Comparison

BrainHQ vs The Tapping Solution

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

Head to head
About

BrainHQ

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
Read full description

Train your brain with BrainHQ from Posit Science—the most rigorous program available for better brain health, and the only one backed by more than 100 scientific papers showing benefits - including the breakthrough NIH-funded ACTIVE study. Now with new features that contribute to your brain fitness success!

 BrainHQ represents the culmination of 30 years of research in neuroscience and brain health. Top scientists from around the world helped to develop and test the BrainHQ exercises. The result: a training system that comprehensively improves brain performance, from the most basic elements of perception through the most complex elements of memory, attention, and cognitive function.

 No other brain fitness program can match BrainHQ in scientific proof. More than 100 publications from independent, randomized controlled trials have shown that the exercises and assessments in BrainHQ drive real change. These changes include: • cognitive improvements, such as better memory and faster processing speed • real-world improvements, including safer driving and improved quality of life • physical brain changes, like healthier white matter and more coordinated neurons. 
 All of this means that BrainHQ works—in laboratory studies, and in the lives of everyday people:

 •"BrainHQ is a no-brainer must-have in my book…This training has expanded my visual, fine-tuned my audio and even my reflexes seem to be getting faster. BrainHQ is fun and gives me the challenges I need to keep my brain working out on a daily basis." - C. MacDonald

 •"Only a few months into the BrainHQ exercises the difference is clear, this isn’t left to speculation, I saw drastic improvements…and my family has noticed a strong improvement." - A. Amitrano

 And leading publications agree: “Our testers concluded that Posit's product—one of the few so far to undergo clinical trials and peer-reviewed research—had the firmest scientific grounding.” - Wall Street Journal
 The BrainHQ app helps you set and achieve your brain training goals—so it not only works, it works for you.
 Each exercise adapts to your performance and gets more challenging as your performance improves, just like a personal trainer for your brain.
 The training is designed to fit into your life: train for just 5 minutes in your spare time, or do a complete workout in an hour. 
BrainHQ is a free download, and includes a free exercise every day. 
For full access, we offer the following recurring subscription options:

 1 month: $13.99
 1 year: $94.99

 These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on your country or residence. 

Monthly subscription are billed once per month, and an annual subscriptions are billed once per year. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://www.brainhq.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.brainhq.com/terms

About

The Tapping Solution

Learn Tapping (EFT) techniques to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain, and improve sleep. Access hundreds of guided meditations for lasting results in areas like emotional release, physical discomfort, and women's health.

Highlights
  • Stress and anxiety reduction
  • Pain relief meditations
  • Sleep improvement techniques
  • Emotional release exercises
  • Support for specific health concerns
  • Meditations for various life stages and professions
Features
Read full description

