# Sharper Minds vs BrainPower Cognitive Activity

The clearest difference is ads: Sharper Minds at none against BrainPower Cognitive Activity's shown. Sharper Minds also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (106 vs 8). BrainPower Cognitive Activity's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sharper Minds sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and BrainPower Cognitive Activity sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BrainPower Cognitive Activity holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sharper Minds has 106 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Sharper Minds's written reviews are positive against 100% of BrainPower Cognitive Activity's.

Sharper Minds ships an update weekly, BrainPower Cognitive Activity every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sharper Minds | BrainPower Cognitive Activity |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharper-minds-brain-games/id1446248757/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpower-cognitive-activity/id6738306065/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **106** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 244 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tim Holmgren](https://appshunter.io/developer/953470449) | [Justin Scarborough](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780096762) |

## What reviewers say

### Sharper Minds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharper-minds-brain-games/id1446248757)

Engage your mind with a collection of 15 classic brain games designed for all ages. Enjoy offline play and no registration required for endless entertainment and mental stimulation.

**Highlights:** 15 fun mind games, No registration required, Offline play, Sudoku, Crossword, Minesweeper, Trivia

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### BrainPower Cognitive Activity

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpower-cognitive-activity/id6738306065)

Engage in a word puzzle game designed to sharpen memory, attention, and focus. Compete in real-time challenges against players worldwide, earning rewards for top performance. Offers various difficulty levels and helpful power-ups for a dynamic brain training experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time competition mode, Word puzzle gameplay, Memory and focus improvement, Multiple difficulty levels, In-game power-ups, Daily rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Elite Mode | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Brainwave Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Memory Magic Bundle | $1.49 | one-time |
| Focus Fuel Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sharper Minds free?

Sharper Minds is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BrainPower Cognitive Activity free?

BrainPower Cognitive Activity is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sharper Minds or BrainPower Cognitive Activity?

BrainPower Cognitive Activity is rated higher. Sharper Minds averages 4.6 out of 5 from 106 ratings, while BrainPower Cognitive Activity averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Sharper Minds or BrainPower Cognitive Activity have ads?

BrainPower Cognitive Activity shows ads; Sharper Minds does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sharper Minds or BrainPower Cognitive Activity?

Sharper Minds ships an update weekly, and BrainPower Cognitive Activity every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sharper Minds was updated on November 2, 2026 and BrainPower Cognitive Activity on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*