Education · head to head
Lumosity vs Sky Guide
Lumosity
Education
Brain training game app from Lumos Labs, which paid an FTC settlement in 2016 over unsupported cognitive improvement claims
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- They diverge on capability: Lumosity covers Daily training set, Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lumosity and Sky Guide actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite 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 Sky Guide
- Someone comparing Lumosity against Elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practicenot Sky Guide
- A user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessionsnot Sky Guide
- A buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 FTC settlement findings before subscribingnot Sky Guide
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot Lumosity
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Lumosity
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Lumosity
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot 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.
Sky Guide
- It is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- It has moved from one-time purchase to a subscription model, and long-time users who paid once for earlier versions have criticised the change publicly.
- Pro tier pricing is high relative to Star Walk 2 for broadly similar core stargazing functionality.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, which limits it to naked-eye and camera-based observing.
- Its relationship to other apps under the same distribution platform is not clearly documented, which makes long-term support commitments harder to assess.
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
Sky Guide
Free- Sky GuideFree
- Base sky map and object labelling
- Sky Guide Plus$19.99/year
- Larger star and satellite catalogue
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Sky Guide Pro$39.99/year
- Very large deep-sky object catalogue
- Exoplanet data
- Extreme zoom
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.
Choose Sky Guide if
- You need light pollution forecasting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want meteor shower prediction.
Questions people ask
- Is Lumosity or Sky Guide better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lumosity starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lumosity or Sky Guide?
- Lumosity starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free.
- Does Lumosity or Sky Guide run on more platforms?
- Lumosity runs on iOS, Android, Web. Sky Guide runs on iOS.
- Can I use Lumosity for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Sky Guide is typically brought in for.
- What can Lumosity do that Sky Guide cannot?
- Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment. Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue.
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.
Sky Guide: Is Sky Guide free?
The base app is free to download; Plus and Pro are subscription upgrades for a larger catalogue and forecasting features.
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.
Sky Guide: Did Sky Guide used to be a one-time purchase?
Yes, earlier versions were sold as a one-time purchase before it moved to the current free-plus-subscription model.
Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?
A small daily set of games is free. The full library and personalised training programme require a paid subscription.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Lumosity vs Elevate
- Lumosity vs Busuu
- Lumosity vs Memrise
- Lumosity vs Anki
- Lumosity vs PictureThis
- Lumosity vs Replit AI Agent
- Lumosity vs Photomath
- Lumosity vs Miro Education
- Lumosity vs Blackboard
- Lumosity vs Skoolur
- Lumosity vs Wooclap
- Lumosity vs MasterClass
- Lumosity vs Jackrabbit Class
- Lumosity vs Lightspeed Systems
- Lumosity vs Open edX
- Lumosity vs Quizizz
- Lumosity vs Rosetta Stone
- Lumosity vs SkySafari
- Lumosity vs Star Walk 2
- Lumosity vs Stellarium
- Lumosity vs Simply Piano
- Lumosity vs Yousician
- Lumosity vs Merlin Bird ID
- Lumosity vs Flowkey
- Lumosity vs ClassLink
- Lumosity vs Gaggle
- Lumosity vs Gimkit
- Lumosity vs eBird
- Sky Guide vs Elevate
- Sky Guide vs Busuu
- Sky Guide vs Memrise
- Sky Guide vs Anki
- Sky Guide vs PictureThis
- Sky Guide vs Replit AI Agent
- Sky Guide vs Photomath
- Sky Guide vs Miro Education
- Sky Guide vs Blackboard
- Sky Guide vs Skoolur
- Sky Guide vs Wooclap
- Sky Guide vs MasterClass
- Sky Guide vs Jackrabbit Class
- Sky Guide vs Lightspeed Systems
- Sky Guide vs Open edX
- Sky Guide vs Quizizz
- Sky Guide vs Rosetta Stone
- Sky Guide vs SkySafari
- Sky Guide vs Star Walk 2
- Sky Guide vs Stellarium
- Sky Guide vs Simply Piano
- Sky Guide vs Yousician
- Sky Guide vs Merlin Bird ID
- Sky Guide vs Flowkey
- Sky Guide vs ClassLink
- Sky Guide vs Gaggle
- Sky Guide vs Gimkit
- Sky Guide vs eBird