Comparison

BrainTest vs NIH Toolbox V3

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BrainTest

This app offers a scientifically validated cognitive screening test to detect changes associated with Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Get results explained by physicians in a private, at-home setting and share them with your doctor.

Highlights
  • Cognitive screening for Alzheimer's, Dementia, MCI
  • Physician-explained results videos
  • Self-administered at home
  • Baseline cognitive tracking
  • 10-15 minute test duration
  • HIPAA compliant and private scoring
Read full description

BrainTest® is scientifically validated to detect cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, & Mild Cognitive Impairment. Results videos feature Board Certified Physicians explaining your score in the comfort & privacy of your own home. LATEST NEWS: • BrainTest® featured on ABC News, NBC News, Fox News & Univision • Study presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) validates BrainTest® performs similarly with neuropsychological batteries (MOCA, MMSE) as well as its Pen-and-Paper counterpart (SAGE) in detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment & Early Dementias, showing no scale bias (specificity 90%, sensitivity 71%) • BrainTest® Clinical Validation study published in peer-reviewed scientific journal (Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy) WHO SHOULD CONSIDER BRAINTEST? If you’re concerned about your thinking or memory, or want to establish a baseline from which to monitor your cognition, BrainTest® is the application for you. BrainTest is the same kind of screening test at doctor’s offices, but one that’s uniquely designed to screen for early changes in cognition associated with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment. BrainTest can be taken in the privacy of your own home, anonymously scored at our centralized scoring core-lab, and (when you’re ready) shared with your doctor to help start the conversation. Results videos are delivered inside the application and feature an explanation of your score from a Board Certified Physician. KEY ADVANTAGES OF BRAINTEST Self-Administered – The same kind of screening test you’d receive at a doctor’s office, now available in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Baseline Report Card – Track your memory and thinking over time and use BrainTest as an early warning system for possible cognitive changes. Brevity – 10-15 minute BrainTest can deliver a snapshot of multiple cognitive domains (language, reasoning, orientation, memory, and executive function). HIPAA Compliant – BrainTest is HIPAA compliant and adheres to the strictest healthcare privacy laws in the United States. Private & Confidential – BrainTests are scored anonymously and confidentially. Your name is not visible to our scoring specialists or doctors. Meaning only YOU will know your final score Scientifically Validated – BrainTest study at ClinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02544074 SCIENCE BEHIND BRAINTEST BrainTest is based on the Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE), created by Dr. Douglas Scharre, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry at The Ohio State University. RELATED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS: https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3 https://doi.org/10.1097%2FWAD.0b013e3181b03277 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20220323 APPLE SPECIFIC TERMS: BrainTest is free to install and use, and requires an internet connection. BrainTest contains in-app purchases and certain parts of BrainTest are only accessible by purchasing a Scoring Plan. “30Day Free Trial Wellness Plans” are for free for 1 month (limit 1 per iTunes account), and billed at USD$ 24.99 after the trial. Subscriptions automatically renew every 6 months unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. iTunes accounts will be billed 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be self-managed and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. The 30-Day Free Trial is only available 1 time to each iTunes account. Privacy Policy: https://braintest.com/privacy/ and Terms of Service: https://braintest.com/terms/ Installing and using BrainTest is subject to the application Privacy Policy: https://braintest.com/privacy/ and Terms of Service: https://braintest.com/terms/

About

NIH Toolbox V3

This app provides a comprehensive set of measures to assess cognitive, emotional, motor, and sensory functions in individuals aged 3-85. Designed for research and clinical use, it offers streamlined workflows and a user interface for over 50 measures, enabling data pooling and crosswalk analysis.

Highlights
  • Cognitive, emotional, motor, sensory function assessment
  • Ages 3-85
  • Streamlined workflows and UI
  • Over 50 measures
  • Crosswalk among measures
  • Includes PROMIS tests
Read full description

