9 Best Brain Training Apps UK 2023 | Peak, Lumosity and More

This app offers many of the same features as many of the other options available, but it's the slickness and polished look that helps Peak take it that one step further. With over 45 games, it also boasts an impressive collection of mysteries and riddles to test your intelligence and understanding. 

It will also track your progress, although you'll get a more comprehensive insight if you opt for a subscription, which at £4.99 per month is one of the cheaper options. And that's not all: there are many other great features to compare with friends and compete with strangers that will keep you coming back again and again. 

Support and encourage the brain development in your children with this, quite frankly, astonishingly good educational app. The program has over 100 different games that challenge and stimulate multiple areas of the brain, such as maths, verbal, logic and attention. 

Not only that, but there are different levels of games for children as young as two all the way up to adults. They recommend that around 20 minutes per day should fulfil your child's learning needs, plus, unlike other children's applications, this allows you to track progress and compare with their peers – if you wish to do so. 

While it is strictly only one game, there are thousands of different versions of it, so if you like sudoku, you're going to love this. It has stages for beginners through to advanced players, so not only does it have something for everyone, but it will also grow with you as you become a more accomplished player. 

It has some smart functions too, like the ability to update notes about which numbers you have tried, as well as hints that can help you if you get a little stuck and seasonal and daily challenges that you can play alongside everyone else who uses the platform. 

With over 35 different mini-games that you must pit your wits against – focusing on maths, comprehension and other mental skills – Elevate is up there with some of the most acclaimed brain training apps around. 

Their sticking point is that they are a touch more encouraging, sending notifications and the like to keep you playing and keep your streaks going. Yes, it can be a little annoying for some, but crucially motivating for others. It also cleverly adapts the gaming level the better you get, so you should always stay engaged. 

With this multi-award-winning app that has been downloaded over 8 million times, the heart beats, the guts gurgle and the skin feels. You see, it's all about anatomy, biology and letting kids, young and old, explore the invisible wonders that go on within the human body. 

It has eight modes which range from skeletal to muscular, respiratory and more, each with interactive models of the specific areas that function it. This is a brilliant way of learning and engaging the brain for anyone who is perhaps better suited to visual and kinesthetic education. 

Whilst the first digital brain training games were mostly on the Nintendo DS, it was Lumosity that kicked the whole genre off on the smartphone. They were the first to mix and match different games and conundrums to set you a daily program and to compile a stat-tracking system, so they know their stuff.

Lumosity has another feature that not many other brain training apps have, and that is the ability to access it from your computer or laptop, which can be much better for those of us who have trouble squinting at tiny screens for hours. 

The producers of this app believe that with only 15 minutes of training per day, they can sharpen your concentration and help you achieve a better memory and a quicker thinking time. They manage this by performing a comprehensive analysis of your strengths and potentials, then creating a personalised training program. 

The app has over 20 different games and puzzles, and is available on both big marketplaces, allowing it to be utilised by anyone. There are some additional features behind a paywall, though subscriptions aren't bad at around five pounds a month, so if you like it and feel you're getting sharper, you may find it worth the money.

This app for children is a mixture of two renowned educational treasures – puzzles for cognitive development and tools to encourage them to unleash their creativity. There are eight different game modes, 500+ puzzles and so many magic tools that show just how creative children can be. 

One of our favourite factors is that it is free to play, with no time limits, and only a couple of cheap in-app purchases. Plus, there's even a big kids mode, so parents don't get to miss out on any of the fun. But don't worry, your scores will be logged separately so you won't get shown up by your little ones! 

The formula for this brain trainer is simple – all you have to do is match pairs that are identical to one another. However, there's a twist, because not only do you have to remember where the corresponding cards are, but also the feature that unites them. For example, it could be two sums that equal the same number, but you'll only ever be shown the sums. 

There is a more straightforward version which sees you match colours too, but the highlight is the first mode. All the games will be stored after playing, so you can see a table of records and how you're progressing. It's pretty one-dimensional, so some may find it slightly humdrum, but those who like it tend to love it.