Comparison

Dual N vs MindBuilding

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

Head to head
About

Dual N

Features
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Practice Dual N-Back at your own pace, starting with one minute. Dual N-Back asks you to decide whether the current cue matches the one presented N steps earlier. Practice comparing positions and audio cues, then review your session results over time. GET STARTED WITH AN INTERACTIVE TUTORIAL Learn the rules and response controls by trying them before you train. BUILD A DAILY ROUTINE Choose 1–5 minutes on Home. The first selection is one minute, and your previous choice is remembered for next time. This is an approximate cue duration; preparation and pauses are additional. Sessions with configurable trial counts and settings are also available. CHOOSE YOUR N LEVEL Let the app adjust your N level using the average of your latest three completed sessions under matching conditions, or select it manually. Customize the accuracy thresholds for raising and lowering N in 5-point steps, and reset them to the standard 80% / 50% values at any time. The comparison matches N level, duration, element combination, game mode, cue mode, timing and other training conditions. REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS Check your history, practice streak and achievements. The growth report compares only records with the same N level, element combination, game mode, cue mode, timing and other training conditions. View session counts, average, best and a chart for 7 days, 30 days or all saved records. STANDARD AND EXPANDED MODES Standard mode, with position and letter cues, is free. The separate Expanded Mode purchase lets you choose any two elements (6 combinations), any three (4 combinations), or all four from position, letter, color and shape. Choose an element count and combination from a clear list; only your selected elements are trained and scored. Existing Expanded Mode owners do not need another purchase. ADS AND OPTIONAL PURCHASES If you have not purchased Ad-Free, a banner may appear at the bottom of the result screen. Ads are not shown during training. Two independent one-time purchases are available. Neither is a subscription: - Ad-Free removes result-screen ads. It does not include Expanded Mode. - Expanded Mode unlocks two- to four-element combinations that include color or shape. It does not remove ads. Current prices appear on the purchase screen. Use Restore Purchases on that screen to check previously purchased entitlements. DATA AND PRIVACY Play history, settings and achievements are stored on your device. Usage analytics is off by default. Firebase Analytics is used only when enabled in Settings on the App Store version. Advertising services, including Google Mobile Ads, also make network connections. See App Privacy on the App Store and the privacy policy for details about data handling and purposes. LANGUAGES Japanese and English. Support and terms https://hori2-t.github.io/dual-nback-legal/ Privacy policy https://hori2-t.github.io/dual-nback-legal/privacy.html

About

MindBuilding

Features
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Short exercises for memory, attention and reaction time. Track your scores. A subscription is required to use MindBuilding: weekly (3-day free trial) or yearly (7-day free trial), or a one-time lifetime purchase. The welcome and your first session are free. MindBuilding brings the mind workouts of the mindbuilding community into one app: RRT, N-back, CCT, Posner, UFOV, 3D MOT and more, with a plan for today and progress you can check. 40 EXERCISES AND A DAILY CHECK-IN Each one says what it trains and how strong the evidence is (badge A to D). The core of the community: β€’ RRT: relational reasoning on premises, with community presets and a spatializing tutorial. β€’ Dual N-back: working-memory updating, with a variable mode. β€’ CCT: an adaptive PASAT for cognitive control, with a gentle entry. β€’ Posner: fast same-or-different judgments on letters, names and meanings. Experimental, and labeled as such. β€’ UFOV (useful field of view): a target in the center, another at the edge, shown for a split second. β€’ 3D MOT: track several targets moving among identical distractors. β€’ Stop signal: halt an action already started; your SSRT is estimated with the standard research method. β€’ Stroop, Schulte table, a 2-minute math sprint, the chimp test, and 10 unrelated words for one facet of creativity. β€’ A 3-minute check-in (PVT) that shows how alert you are today. Nothing to beat, nothing to train. A PLAN FOR TODAY, IN ONE TAP Tell MindBuilding your goals and your time, then press Start: a short circuit, or a 5 to 20-minute warm-up before class, work or a game. Each exercise states its progression rule in plain words, and Ranked mode keeps settings fixed so records stay comparable. PROGRESS YOU CAN CHECK Every session is saved automatically: records, lifetime totals, curves and a consistency calendar. Hit a plateau and the app says so, with a variant or a rest day to try. Taps are time-stamped at the moment of touch and stimuli dated to the frame actually shown, at 120 Hz where supported; a timing lab shows what your device can do. CHECK-UPS ON TASKS YOU NEVER TRAIN A 5-minute starting check-up, then at most one a month: matrices, complex span, reaction time, sustained attention. Alternate forms and the monthly limit reduce what habit alone adds to your scores, so you see what really changed. You are only compared with yourself, and there is no intelligence score. THE SCIENCE, IN THE OPEN Each exercise has a card: what research shows, what it doesn't, and a link to every study. Get better at what you practice: that is what the evidence supports. CONSISTENCY THAT RESPECTS REST Consistency counts against your plan, never raw volume. Weeks held stay on your record, freezes are earned by training and never sold, and pause mode holds everything when life gets busy. After about 30 minutes on one exercise, MindBuilding suggests a break. NO ACCOUNT, NO ADS Works offline. Export every session and every trial as CSV or JSON, or erase everything, whenever you want. ACCESSIBLE Dark and light themes, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, softened flashes, and cues that never rely on color alone. On iPhone and iPad. MINDBUILDING PRO (REQUIRED) After the welcome and your first session, choose a plan: β€’ Weekly: weekly subscription, with a 3-day free trial β€’ Yearly: yearly subscription, with a 7-day free trial β€’ Lifetime: one-time purchase, nothing to renew Yearly and Lifetime work with Family Sharing. Your local price is shown in the app before you confirm your purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm, or when the free trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://romeoapps.app/en/mindbuilding/privacy/ MindBuilding is not a medical app. It does not diagnose or treat any condition.

Screenshots

Dual N3 screens
MindBuilding4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MindBuilding at none against Dual N's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Dual N sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MindBuilding sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dual N ships an update every 5 days, MindBuilding weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Dual N versus MindBuilding: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDual NMindBuilding
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days β€” betterWeekly
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTakanori HoritsuROMEO ILARIO FLAVIO GAMBINO

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dual N

One-time1
  • Ad-Free$0.99
3 purchases

MindBuilding

Subscriptions2
  • MindBuilding Pro β€” Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • MindBuilding Pro β€” Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • MindBuilding Pro β€” Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Dual N free?
Dual N is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MindBuilding free?
MindBuilding is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dual N or MindBuilding have ads?
Dual N shows ads; MindBuilding does not.
Which is updated more often, Dual N or MindBuilding?
Dual N ships an update every 5 days, and MindBuilding weekly. Most recently, Dual N was updated on October 31, 2026 and MindBuilding on November 7, 2026.

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