Education · head to head
Busuu vs Lumosity
Busuu
Education
Language learning app with a community correction feature, owned by Chegg since 2022
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Lumosity
Education
Brain training game app from Lumos Labs, which paid an FTC settlement in 2016 over unsupported cognitive improvement claims
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Busuu the free tier is limited enough that meaningful progress in most languages effectively requires the Premium subscription within a few weeks of use.; Lumosity lumos Labs settled with the US FTC in 2016 for 2 million dollars over deceptive claims that its games improved real-world cognitive performance and could delay age-related decline, and the company was barred from making such claims without solid supporting evidence, a fact any buyer evaluating cognitive benefit claims should weigh.
- They diverge on capability: Busuu covers Structured course units, Lumosity covers Daily training set.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Busuu and Lumosity actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Busuu
- Structured course units
- Community correction
- Study plans and certification
- Offline lessons
- Grammar review units
- Live tutoring credits
Only in Lumosity
- Daily training set
- Brain Performance Index
- Game library by domain
- Fit Test assessment
- Progress tracking
- Insights and tips
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Busuu
- A self-directed adult learner who wants human correction on writing and speaking exercises rather than only algorithmic feedbacknot Lumosity
- Someone working toward a specific proficiency level and wanting a structured study plan rather than a gamified drip of lessonsnot Lumosity
- A learner who wants offline access for commuting or travel, which requires the Premium subscriptionnot Lumosity
- A buyer comparing Busuu against Duolingo who values depth of grammar explanation over gamificationnot Lumosity
Lumosity
- An adult wanting a short daily game habit with a cognitive theme, treated as entertainment rather than medical interventionnot Busuu
- Someone comparing Lumosity against Elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practicenot Busuu
- A user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessionsnot Busuu
- A buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 FTC settlement findings before subscribingnot Busuu
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Busuu
- The free tier is limited enough that meaningful progress in most languages effectively requires the Premium subscription within a few weeks of use.
- Community correction quality depends on other users being active in your target language at the time you submit, so response speed and quality vary noticeably by language and time zone.
- Since the 2022 Chegg acquisition, Busuu sits inside a company built around subscription homework and study services, and Chegg has faced its own commercial pressure from AI tools reducing demand for its core products, which is a relevant roadmap risk.
- Course depth and language coverage are uneven; widely spoken languages such as Spanish and French have far more content than smaller language courses.
- The official Busuu certificate is not a recognised external qualification equivalent to something like an IELTS or DELF exam, so it carries limited weight outside informal use.
Lumosity
- Lumos Labs settled with the US FTC in 2016 for 2 million dollars over deceptive claims that its games improved real-world cognitive performance and could delay age-related decline, and the company was barred from making such claims without solid supporting evidence, a fact any buyer evaluating cognitive benefit claims should weigh.
- The free tier is limited to a small daily set of games, and the personalised training programme the product is built around is a paid-only feature.
- As with the brain training category broadly, evidence that improved performance on the specific games transfers to real-world cognitive ability remains contested, independent of the marketing claims addressed by the settlement.
- The subscription auto-renews and, like most mobile subscriptions, requires cancelling through app store account settings rather than within the app.
- The game library has not changed dramatically in years, and long-term subscribers report the exercises becoming repetitive well before a years subscription is up.
Pricing, plan by plan
Busuu
Free- Busuu Premium$13.99/month
- Free tier gives limited vocabulary and grammar content per language, with ads
- Premium unlocks full course content, offline lessons and grammar review units
- Annual Premium plans typically run $69.99 to $99.99, cheaper per month than monthly billing
Lumosity
Free- Lumosity$11.99/month
- Free tier gives a small daily set of games
- Full subscription unlocks the complete game library and personalised programme
- Annual plans typically run $59.99 to $79.99, cheaper per month than monthly billing
Which should you pick?
Choose Busuu if
- You need structured course units.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want community correction.
Choose Lumosity if
- You need daily training set.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want brain performance index.
Questions people ask
- Is Busuu or Lumosity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Busuu starts at Free and Lumosity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Busuu or Lumosity?
- Busuu starts at Free and Lumosity at Free.
- Does Busuu or Lumosity run on more platforms?
- Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Busuu for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Busuu best used for?
- Busuu is most often used for a self-directed adult learner who wants human correction on writing and speaking exercises rather than only algorithmic feedback, someone working toward a specific proficiency level and wanting a structured study plan rather than a gamified drip of lessons, a learner who wants offline access for commuting or travel, which requires the premium subscription, a buyer comparing busuu against duolingo who values depth of grammar explanation over gamification. Of those, a self-directed adult learner who wants human correction on writing and speaking exercises rather than only algorithmic feedback and someone working toward a specific proficiency level and wanting a structured study plan rather than a gamified drip of lessons are not what Lumosity is typically brought in for.
- What can Busuu do that Lumosity cannot?
- Busuu covers Structured course units, Community correction, Study plans and certification, Offline lessons. Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Busuu: Is Busuu free?
A limited amount of vocabulary and grammar content per language is free with ads. Full course access, offline lessons and the certificate require Busuu Premium.
Lumosity: What was the FTC settlement about?
In 2016 the FTC found Lumos Labs advertising made unsupported claims that Lumosity games could delay cognitive decline, protect against conditions like Alzheimers, and improve real-world performance. The company paid 2 million dollars and was barred from such claims without solid evidence.
Busuu: Who owns Busuu?
Chegg, the publicly traded US education technology company, acquired Busuu in 2022.
Lumosity: Is Lumosity still available and does it still make cognitive claims?
Yes, the app and games remain available, but the company is legally restricted from the specific unsupported claims covered by the settlement.
Busuu: What is the community correction feature?
Writing and speaking exercises are submitted to other Busuu users who are native speakers of your target language, who correct them for free as part of the community exchange.
Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?
A small daily set of games is free. The full library and personalised training programme require a paid subscription.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Busuu vs Memrise
- Busuu vs Babbel
- Busuu vs Duolingo
- Busuu vs Elevate
- Busuu vs Photomath
- Busuu vs Anki
- Busuu vs Rosetta Stone
- Busuu vs Blackboard
- Busuu vs PictureThis
- Busuu vs Miro Education
- Busuu vs Replit AI Agent
- Busuu vs Aeries Student Information System
- Busuu vs Articulate 360
- Busuu vs Brilliant
- Busuu vs CampMinder
- Busuu vs Clever
- Busuu vs Flip
- Busuu vs Skoolur
- Busuu vs Wooclap
- Busuu vs MasterClass
- Busuu vs Jackrabbit Class
- Busuu vs Lightspeed Systems
- Busuu vs Open edX
- Busuu vs Quizizz
- Lumosity vs Memrise
- Lumosity vs Babbel
- Lumosity vs Duolingo
- Lumosity vs Elevate
- Lumosity vs Photomath
- Lumosity vs Anki
- Lumosity vs Rosetta Stone
- Lumosity vs Blackboard
- Lumosity vs PictureThis
- Lumosity vs Miro Education
- Lumosity vs Replit AI Agent
- Lumosity vs Aeries Student Information System
- Lumosity vs Articulate 360
- Lumosity vs Brilliant
- Lumosity vs CampMinder
- Lumosity vs Clever
- Lumosity vs Flip
- Lumosity vs Skoolur
- Lumosity vs Wooclap
- Lumosity vs MasterClass
- Lumosity vs Jackrabbit Class
- Lumosity vs Lightspeed Systems
- Lumosity vs Open edX
- Lumosity vs Quizizz