Lumosity is worth it if you want a polished daily brain workout, will play most days, and accept that the gains show up mainly in the games themselves. On the US App Store, one month of Premium costs $14.99, and other Premium options are listed between $11.99 and $89.00. The free plan gives you three games a day.
We make Omni Brain, a competing app, so read this with that in mind. We checked every Lumosity fact below on its App Store and Google Play listings, its help centre and in official records on 31 October 2026, and we say where Lumosity does better than us.
How much does Lumosity cost in 2026?
Lumosity Premium costs $14.99 for a single month on the US App Store. The same listing shows several other Premium purchases at $11.99, $35.99, $54.99, $69.99 and $89.00, without saying how long each one lasts. On the German App Store the Premium options run from €11.99 to €99.99.
Lumosity does not publish one price list for everyone. Its website shows no prices, and its help centre sends you to a purchase page that needs a login, so the price you see depends on your country and store.
Before you pay, note the renewal price on the payment screen and set a reminder a few days before it renews. The App Store listing states that the subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the period ends.
What do you get on Lumosity for free?
The free plan gives you three games a day and the Fit Test. Lumosity's help centre says the free games rotate daily, with a new set each day that you can replay from the Games tab. According to the App Store listing, the Fit Test takes 10 minutes, sets your baseline scores and compares them with your age group.
Three games a day is enough to see whether you like the style. It is too little to work on a weak skill, because the app picks what you play.
What does Lumosity Premium add?
Premium opens the full library of more than 40 games, a personalised training programme and detailed insights. The US App Store description groups the games into speed, memory, attention, flexibility, problem-solving, maths and words, and says they adapt as you play. Premium also gives you tips on accuracy, speed and strategy.
Lumosity says it works with more than 40 university researchers. The app holds a 4.7 rating from about 131,000 ratings on the US App Store, so plenty of people enjoy it.
Does Lumosity actually work?
You will get better at Lumosity's games, but the evidence that this carries over to daily life is weak. That pattern holds for brain training in general. Practice on a task improves that task and tasks close to it, while carry-over to work, school or everyday memory is still debated.
Two public records matter here. In January 2016 Lumos Labs agreed to pay $2 million to settle US Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertising was deceptive. The FTC said the company lacked evidence for claims that Lumosity improved performance at work, school and sport, or delayed age-related decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A $50 million judgment was suspended once the $2 million was paid, and the order bars such claims without competent and reliable scientific evidence.
In 2017 Kable and colleagues published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience that gave 64 people ten weeks of Lumosity training, 30 minutes a day. A second group of 64 played ordinary online video games instead. Both groups improved on the cognitive tests by similar amounts, and Lumosity training gave no extra benefit on memory, attention, decision-making or brain activity.
The progress inside the games is still real. Just don't pay for Lumosity, or any brain app, expecting protection against dementia.
Who is Lumosity worth it for?
Lumosity suits people who want a familiar, well-reviewed app and will open it most days. It is a good fit if you:
- will train most days, so the monthly or yearly cost works out per session
- like comparing your scores with your age group through the Fit Test
- want maths and word games alongside memory and attention
It is a weaker fit if you:
- want to choose your own games without paying
- expect benefits for everyday memory or dementia risk
- care about privacy: the US App Store privacy label lists 9 kinds of data as linked to your identity
Lumosity vs Omni Brain: how do they compare?
Omni Brain Premium costs €39.99 a year or €9.99 a month, and its free plan is ad-free with 24 games to start. The list below puts both apps side by side on the same criteria, checked on 31 October 2026. Lumosity prices are from the US App Store in dollars; Omni Brain prices are in euros, and stores show your local currency.
