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Education · head to head

Lumosity vs YuJa

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
YuJa logo

YuJa

Education

Video platform, lecture capture, accessibility remediation and proctoring bundled for institutions

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.; YuJa nothing is published, and because the pricing is a bundle against enrolment, comparing YuJa with a video-only competitor requires unpicking which modules you would actually deploy rather than reading two price lists.
  • They diverge on capability: Lumosity covers Daily training set, YuJa covers Lumina Video Platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lumosity and YuJa actually diverge.

Attributes where Lumosity and YuJa differ
AttributeLumosityYuJa
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a subscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

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 YuJa

  • Lumina Video Platform
  • Lecture capture
  • Panorama
  • Verity
  • EqualGround
  • Auto-captioning
  • Engage
  • Institution-wide licensing

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

YuJa

  • A public university facing an enforceable web and document accessibility deadline that needs LMS content remediated and a dashboard it can show an auditor.not Lumosity
  • An institution replacing a per-user lecture capture licence where casual recorders push the seat count past what the budget supports.not Lumosity
  • A university that wants captioning, audio description and accessible alternative formats produced natively rather than routed to a third-party captioning vendor per hour.not Lumosity
  • A disability services office and IT department jointly procuring one supplier for accessibility remediation, website scanning and media captioning instead of three contracts.not 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.

YuJa

  • Nothing is published, and because the pricing is a bundle against enrolment, comparing YuJa with a video-only competitor requires unpicking which modules you would actually deploy rather than reading two price lists.
  • The suite is broad and the modules are not equally mature; buyers who choose it for the accessibility line should evaluate the video and proctoring products separately rather than assuming equivalent quality.
  • Storage and streaming are presented as unlimited, but unlimited in a quoted institutional contract is a negotiated position rather than a technical guarantee, and heavy adopters should get the fair use threshold in writing.
  • Proctoring is contested; student unions and academic staff at many institutions object to automated invigilation, so buying Verity as part of a bundle can trigger a governance argument the video purchase did not anticipate.
  • Bundling concentrates supplier risk: lecture capture, exam integrity and accessibility compliance in one contract means a single renewal negotiation where the institution has very little leverage.

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

YuJa

On request
  • YuJa Suite$undefined/year
    • Priced per institution, usually against full-time equivalent enrolment
    • Video Platform, Panorama, Verity, EqualGround and Engage licensed individually or bundled
    • Multi-year institutional agreements are the norm

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 YuJa if

  • You need lumina video platform.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want lecture capture.
YuJa review

Questions people ask

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

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.

YuJa: Is YuJa priced per user?

No. It is licensed per institution, typically against full-time equivalent enrolment, which is the main structural difference from per-seat lecture capture rivals.

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.

YuJa: Is storage really unlimited?

It is marketed that way. In a quoted institutional contract, get the fair use position and any streaming threshold written into the agreement.

Lumosity: Is Lumosity free?

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

YuJa: What is Panorama?

An accessibility product that scans documents in your LMS, remediates them, generates alternative formats and reports compliance status.

YuJa: Does it integrate with our LMS?

Yes, with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace and Sakai through LTI, with in-course playback and rostering.

YuJa: How does it compare with Panopto?

Panopto is more focused on video and lecture capture. YuJa bundles accessibility remediation and proctoring around the video, which is why it wins tenders that weight accessibility heavily.

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