Comparison

CogniTrain vs SoundSteps

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

Head to head
About

CogniTrain

Features
Read full description

Elevate Your Mental Performance CogniTrain is a comprehensive cognitive training platform designed to strengthen your mental abilities through scientifically-backed exercises. Whether you're looking to sharpen your focus, improve memory recall, or enhance processing speed, CogniTrain offers targeted games that challenge and develop your brain. Core Training Games: Stroop Effect Challenge Test your cognitive processing and mental flexibility with this classic psychological exercise. Choose between Classic mode (2 colors) or Expert mode (6 colors) and race against time to identify colors while managing cognitive interference. Perfect for improving attention control and processing speed. Concentration Grid Develop sequential memory and focus with number tracking challenges. Find numbers in order across increasingly complex grids while racing against the clock. Multiple difficulty modes adapt to your skill level, providing progressive challenges that grow with you. Interval Timer Create customizable training sessions with work/rest cycles. Ideal for complementing physical workouts, studying sessions, or any interval-based activity. Configure sets, rounds, and timing to match your exact needs. Color & Number Generator Dynamic randomization tool for creative training approaches. Generate random color and number combinations with adjustable intervals and display modes to support various cognitive exercises and memory training techniques. Key Features: • Science-Based Design: Games built on established cognitive psychology principles • Progress Tracking: Monitor your performance improvements over time • Flexible Difficulty: Multiple modes accommodate beginners to advanced users • Time-Based Challenges: Build processing speed and decision-making accuracy • Customizable Settings: Tailor each game to your training goals • Clean Interface: Distraction-free design keeps you focused on training • Offline Training: Practice anywhere, anytime without internet connection Who Benefits from CogniTrain: Students seeking to improve focus and memory retention, professionals maintaining mental sharpness, athletes training reaction time and decision-making, seniors preserving cognitive health, or anyone committed to ongoing mental fitness. Start your cognitive training journey today. Build stronger mental muscles through consistent, targeted practice. Your brain deserves a workout routine as dedicated as your body. Privacy Policy: https://cognitrain.cloud/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SoundSteps

This app offers daily listening exercises designed to improve speech comprehension, especially in noisy environments. It provides structured practice with word pairs, sentences, and conversations, allowing users to gradually increase background noise levels and choose from various voices. Progress tracking and language options are available.

Highlights
  • Daily listening practice
  • Speech comprehension in noise
  • Word pair exercises
  • Sentence and conversation practice
  • Gradual background noise introduction
  • Multiple voice options
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

SoundSteps is daily listening practice for adults with cochlear implants and hearing aids. It also suits anyone who finds speech hard to follow when there is noise around, and the family members who help. Many people get a new hearing aid or cochlear implant and hear the same advice: "just listen more." SoundSteps turns that into a few guided minutes a day, one step at a time. START WITH A QUICK LISTENING CHECK A short, friendly check finds the right starting point for you. It takes about two minutes and needs no account. PRACTICE THAT BUILDS, STEP BY STEP Short exercises that get harder as you get better: • Word pairs. Hear the small difference between words like "sip" and "ship". • Sentences and everyday conversations. • Stories you follow word by word, with the text on screen. • Everyday scenes, like ordering coffee or answering the phone. BACKGROUND NOISE, AT YOUR OWN PACE Noisy rooms are the hard part, so noise is never forced on you. When you feel ready, add a little background sound and turn it up slowly. You decide how loud it gets. MANY VOICES, NOT JUST ONE Practice with women's and men's voices in American, British, Australian and Canadian accents. Pick one you like, or switch between them as you go. WORKS WITH WHAT YOU HAVE No clinic code, no hearing care account, nothing to pair. Listen through your iPhone or iPad speaker, with headphones, or stream to your hearing aids or cochlear implant processor. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Your accuracy over time, the sound pairs you find easiest and hardest, your practice streak, and a simple suggestion for what to do next. You can share a progress summary with your audiologist whenever you like. ON IPHONE AND IPAD The same practice and the same progress on both. On iPad, the buttons and text are bigger. MORE THAN ENGLISH Practice in Spanish, German, French, Japanese and more. Each language has its own voices, not English audio with subtitles. Switch any time in Settings. FREE TO START The listening check needs no account. Your first week includes full access, and you don't need a card to start. After that, keep practicing for free, or choose Premium for the whole library: every voice and story, plus conversations, everyday scenes and guided paths. SoundSteps Premium is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Your subscription renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel any time in your App Store account settings. Privacy: https://soundsteps.app/privacy Terms: https://soundsteps.app/terms SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice. Questions? support@soundsteps.app

Screenshots

CogniTrain4 screens
SoundSteps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SoundSteps at every 3 days against CogniTrain's every 2 months. On price, ads, 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. CogniTrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and SoundSteps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CogniTrain ships an update every 2 months, SoundSteps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
CogniTrain versus SoundSteps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCogniTrainSoundSteps
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJan PetruelaRoady Roads LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CogniTrain

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$19.991 Year
2 purchases

SoundSteps

Subscriptions2
  • SoundSteps Premium$9.991 Month
  • SoundSteps Premium$89.991 Year

Questions

Is CogniTrain free?
CogniTrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SoundSteps free?
SoundSteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CogniTrain or SoundSteps have ads?
Neither CogniTrain nor SoundSteps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CogniTrain or SoundSteps?
CogniTrain ships an update every 2 months, and SoundSteps every 3 days. Most recently, CogniTrain was updated on October 9, 2026 and SoundSteps on October 24, 2026.

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