*** Important Hardware Note: iPads (2018 and newer models) with 9.7- to 11-inch screens are recommended. Data collected on iPads PRO with 12.9" or iPads Mini with 8.3” screens has not yet been validated. *** NIH Toolbox® V3 is a multidimensional set of performance and person-report measures that assess cognitive, emotional, motor, and sensory function in people ages 3-85, designed for research and clinical use. The original NIH Toolbox was developed by more than 250 scientists over 6 years, and sponsored by the 15 institutes of the National Institutes for Health that make up the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint. This update to the NIH Toolbox® includes streamlined workflows and user interface for over 50 measures, for stand-alone use or as part of a complete assessment battery. With the NIH Toolbox® V3 app, researchers can assess function using a common metric and can “crosswalk” among measures, essential to the process of pooling data and often necessary when a large and diverse sample is needed. With the purchase of this app, you will also have access to select Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) tests. NIH Toolbox® does not require a subscription for many features; however, a subscription is required to record assessment responses, and to view and export results. To use all available features of NIH Toolbox®, users must subscribe to a 1-year subscription. Subscriptions are offered for purchase within the app for use on up to 10 iPads. Purchased subscriptions will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Users can enjoy a free trial period to explore the NIH Toolbox V3 app, but data will not be saved and results will not be generated during the free trial. The free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. You may manage your subscription by going to your Apple Account Settings after purchase. Cancellation of the current (paid) subscription is subject to Apple’s discretion. All content needed to administer NIH Toolbox® tests is available in the app, though some tests require additional hardware or materials. Please create a free account at www.NIHToolbox.org to access the NIH Toolbox® V3 Administration Manual, Technical Manuals, supplemental materials, and list of publications. With the purchase of this app, you will immediately have access to tests in the Emotion, Motor, and Sensation domains. Tests in the Cognition domain require the successful completion of a separate approval on www.NIHToolbox.org. This approval process is included in the cost of the subscription; no additional purchase is necessary. Generally, approval will be granted to researchers and clinicians with the knowledge and training to use neuropsychological tests. Contact help@nihtoolbox.org for more details. Important information about the intended use and data security: * NIH Toolbox® is not intended for use outside of research or clinical application. * Users control how data is managed. Data export via iCloud, email, and File Sharing can be enabled/disabled in the app. * If iCloud is enabled on your device, you may choose to upload data exports to a folder in iCloud Drive upon generation. Please refer to Apple for iCloud security and privacy details. * Data exports (.csv format) and assessment reports (.PDF format) may be emailed from NIH Toolbox. Secured email systems must be used to protect privacy. Help us make this product the best it can be. If you have suggestions for changes or corrections, please share them with us at: help@nihtoolbox.org. To learn more about NIH Toolbox, visit www.NIHToolbox.org. NIH Toolbox Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions are located here: https://nihtoolbox.org/privacy-policy/ https://nihtoolbox.org/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

BrainTest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: BrainTest at free with in-app purchases against NIH Toolbox V3's subscription. BrainTest also leads on ratings volume (289 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BrainTest sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per 6 months and NIH Toolbox V3 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $599.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for BrainTest against 4.7 for NIH Toolbox V3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainTest has 289 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BrainTest versus NIH Toolbox V3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainTestNIH Toolbox V3
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (289 ratings)4.7 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings289 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS14 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB938 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBrain Test Inc.Toolbox Assessments, Inc.

Customer experience

BrainTest

All ratings289 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative63.6%

NIH Toolbox V3

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BrainTest

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Inaccurate test results
  • Test doesn't upload
  • App doesn't work
  • App has glitches
  • App crashes
Show 3 more
  • App freezes
  • Notification issues
  • Subscription cancellation issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Consider pen input for drawing
  • Offer senior citizen discount
  • Improve cancellation process
  • Provide more tests per year

NIH Toolbox V3

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

BrainTest

Subscriptions2
  • 30Day Free Trial Wellness Plan1 Month trial3 variants$24.996 Months
  • BrainTest Annual Wellness Plan$24.996 Months
One-time2
  • Free Single BrainTestFree
  • Single BrainTest Plan$39.99
3 purchases

NIH Toolbox V3

Subscriptions3
  • Access on 2 iPads1 Month trial$599.991 Year
  • Access on 6 iPads$1499.991 Year
  • Access on 10 iPads$2499.991 Year

Questions

Is BrainTest free?
BrainTest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NIH Toolbox V3 free?
NIH Toolbox V3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BrainTest or NIH Toolbox V3?
NIH Toolbox V3 is rated higher. BrainTest averages 4.6 out of 5 from 289 ratings, while NIH Toolbox V3 averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do BrainTest or NIH Toolbox V3 have ads?
Neither BrainTest nor NIH Toolbox V3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BrainTest or NIH Toolbox V3?
BrainTest ships an update every 2 months, and NIH Toolbox V3 every 2 months. Most recently, BrainTest was updated on September 22, 2026 and NIH Toolbox V3 on September 18, 2026.

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