# Impulse vs memoryOS

The clearest difference is ads: memoryOS at none against Impulse's shown. memoryOS also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (80% vs 70%). Impulse's advantage is ratings volume (851K vs 17K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Impulse sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and memoryOS sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

memoryOS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Impulse has 851K ratings behind it against 17K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Impulse's written reviews are positive against 80% of memoryOS's.

Impulse ships an update weekly, memoryOS every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Impulse | memoryOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (851K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impulse-brain-training/id1451295827/reviews) | **[4.9 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memoryos-memory-games/id1553283646/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **851K** | 17K |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews | **80.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | #57 |
| Size | 265 MB | 248 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.2** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GMRD Apps Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518777345) | [Encoder Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1524669695) |

## What reviewers say

### Impulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impulse-brain-training/id1451295827)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Education, #36 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Enhance your cognitive abilities with personalized brain training games and puzzles. Discover your mental strengths and weaknesses through self-discovery tests, and track your progress over time to build a sharper mind.

**Highlights:** Personalized daily training plans, Memory & processing speed training, Attention & focus exercises, Mental math challenges, Problem-solving games, Cognitive profile discovery, IQ and personality tests

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ImpulsePRO  7 days | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| ImpulsePRO  1 week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| ImpulsePRO  1 month, 25% off | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Access | $15.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $28.99 | per year |
| PRO  1 year, special offer | $29.49 | per year |
| ImpulsePRO  52 weeks | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Engaging and fun brain games
- 🧠 Helpful for improving focus, memory, and cognitive abilities
- 📈 Tracks progress and compares to peers
- 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing and calming experience
- 🏆 Motivating to improve scores and skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model, with limited free access
- 🤖 Misleading ads and paywalls for test results
- 🙄 Excessive ads and upselling in free version
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🤨 Questionable accuracy of personality/IQ tests

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent progress tracking and level completion
- Crashes and freezes, especially on older devices
- Subscription issues and unexpected charges

**Requested features**

- More varied and challenging brain games
- Personalized training plans based on user needs
- Family sharing and multi-user support
- Better integration of test results and game performance
- Improved night mode and accessibility features


### memoryOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memoryos-memory-games/id1553283646)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Grossing · Education, #83 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Enhance your memory and focus with interactive lessons and a virtual mind palace game. Learn scientifically proven techniques to improve knowledge retention and recall a wide range of information, from names and numbers to complex data and entire books.

**Highlights:** Interactive bite-sized lessons, Virtual Mind Palaces game, Spaced repetition system, Scientifically proven techniques, Improve knowledge retention, Memorize diverse information

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Weekly Plan | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Student Monthly Plan | $5.99 | per month |
| Expert Weekly Plan | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Essential Weekly Plan | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Essential Monthly Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Essential Monthly Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Essential Monthly Plan | $16.99 | per month |
| Student 3 Months Plan | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Expert Monthly Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| Expert Monthly Plan | $29.99 | per month |
| Expert 3 Months Plan | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| Expert 3 Months Plan | $69.99 | per 3 months |
| Expert 6 Months Plan | $89.99 | per 6 months |
| Essential Annual Plan | $89.99 | per year |
| Essential Annual Plan | $89.99 | per year |
| Essential Annual Plan | $89.99 | per year |
| Expert Annual Plan | $148.99 | per year |
| Expert Annual Plan | $149.99 | per year |
| Expert Annual Plan | $174.99 | per year |
| Expert Annual Plan | $174.99 | per year |
| 10 Hearts | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Loci Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 50 Loci Coins | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective memory techniques
- 👍 Interactive and engaging
- 💡 Innovative use of memory palaces
- 🤩 Impressive results in a short time
- 🎉 Fun and enjoyable to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
- 🔒 Lack of transparency around pricing
- 🙄 Aggressive upselling and marketing tactics

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account management problems
- Frequent crashes and app instability
- Navigation and UI elements not working as expected
- Syncing issues between devices and lost progress
- Connectivity problems when using cellular data

**Requested features**

- More free content and lessons
- Ability to create custom memory palaces
- Better progress tracking and analytics
- Integration with other learning/productivity apps
- Offline mode for lessons and memory palaces


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Impulse free?

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

### Is memoryOS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Impulse or memoryOS?

memoryOS is rated higher. Impulse averages 4.7 out of 5 from 851K ratings, while memoryOS averages 4.9 from 17K ratings.

### Do Impulse or memoryOS have ads?

Impulse shows ads; memoryOS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Impulse or memoryOS?

Impulse ships an update weekly, and memoryOS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Impulse was updated on October 19, 2026 and memoryOS on October 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Impulse or memoryOS?

Impulse currently peaks at #15 in the App Store charts, and memoryOS at #57. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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