Education · head to head
Hapara vs Lumosity
Hapara
Education
Classroom visibility and workflow layer over Google Workspace for Education
- From
- On request
- 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
- Only Lumosity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Hapara the product is a Google Workspace companion, so a district that moves to Microsoft 365 or runs mixed platforms loses most of the value it paid for.; 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: Hapara covers Highlights, Lumosity covers Daily training set.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hapara and Lumosity actually diverge.
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 Hapara
- Highlights
- Teacher Dashboard
- Workspace
- Filter
- Guided browsing sessions
- Activity snapshots
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.
Hapara
- A Chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent worknot Lumosity
- Schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignmentsnot Lumosity
- Departments that want lesson scoped site restrictions rather than a district wide filter changenot Lumosity
- Giving teachers access to pupil Drive work without asking every pupil to share every document manuallynot Lumosity
Lumosity
- An adult wanting a short daily game habit with a cognitive theme, treated as entertainment rather than medical interventionnot Hapara
- Someone comparing Lumosity against Elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practicenot Hapara
- A user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessionsnot Hapara
- A buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 FTC settlement findings before subscribingnot Hapara
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hapara
- The product is a Google Workspace companion, so a district that moves to Microsoft 365 or runs mixed platforms loses most of the value it paid for.
- Live tab monitoring is a surveillance capability with no technical boundary at the school gate, and unless the district configures and publishes a monitoring window, take home devices are watched at home by default expectations rather than by explicit policy.
- It layers on top of district filtering rather than replacing it, so schools still pay for a separate filtering and safeguarding product and manage two sets of rules.
- Value depends entirely on teachers using it in the moment. Schools that buy it without sustained classroom coaching see licences renewed on the basis of installed count rather than actual use.
- Pupil awareness of monitoring changes behaviour in ways the analytics do not show, and older pupils move activity to personal phones, which produces a dashboard that looks compliant and is not.
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
Hapara
On request- Hapara Instructional Suite$undefined/year
- Quoted per pupil per year
- Modules bundled or taken separately
- Multi-year district agreements typical
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 Hapara if
- You need highlights.
- You work on Web, ChromeOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want teacher dashboard.
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 Hapara or Lumosity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hapara 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, Hapara or Lumosity?
- Lumosity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Hapara and Free for Lumosity.
- Does Hapara or Lumosity run on more platforms?
- Hapara runs on Web, ChromeOS, iOS, Android. 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. Hapara starts at On request.
- What is Hapara best used for?
- Hapara is most often used for a chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent work, schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignments, departments that want lesson scoped site restrictions rather than a district wide filter change, giving teachers access to pupil drive work without asking every pupil to share every document manually. Of those, a chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent work and schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignments are not what Lumosity is typically brought in for.
- What can Hapara do that Lumosity cannot?
- Hapara covers Highlights, Teacher Dashboard, Workspace, Filter. Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Hapara: Does Hapara monitor pupils at home?
It can, on school managed devices, if the district configures it that way. Districts should define and publish a monitoring window, because the product does not impose one.
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.
Hapara: Is it FERPA and COPPA aligned?
Yes. Hapara contracts as a school official under FERPA, relies on district consent for COPPA, and is a Student Privacy Pledge signatory. That does not decide how widely a district should configure monitoring.
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.
Hapara: Do we still need a web filter?
Yes. Hapara adds class and lesson level control on top of district filtering. It is not a replacement for a filtering and safeguarding platform.
Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?
A small daily set of games is free. The full library and personalised training programme require a paid subscription.
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