- Price per month: Lumosity $14.99 (one-month plan, US App Store); Omni Brain €9.99
- Price per year: Lumosity's listing does not label the length of its plans, with Premium options from $11.99 to $89.00; Omni Brain €39.99, with a 7-day free trial
- Free plan: Lumosity gives three rotating games a day plus the Fit Test; Omni Brain is free forever and ad-free, with a daily 3-game workout, 24 games to start and more unlocking as you level up
- Number of games: Lumosity 40+; Omni Brain 82 across 8 skills
- Techniques taught: Lumosity gives accuracy, speed and strategy tips in Premium; Omni Brain has a named technique in every game, plus error review, on the free plan too
- Adaptive difficulty: Lumosity's games adapt as you play; Omni Brain has 30 levels per game, and difficulty adjusts after every block to keep you near 85% correct
- Privacy: Lumosity's App Store label lists 9 kinds of data linked to your identity; on Omni Brain your brain data stays on your phone, you decide on analytics and you can delete everything in one step
- Platforms: Lumosity on iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later), Android through Google Play, and computer through its website; Omni Brain on iOS and Android, plus free browser tests
- Family: Lumosity has a Friends and Family plan for up to 5 accounts, with the price shown after you sign in; Omni Brain offers Family Sharing on the App Store at €59.99 a year or €14.99 a month for up to 6 people
The biggest practical difference is the free plan. On Omni Brain you can play daily with no ads and keep the full error review and techniques; Premium adds all 82 games, longer workouts and daily quests.
The second difference is what each game teaches. Omni Brain's line is "Most brain games make you good at brain games. Ours teach you the trick." In the Stroop game, for example, the technique is "Say the rule, not the word": you repeat "ink, ink, ink" in your head so the printed word can't answer for you. The same habit helps when you need to ignore a distraction at work. You can try it in the free Stroop test without downloading anything.
Where is Lumosity stronger than Omni Brain?
Lumosity has a longer track record and far more players. Its 131,000 US App Store ratings and links with more than 40 university researchers give it a base of data that a new app cannot match yet.
The Fit Test is another real advantage. It compares your scores with people your age, while Omni Brain shows your own progress and records instead. If ranking yourself against your age group motivates you, Lumosity does that well.
If you already have a long Lumosity history and enjoy it, staying is a reasonable choice.
Omni Brain is stronger on price, the free plan, the number of games, technique teaching and privacy. We also label every game by evidence level on our science page: A for games that train a direct skill, B for core processes where gains inside the task are solid and carry-over is limited or debated. The page cites 16 peer-reviewed sources.
How can you try both before paying?
Use both free plans for a week. For a quick taste of Omni Brain without installing anything, play the dual n-back test or the reaction time test in your browser.
FAQ
How much is Lumosity per month?
One month of Lumosity Premium costs $14.99 on the US App Store as of 31 October 2026. Longer plans exist, but the listing shows them only as "Lumosity Premium" at prices from $11.99 to $89.00 without saying how long each lasts. Check the payment screen for the exact length and renewal price.
Is Lumosity free?
Lumosity is free to download, and the free plan includes the Fit Test and three games a day. Lumosity's help centre says the free games rotate, with a new set each day. The full library of 40+ games needs Premium.
Did Lumosity get fined?
Yes. In January 2016 Lumos Labs agreed to pay $2 million to settle FTC charges of deceptive advertising, with a $50 million judgment suspended. The FTC said Lumosity lacked evidence for claims about better performance at work and school and about delaying dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Can Lumosity prevent dementia?
No study has shown that Lumosity prevents dementia, and the FTC settlement covered exactly that kind of claim. A 2017 study by Kable and colleagues found Lumosity training gave no more benefit on cognitive tests than ordinary video games. Play it for enjoyment and practice, not as medical protection.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Lumosity?
Omni Brain Premium costs €39.99 a year or €9.99 a month, and its free plan is ad-free with no time limit. Brain Workshop is a free desktop program for dual n-back. Our guide to Lumosity alternatives compares six options with prices and drawbacks.
Try Omni Brain free
Omni Brain gives you a 5-minute daily workout of 3 games, with your weakest skill getting twice the turns of your strongest. Every game teaches a technique you can use outside the app, and your mistakes come back until they stick. Download Omni Brain to start on the free plan, or see what Premium adds on the pricing page.