Comparison

BWHI App vs AARP Staying Sharp

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

Head to head
About

BWHI App

This app supports a lifestyle change program designed to prevent type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. It offers guidance from a lifestyle coach, educational resources, and a supportive community to help users adopt healthier habits.

Highlights
  • CDC-approved curriculum
  • Lifestyle coach support
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Healthy meal preparation
  • Stress management
  • Community support
Features
Read full description

With the BWHI App, the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) are working to make optimal health and well-being a reality for all black women and and girls. CYL² is a lifestyle change program that utilizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved curriculum to help prevent type 2 diabetes and other preventable chronic conditions. The program includes a lifestyle coach who can provide the education and support needed to replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones that lead to a path of long-term success. Through the app’s features, participants learn problem-solving skills and coping strategies for overcoming barriers to lifestyle changes, such as shopping for and preparing affordable and healthier meals, stress and emotional eating, food triggers, eating away from home and access to healthier food choices overall. A community of others on their personal wellness journeys will provide the much-needed support with discussions about solutions to overcome common challenges to wellness.

About

AARP Staying Sharp

This app offers science-based challenges and expert advice to improve brain health, focusing on memory, focus, and digital well-being. It provides interactive tools and exercises to help users build lasting, brain-healthy habits.

Highlights
  • Science-based brain health challenges
  • Expert advice on memory and focus
  • Digital decluttering strategies
  • Interactive tools and exercises
  • Progress saving across devices
  • Earn AARP Rewards points
Features
Read full description

Need to learn a variety of healthy-lifestyle skills? The AARP™ Staying Sharp® app is based on a holistic, lifestyle-based approach to brain health and features expert advice on memory, focus and more. Are you sometimes irritated by little memory slips like forgetting where you placed your keys or phone? In our “Memory Loss – Is it Inevitable?” challenge, you can learn how memory works. In addition, our Digital Declutter challenge teaches you ways to manage your digital world. Discover strategies for shifting technology away from being a distracting force in your life and into something that helps you live life more fully. And if you’re tired of forgetting details about new people you meet, our Faces & Names challenge can help you learn the secrets of those impressive people who never forget a name. Here’s what the app lets you do: Take challenges that are designed to help you learn about the brain and its ongoing health, including tips to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life. Take Staying Sharp challenges on the go. Your progress will be saved, no matter where you start or stop your challenge. And that works on a smartphone, computer or tablet. Who can use the app? Anyone can download and preview the Staying Sharp® app. AARP members and other authorized users have access to it. Plus, there’s more. Access includes the following: * Take the challenges to earn AARP Rewards points*. This loyalty program lets you gain points for participating in activities, including eligible Staying Sharp challenges. * Take advantage of easy access to the AARP Now app. This app lets users tap into news, events and savings, plus earn AARP Rewards points. *Unused AARP Rewards points expire 12 months after they are earned, in monthly batches on a rolling basis. About Staying Sharp and AARP Staying Sharp is an AARP program that shows you how to incorporate the six pillars of brain health into your life. Staying Sharp empowers you to develop meaningful and lasting brain-healthy practices that are based on these pillars: Be social, Eat right, Manage stress, do Ongoing exercise, get Restorative sleep and Engage your brain. The program has received industry recognition in multiple national competitions — including the Digital Health Awards and eHealthcare Awards — earning accolades for videos, interactive content and site design. AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. Terms of Service: https://stayingsharp.aarp.org/about/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://www.aarp.org/privacy/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

BWHI App3 screens
AARP Staying Sharp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BWHI App at none against AARP Staying Sharp's 1. BWHI App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). AARP Staying Sharp's advantage is ratings volume (3K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence and device support 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. AARP Staying Sharp sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $20.00 per year. BWHI App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BWHI App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AARP Staying Sharp has 3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BWHI App ships an update every 3 weeks, AARP Staying Sharp every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BWHI App versus AARP Staying Sharp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBWHI AppAARP Staying Sharp
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (3K ratings)
Positive reviews—52.4% of reviews
Number of ratings13K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size124 MB76 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBigHeart PhilanthropyAARP

Customer experience

BWHI App

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AARP Staying Sharp

All ratings2,705 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive52.4%
Neutral4.8%
Negative42.9%

Bugs and requests

BWHI App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AARP Staying Sharp

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Games not launching properly
  • App freezing or crashing
  • Inability to access core features

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand game library
  • Improve login and navigation experience
  • Add more accessibility features
  • Provide clearer instructions and guidance

In-app purchases

None

BWHI App

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

AARP Staying Sharp

Subscriptions1
  • AARP Membership1 Year trial$20.001 Year

Questions

Is BWHI App free?
BWHI App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AARP Staying Sharp free?
AARP Staying Sharp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BWHI App or AARP Staying Sharp?
BWHI App is rated higher. BWHI App averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while AARP Staying Sharp averages 4.7 from 3K ratings.
Do BWHI App or AARP Staying Sharp have ads?
AARP Staying Sharp shows ads; BWHI App does not.
Which is updated more often, BWHI App or AARP Staying Sharp?
BWHI App ships an update every 3 weeks, and AARP Staying Sharp every 5 weeks. Most recently, BWHI App was updated on October 16, 2026 and AARP Staying Sharp on October 14, 2026.

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