# Impulse vs Brain Training

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Brain Training at 100% against Impulse's 70%. Brain Training also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Impulse's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (852K vs 27). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Impulse sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Brain Training sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Impulse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Impulse has 852K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Impulse's written reviews are positive against 100% of Brain Training's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Impulse ships an update weekly, Brain Training every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Impulse | Brain Training |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (852K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impulse-brain-training/id1451295827/reviews)** | [4.3 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-training-sparkiq/id6474968726/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **852K** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | — |
| Size | 265 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [GMRD Apps Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518777345) | [Xiaoyao Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706954979) |

## What reviewers say

### Impulse

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

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Education, #37 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 |
| Premium Access | $15.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $28.99 | per year |
| PRO  1 year, special offer | $29.49 | 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


### Brain Training

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-training-sparkiq/id6474968726)

Sharpen your cognitive skills with engaging games and psychological assessments. Improve vocabulary, logic, reaction time, focus, math, and memory. Offers daily plans and progress tracking to keep you motivated.

**Highlights:** Word games, Logic puzzles, Reaction challenges, Focus exercises, Math problems, Memory tasks, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brain Training Unlimited | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Brain Training Unlimited | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Impulse free?

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

### Is Brain Training free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Impulse or Brain Training?

Impulse is rated higher. Impulse averages 4.7 out of 5 from 852K ratings, while Brain Training averages 4.3 from 27 ratings.

### Do Impulse or Brain Training have ads?

Both Impulse and Brain Training show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Impulse or Brain Training?

Impulse ships an update weekly, and Brain Training every 2 weeks. Most recently, Impulse was updated on November 7, 2026 and Brain Training 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.*