Comparison

BrainHQ vs Hearing Number

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

Hearing Number

Assess your hearing ability by determining the softest sound you can hear in each ear. Understand your unique Hearing Numbers to better protect your hearing and improve communication. Track changes over time and encourage others to take charge of their hearing wellness.

Highlights
  • Measure Hearing Numbers
  • Track hearing changes over time
  • Protect hearing wellness
  • Share with friends and family
  • Learn about hearing health
Read full description

How’s your hearing? Learn your Hearing Numbers—the softest sound you can hear in each ear—with an app created by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Then use your Hearing Numbers to protect your hearing and hear better. Track your hearing to know how it changes over time and encourage others to know their hearing. Take charge of your hearing wellness! Hearing Numbers can be as low as -10 or as high as 100 decibels, or dB. The higher your Hearing Numbers are, the louder sounds will need to be for you to hear them, and the harder it will be to hear and communicate in noisy places. Requires headphones, a quiet space, and about 5 minutes to complete. No advertising, in-app purchases, or product recommendations. The app tests the noise level around you, measures your hearing levels at four frequencies in each ear, and provides your Hearing Numbers. Share the Hearing Number app and encourage your friends and family to learn their Hearing Numbers. Re-check your Hearing Numbers from time to time and review previous results to track how your hearing changes over time. Learn more about the Hearing Number and how to use it at app.HearingNumber.org. This app is created by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, seeking to empower people to know their hearing—millions at a time. Disclaimer This hearing wellness app does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. You should consult with a health care provider for questions related to your hearing or if you are experiencing any of the following: ear pain or ringing, dizziness, ear drainage or a sense of something in your ear, sudden or fluctuating hearing loss, injury or deformity to your ear, or worse hearing in one ear (i.e., your right and left Hearing Numbers are different by more than 10 dB).

Screenshots

BrainHQ4 screens
Hearing Number4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hearing Number at none against BrainHQ's 2. Hearing Number also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6). BrainHQ's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 588) and chart position (#170 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Hearing Number asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hearing Number holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainHQ has 22K ratings behind it against 588, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of BrainHQ's written reviews are positive against 43% of Hearing Number's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, Hearing Number every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
BrainHQ versus Hearing Number: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainHQHearing Number
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (22K ratings)4.9 (588 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.5% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings22K — better588
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#170 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB17 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPosit ScienceMimi Hearing Technologies

Customer experience

BrainHQ

All ratings21,963 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive47.5%
Neutral17.1%
Negative35.4%

Hearing Number

All ratings578 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

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

Hearing Number

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

BrainHQ

Subscriptions2
  • BrainHQ$13.991 Month
  • BrainHQ$94.991 Year
None

Hearing Number

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BrainHQ free?
BrainHQ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hearing Number free?
Hearing Number is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BrainHQ or Hearing Number?
Hearing Number is rated higher. BrainHQ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Hearing Number averages 4.9 from 588 ratings.
Do BrainHQ or Hearing Number have ads?
Neither BrainHQ nor Hearing Number shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BrainHQ or Hearing Number?
BrainHQ ships an update every 2 months, and Hearing Number every 3 months. Most recently, BrainHQ was updated on October 20, 2026 and Hearing Number on October 20, 2026.

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