 5/5 · US Here since 2017!: I love the way that the game has adapted and continues to give us ways to elevate and stretch. Our minds. Definitely my go to for years. Still here in 2026. Loyal and in love!
  2. [R6] Elevate 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.
  3. [R8] Elevate 5/5 · US Incremental challenges: I’m refreshingly confronted with new and intriguing pushes toward my pursuit of perfection.
  4. [R14] Elevate 5/5 · US Sharpens language skills and mental math ability: I enjoy these short games. I think that my verbal communication and mental math calculation skills have improved. I am able to more quickly retrieve words before speaking. Too often I am quick to revert to a handy calculator in real life though. I need to force myself to use my mental math brain more.
  5. [R9] Elevate 3/5 · US Inconsistent: The games are fun but scoring is inconsistent and frustrating. Losing points already earned is demotivating. Fix the scoring system and I would give a higher rating.
  6. [R11] Elevate 5/5 · US A daily treat: First thing I accomplish in the morning before breakfast
  7. [R17] Elevate 5/5 · US Daily Learning: Currently I’m up to 89 days! I’ve developed a schedule to include elevate. I’ve come to realize that when I get answers wrong, stop and read what its incorrect. The vocabulary is a gem for me. There’s so much I can say, but I want to emphasize the learning while having fun. Plus it helps in my daily business.
  8. [R20] Elevate 5/5 · US Love it: Love the game girlfriend has me stuck on it 111 days streak at the moment. Great to keep your kind sharp
  9. [R3] Elevate 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
  10. [R19] Elevate 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
  11. [R37] Elevate 1/5 · US horrible billing problems: it never emailed me to end my subscription and continue to charge me multiple times and when i went to press manage subscription it told me to contact customer service and i’m still waiting to hear back
  12. [R40] Elevate 1/5 · US The app is giving incorrect answers: I don’t know what’s wrong with this application but checked with the calculator on an answer and the app is giving the wrong answer for some math questions. I used to enjoy this application. I hope it gets fixed.
  13. [R4] Elevate 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
  14. [R10] Elevate 1/5 · US overpriced: overpriced for some learning app 😅 took $40 from me
  15. [R12] Elevate 3/5 · US Ads: Ads ads ads
  16. [R13] Elevate 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.
  17. [R24] Elevate 3/5 · US Good..... But just one thing: This is an amazing app and it does help my vocabulary. But it limits you soo much if you don't pay money. Its like you do the lesson and after that everything is locked down exept one thing that is nothing compared to all the others. It says 40 plus games but you have to pay for all of them. So basically please unlock more things and I will be happier.
  18. [R25] Elevate 1/5 · US MUST pay: Nothing to do accept the three little daily challenges if you dont buy the premium.
  19. [R72] Lumosity 3/5 · US Paying 😔: I wish you didn’t have to pay to use Lumosity. Most people try to find websites to better them selves and we shouldn’t have to pay to do that
  20. [R84] Lumosity 3/5 · GB Not much to do…: I like the app but there is not much that I can do so it would be really nice if they let us use five games instead of three, and add more stuff to do for free 🥺🙏
  21. [R88] Lumosity 2/5 · US The games are cool but not free: The games are fun, but 90% of the games on the app are locked. You have to pay to access more.
  22. [R94] Lumosity 1/5 · US ANNOYING AS HELL!!!!!: If you use the free version, just get ready to rip your hair out because a lot of the games are pointless and annoying to try to figure out how to play. You can’t skip over them, you can’t quit them and you can’t bypass any. The free version only gives you three games a day to play which isn’t a big deal, but you have to play them in the order they give them to you with like
  23. [R70] Lumosity 2/5 · US Great App, bait and switch payment plan: I have found Lumosity to be a fun and challenging app. I thought about doing a trial subscription, but when I tried to subscribe for a monthly plan, it immediately shifted to a yearly subscription. I am a musician, and there are music apps that try to do this same thing, and worse, after having a free trial subscription, they charge you and make it impossib
  24. [R30] Elevate 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
  25. [R54] Elevate 3/5 · GB 2nd time around: Subscribed previously and find games not much different several years on. Lots of redundancies.
  26. [R67] Lumosity 2/5 · US New games: They keep saying new games coming it’s been over a year and nothing!

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