Comparison

MuscleMap vs Cortex

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

Head to head
About

MuscleMap

Features
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MuscleMap: Your Personalized Blueprint for Fitness Success. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, MuscleMap is here to guide you on your fitness journey. Let's get started and make every workout count! Achieve your fitness goals faster with MuscleMap, your all-in-one training companion. Whether you're a beginner or a fitness enthusiast, our app empowers you to design customized workouts, track progress seamlessly, and witness amazing results. Download MuscleMap today and unlock your full fitness potential! Features List: - Effortlessly Track Gym Workouts: Log your exercises, sets, reps, and weights with ease. - Optimize Cardio Sessions. Monitor your cardio activities to ensure well-rounded training. - Target Muscle Groups. Isolate and track specific muscle groups for targeted development. - Visualize Weight Progress. Stay motivated by charting your weight changes over time. - Enrich Every Session with Notes. Capture valuable insights and observations after each workout. - Celebrate Progress with Training History. See your fitness journey unfold and stay inspired. Video introduction of the app: https://youtu.be/iBC2AfimerI

About

Cortex

Features
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Most apps guess. Cortex measures. A 60-second reaction time test every morning gives you a focus score against your own baseline. Then one-habit experiments show whether sleep, caffeine or a new routine actually changed it: real effect, no effect, or inconclusive. YOUR MORNING SCORE - A 60-second reaction-time test, taken in your own morning window - Scored against your personal baseline β€” never someone else's average - Streaks, shields, and ranks that reward showing up REAL EXPERIMENTS - Change one variable: caffeine cutoff, phone-free first hour, shorts curfew, cold finish, and more - Cortex compares your baseline days against intervention days - Verdicts are graded by evidence strength β€” A, B, or C HONEST BY DESIGN - If the result is noise, Cortex says so: "no meaningful effect" is a real answer - No made-up insights, no dressed-up randomness - Correlations are labeled as hints, not verdicts TRENDS AND CONTEXT - 14-, 30- and 90-day trend charts around your personal noise band - Optional Apple Health context: sleep, heart-rate variability, resting heart rate and steps alongside your scores - Your data stays on your iPhone β€” no account, no cloud; full CSV export any time SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Cortex is a paid app: a subscription (or the one-time Lifetime purchase) is required to use it β€” there is no free plan. Every plan includes the whole app β€” the morning test, unlimited experiments, correlations, trends and full history export. - Cortex Annual β€” US$34.99 per year (auto-renewing) - Cortex Monthly β€” US$4.99 per month (auto-renewing) - Cortex Lifetime β€” US$79.99 one-time purchase (not a subscription) Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple Account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage or cancel a subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. There is no free trial. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cortex-attentionlab.netlify.app/privacy.html Support: https://cortex-attentionlab.netlify.app/support.html Cortex is a general-wellness app. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition, and it is not a medical or psychological assessment. Cortex doesn't promise to fix your focus. It gives you the instrument to find out what actually helps. Eligible new subscribers can get the Annual plan for US$19.99 for the first year, then US$34.99/year, automatically renewing until cancelled. Apple’s localized prices and introductory-offer eligibility apply. No free trial.

Screenshots

MuscleMap4 screens
Cortex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MuscleMap at none against Cortex's 3. MuscleMap also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Cortex's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Cortex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. MuscleMap asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MuscleMap ships an update fortnightly, Cortex daily. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
MuscleMap versus Cortex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMuscleMapCortex
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size22 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAltos Engineering OUHendrik Alastair Kung

In-app purchases

None

MuscleMap

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Cortex

Subscriptions2
  • Cortex Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Cortex Pro Annual$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cortex Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is MuscleMap free?
MuscleMap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cortex free?
Cortex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MuscleMap or Cortex have ads?
Neither MuscleMap nor Cortex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MuscleMap or Cortex?
MuscleMap ships an update fortnightly, and Cortex daily. Most recently, MuscleMap was updated on October 7, 2026 and Cortex on October 6, 2026.

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