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Education · head to head

ClassLink vs Lumosity

ClassLink logo

ClassLink

Education

Single sign-on, rostering and usage analytics for school districts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lumosity logo

Lumosity

Education

Brain training game app from Lumos Labs, which paid an FTC settlement in 2016 over unsupported cognitive improvement claims

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lumosity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClassLink it is a single point of failure by design; a ClassLink outage locks pupils out of every application at once, which is a worse day than any individual product failing.; 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: ClassLink covers LaunchPad, Lumosity covers Daily training set.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClassLink and Lumosity actually diverge.

Attributes where ClassLink and Lumosity differ
AttributeClassLinkLumosity
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFree with a subscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, WindowsiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: 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 ClassLink

  • LaunchPad
  • Roster Server
  • Analytics
  • MyFiles
  • QuickCards and badge sign-in
  • ClassLink Extension
  • Multi-factor and conditional access
  • OneSync

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.

ClassLink

  • A district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season.not Lumosity
  • A primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or QR sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes.not Lumosity
  • A technology team spending each August rekeying class lists into a dozen vendor portals, wanting OneRoster provisioning to do it from the SIS instead.not Lumosity
  • A district running a mix of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 that needs one portal over both rather than telling pupils which login to use for which tool.not Lumosity

Lumosity

  • An adult wanting a short daily game habit with a cognitive theme, treated as entertainment rather than medical interventionnot ClassLink
  • Someone comparing Lumosity against Elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practicenot ClassLink
  • A user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessionsnot ClassLink
  • A buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 FTC settlement findings before subscribingnot ClassLink

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ClassLink

  • It is a single point of failure by design; a ClassLink outage locks pupils out of every application at once, which is a worse day than any individual product failing.
  • Pricing is entirely quote-based and per student, so a district cannot budget for it without a sales cycle, and comparisons against Clever come down to negotiated rates rather than list prices.
  • Rostering accuracy is only as good as the SIS data behind it, and districts with messy enrolment or course records find ClassLink faithfully propagates that mess to every downstream vendor.
  • Applications that do not support SAML or OIDC are handled by a browser extension that replays stored credentials, which works but breaks whenever the vendor changes its login page and is a weaker security posture than real federation.
  • Analytics measures logins and session activity, not learning or engagement, so a product that pupils open and abandon still looks used; districts that treat the numbers as proof of value draw the wrong conclusion.

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

ClassLink

On request
  • ClassLink$undefined/year
    • Priced per student, with rates varying by district size and module mix
    • LaunchPad, Roster Server and Analytics are licensed separately or bundled
    • Annual district agreements, multi-year discounts negotiated

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 ClassLink if

  • You need launchpad.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
  • You also want roster server.
ClassLink review

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.
Lumosity review

Questions people ask

Is ClassLink or Lumosity better?
Neither clearly leads. ClassLink starts at On request and Lumosity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClassLink or Lumosity?
Lumosity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ClassLink and Free for Lumosity.
Does ClassLink or Lumosity run on more platforms?
ClassLink runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows. Lumosity runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Lumosity for free?
Yes. Lumosity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ClassLink starts at On request.
What is ClassLink best used for?
ClassLink is most often used for a district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season., a primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or qr sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes., a technology team spending each august rekeying class lists into a dozen vendor portals, wanting oneroster provisioning to do it from the sis instead., a district running a mix of google workspace and microsoft 365 that needs one portal over both rather than telling pupils which login to use for which tool.. Of those, a district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season. and a primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or qr sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes. are not what Lumosity is typically brought in for.
What can ClassLink do that Lumosity cannot?
ClassLink covers LaunchPad, Roster Server, Analytics, MyFiles. Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClassLink: How is ClassLink different from Clever?

Both do SSO and OneRoster provisioning to schools. ClassLink leans harder on usage analytics and on access to on-premise network file shares; Clever leans on its application marketplace. Vendor support is broadly comparable.

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.

ClassLink: Does it replace Google or Microsoft accounts?

No. It sits over them. Pupils still have an underlying Google Workspace or Entra ID identity and ClassLink federates to it.

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.

ClassLink: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted per student and varies with district size and which of LaunchPad, Roster Server and Analytics you licence.

Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?

A small daily set of games is free. The full library and personalised training programme require a paid subscription.

ClassLink: Does it work outside the United States?

Yes, but the OneRoster ecosystem and the SIS integrations are strongest for US K-12; international deployments get less of the prebuilt vendor coverage.

ClassLink: Can Analytics prove a product is worth renewing?

It proves whether people log in. It cannot tell you whether the time spent was useful, so treat low usage as a firm signal and high usage as a weak one.

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