# BrainHQ vs Sonde One

The clearest difference is rating: BrainHQ at 4.6 against Sonde One's 3.0. BrainHQ also leads on ratings volume (22K vs 47) and chart position (#183 vs unranked). Sonde One's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (58% vs 47%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainHQ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month. Sonde One asks for nothing beyond the download.

BrainHQ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainHQ has 22K ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of BrainHQ's written reviews are positive against 58% of Sonde One's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, Sonde One every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainHQ | Sonde One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainhq/id537452201/reviews)** | [3.0 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonde-one/id1147192738/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 47 |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#183** | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Posit Science](https://appshunter.io/developer/329913981) | [Sonde Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1093148075) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainHQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainhq/id537452201)

**Currently charting:** #183 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app offers a scientifically-backed brain training program designed to improve cognitive functions like memory, attention, and processing speed. It features adaptive exercises that adjust to your performance, fitting into your daily routine with sessions as short as five minutes.

**Highlights:** Scientifically validated brain exercises, Improves memory and processing speed, Adaptive training adjusts to performance, Daily free exercise, Personalized brain fitness goals, Flexible training sessions

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrainHQ | $13.99 | per month |
| BrainHQ | $94.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Scientifically-backed brain exercises
- 🤓 Challenging and engaging games
- 🧠 Noticeable cognitive improvements
- 👍 Customizable training focus
- 🤝 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🤔 Unclear instructions and scoring
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🙈 Limited free version
- 🎨 Lack of diversity in some exercises

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Audio issues on iOS
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Progress reset issues

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch app
- Apple TV app
- Better progress tracking in-app
- Customizable difficulty levels
- More diverse representation in exercises


### Sonde One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonde-one/id1147192738)

This app uses voice analysis to track health conditions by identifying subtle vocal changes. It offers health scores and symptom assessments for enterprise and research users, contributing to groundbreaking voice biomarker research.

**Highlights:** Vocal biomarker analysis, Health condition tracking, Symptom assessments, Enterprise health tool, Voice research participation, Health scores

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainHQ free?

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

### Is Sonde One free?

Sonde One is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BrainHQ or Sonde One?

BrainHQ is rated higher. BrainHQ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Sonde One averages 3.0 from 47 ratings.

### Do BrainHQ or Sonde One have ads?

Neither BrainHQ nor Sonde One shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainHQ or Sonde One?

BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, and Sonde One every 6 weeks. Most recently, BrainHQ was updated on November 5, 2026 and Sonde One on November 2, 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.*