Lower your stress levels, reduce anxiety, overcome fears, relieve pain, get better sleep, and so much more. All made possible with access to hundreds of meditations in the Tapping Solution App. You'll learn how to use Tapping (also known as EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques), to lead a happier and healthier life. Over 15 million sessions completed so far, ranging in length from 2 minutes (a quick session) to 20 minutes (to guide your deeper work). "Like someone turned off the anxiety switch." - Debbie, App member "This is one of the most calming and tools in my mindfulness toolkit." -App member "I'm 46 and struggled with a racing mind at bedtime and anxiety my whole life. I'm shocked that as I do this before sleep, I feel like I got the deep, restorative sleep my body with fibromyalgia needs to heal." -Susie, App member Tapping has also been recommended by top doctors, therapists, psychologists, personal development experts, and mental health experts including Mark Hyman, M.D., Tony Robbins, Ruth Buczynski, Ph.D., Dawson Church, Ph.D., Brendon Burchard, Eric Leskowitz, M.D., and many others! Clinical Research About The App Published in A Top-Tier Journal: A recent study conducted on the Tapping Solution App's effectiveness of immediate reduction of psychological distress concluded that there was statistically significant reduction in the emotional intensity ratings between the start and end of sessions for stress and anxiety sessions, thus offering preliminary evidence on the immediate effects of The Tapping Solution App in reducing psychological distress. Follow along effortlessly with Meditations designed for you to get lasting results. Topics include: * Lowering stress about: family, finances, health, work, the world & more * Sleep support for: insomnia, fall asleep faster, quiet your racing mind & more * Releasing emotions such as: anger, anxiety, fear, grief, guilt, sadness, self-doubt, shame & more * Relief from pain such as: arthritis, back pain, cancer pain, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, headaches, knee pain, neck pain, sciatic pain & more * Supporting your body in healing from: allergies, colds, high blood pressure, inflammation, indigestion, tinnitus, TMJ & more * Women's health support for: early motherhood, fertility, IVF, menopause, pregnancy & more * Weight loss & body confidence support for: critical self-talk, eliminating cravings, getting back on track & more * Support for children, military/veterans & teachers. Subscription Pricing and Terms: Auto-renewing monthly subscription & auto-renewing yearly subscriptions are offered, both of which allow full access to all content for as long as you maintain an active subscription. A lifetime subscription, which is a one-time-only payment, is also offered, giving unlimited access to all of the content inside the app forever. Prices are set in US dollars. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on your country. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your iTunes account at the time of the initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period end date, and the cost of the renewal will be listed. You can manage your subscription and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. The information presented in this app, including introducing EFT Tapping is not intended to represent that Tapping is used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or psychological disorder. Tapping is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. We strongly advise that you seek professional advice as appropriate before making any health decision. Read more about the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy here: https://bit.ly/2UFLd02

Screenshots

BrainHQ4 screens
The Tapping Solution4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: BrainHQ at free with in-app purchases against The Tapping Solution's subscription. BrainHQ also leads on ads (none vs shown). The Tapping Solution's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 48%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases 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. BrainHQ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month and The Tapping Solution sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Tapping Solution holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22K and 24K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of BrainHQ's written reviews are positive against 85% of The Tapping Solution's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, The Tapping Solution every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
BrainHQ versus The Tapping Solution: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainHQThe Tapping Solution
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (22K ratings)4.8 (24K ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.8% of reviews84.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22K24K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#128 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size173 MB161 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPosit ScienceThe Tapping Solution, LLC

Customer experience

BrainHQ

All ratings21,975 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews383 reviews
Positive47.8%
Neutral17.2%
Negative35.0%

The Tapping Solution

All ratings23,731 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews710 reviews
Positive84.5%
Neutral2.7%
Negative12.8%

User reviews

BrainHQ

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

The Tapping Solution

From 24K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Awesome App
  • 🚀 Regular use for more than two years!
  • 🚀 Outstanding
  • 🚀 Love this App
  • 🚀 Tapping brings me Peace

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Expensive!!!
  • 🐛 Not happy
  • 🐛 Dangerous negative messages
  • 🐛 Disappointing.
  • 🐛 Wish I could hear it better

Bugs and requests

BrainHQ

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

The Tapping Solution

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • New update affects downloaded category
  • Immediate turn off win $100 flashes up in your face

Requested features

2 requests
  • Language
  • Wish I could hear it better

In-app purchases

2 purchases

BrainHQ

Subscriptions2
  • BrainHQ$13.991 Month
  • BrainHQ$94.991 Year
10 purchases

The Tapping Solution

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$11.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$67.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$94.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription14 Days trial3 variants$94.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$94.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$94.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Subscription$399.99

Questions

Is BrainHQ free?
BrainHQ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Tapping Solution free?
The Tapping Solution is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BrainHQ or The Tapping Solution?
The Tapping Solution is rated higher. BrainHQ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while The Tapping Solution averages 4.8 from 24K ratings.
Do BrainHQ or The Tapping Solution have ads?
The Tapping Solution shows ads; BrainHQ does not.
Which is updated more often, BrainHQ or The Tapping Solution?
BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, and The Tapping Solution every 3 weeks. Most recently, BrainHQ was updated on October 2, 2026 and The Tapping Solution on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons