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Education · head to head

Lumosity vs PictureThis

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
PictureThis logo

PictureThis

Education

Commercial plant identification app with a short free trial that converts to an annual subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lumosity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; PictureThis the free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
  • They diverge on capability: Lumosity covers Daily training set, PictureThis covers Plant identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lumosity and PictureThis actually diverge.

Attributes where Lumosity and PictureThis differ
AttributeLumosityPictureThis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a subscriptionPer year, sold via a short free trial that auto-renews
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebiOS, Android

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 Lumosity

  • Daily training set
  • Brain Performance Index
  • Game library by domain
  • Fit Test assessment
  • Progress tracking
  • Insights and tips

Only in PictureThis

  • Plant identification
  • Disease diagnosis
  • Care reminders
  • Plant care library
  • Toxicity warnings
  • My Garden tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lumosity

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

PictureThis

  • A gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identificationnot Lumosity
  • Someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternativesnot Lumosity
  • A plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and childrennot Lumosity
  • A buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it convertsnot Lumosity

Where each one falls short

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

PictureThis

  • The free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
  • Cancellation has to be done through App Store or Play Store account settings, not by deleting the app, which catches users off guard.
  • It solves the same core identification problem that Seek, PlantNet and Merlin solve for free, so the paid tier is competing against genuinely free options for the same task.
  • Care guidance for uncommon or exotic species is criticised as generic rather than specific.
  • Being a commercial product from a company that publishes near-identical identification apps for other categories, its plant-specific depth is not obviously deeper than a dedicated botanical tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

PictureThis

On request
  • PictureThis Annual$39.99/year
    • Unlimited plant identifications
    • Disease diagnosis
    • Care reminders and guides

Which should you pick?

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

Choose PictureThis if

  • You need plant identification.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want disease diagnosis.
PictureThis review

Questions people ask

Is Lumosity or PictureThis better?
Neither clearly leads. Lumosity starts at Free and PictureThis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lumosity or PictureThis?
Lumosity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lumosity and On request for PictureThis.
Does Lumosity or PictureThis run on more platforms?
Lumosity runs on iOS, Android, Web. PictureThis runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Lumosity for free?
Yes. Lumosity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PictureThis starts at On request.
What is Lumosity best used for?
Lumosity is most often used for an adult wanting a short daily game habit with a cognitive theme, treated as entertainment rather than medical intervention, someone comparing lumosity against elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practice, a user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessions, a buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 ftc settlement findings before subscribing. Of those, an adult wanting a short daily game habit with a cognitive theme, treated as entertainment rather than medical intervention and someone comparing lumosity against elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practice are not what PictureThis is typically brought in for.
What can Lumosity do that PictureThis cannot?
Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment. PictureThis covers Plant identification, Disease diagnosis, Care reminders, Plant care library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

PictureThis: Is there a free version?

A limited free tier exists with restricted identifications and ads; full use requires the paid subscription.

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.

PictureThis: How long is the free trial and does it auto-renew?

The trial is typically about seven days and auto-renews into the annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand through your App Store or Play Store settings.

Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?

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

PictureThis: Is PictureThis the same as PlantNet or Seek?

No. PlantNet and Seek are free nonprofit identification tools; PictureThis is a commercial subscription product with more built-in care features.

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