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Education · head to head

Lumosity vs Panorama Education

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
Panorama Education logo

Panorama Education

Education

Student survey, wellbeing screening and multi-tiered support tracking for school districts

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.; Panorama Education social and emotional survey responses about named children are more sensitive than grades, and districts that adopt without an explicit consent, retention and access policy have found themselves defending the programme to parents after the fact.
  • They diverge on capability: Lumosity covers Daily training set, Panorama Education covers Validated surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lumosity and Panorama Education actually diverge.

Attributes where Lumosity and Panorama Education differ
AttributeLumosityPanorama Education
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a subscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

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 Panorama Education

  • Validated surveys
  • National comparison data
  • Student Success
  • Early warning indicators
  • Playbook of strategies
  • Role based dashboards

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 Panorama Education
  • Someone comparing Lumosity against Elevate to decide between abstract cognitive games and practical skills practicenot Panorama Education
  • A user who wants a long historical performance trend across many game sessionsnot Panorama Education
  • A buyer evaluating whether the current marketing claims about cognitive benefit are consistent with the 2016 FTC settlement findings before subscribingnot Panorama Education

Panorama Education

  • A district required to report on school climate and needing an instrument it can defend methodologicallynot Lumosity
  • Multi-tiered support teams that currently track interventions in spreadsheets with no record of what was triednot Lumosity
  • Districts wanting to test whether an attendance intervention actually moved attendance for the pupils who received itnot Lumosity
  • Boards asking for evidence on staff retention and school climate rather than anecdotenot 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.

Panorama Education

  • Social and emotional survey responses about named children are more sensitive than grades, and districts that adopt without an explicit consent, retention and access policy have found themselves defending the programme to parents after the fact.
  • Measurement without intervention capacity produces documented problems and no change, and the annual renewal then has to be justified on data the district could not act on.
  • Survey fatigue is real. Pupils who are surveyed repeatedly answer less carefully, which degrades the comparison the district paid for.
  • The platform depends on clean feeds from the student information system, so districts with poor data hygiene get risk flags built on wrong enrolment and attendance data.
  • Comparison against a national set invites league table thinking inside a district, and school leaders whose climate scores are compared publicly start managing the survey rather than the climate.

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

Panorama Education

On request
  • Panorama Education$undefined/year
    • Quoted per pupil or per district
    • Survey administration and Student Success priced separately
    • Multi-year district agreements typical

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 Panorama Education if

  • You need validated surveys.
  • You also want national comparison data.
Panorama Education review

Questions people ask

Is Lumosity or Panorama Education better?
Neither clearly leads. Lumosity starts at Free and Panorama Education at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lumosity or Panorama Education?
Lumosity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lumosity and On request for Panorama Education.
Does Lumosity or Panorama Education run on more platforms?
Lumosity runs on iOS, Android, Web. Panorama Education runs on Web.
Can I use Lumosity for free?
Yes. Lumosity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Panorama Education 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 Panorama Education is typically brought in for.
What can Lumosity do that Panorama Education cannot?
Lumosity covers Daily training set, Brain Performance Index, Game library by domain, Fit Test assessment. Panorama Education covers Validated surveys, National comparison data, Student Success, Early warning indicators.

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.

Panorama Education: Do parents have to consent to SEL surveys?

Under FERPA and COPPA the district can consent as the school official, but several states and many districts require parental notification or opt out for social and emotional screening. Decide the local position before the first administration, not after the first complaint.

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.

Panorama Education: Is Panorama a student information system?

No. It reads from one. It is a measurement and intervention tracking layer and does not hold the official education record.

Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?

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

Panorama Education: Has it signed the Student Privacy Pledge?

Yes. That commits it on data use and retention. It does not answer the separate question of whether your district should screen pupils on social and emotional measures at all.

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