The Best Apps to Make You Smarter of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Dec 08, 2021
For those interested in expanding their minds and learning new things, Lumosity is our pick for the best learning app. Its features make it easy to gradually increase your knowledge through educational games, puzzles, and other productive activities. But if Luminosity doesn’t fit your learning style, we’ve found several other great apps to help you improve your mind. Here are the top 10 apps to make you smarter.
Top 10 Apps to Make You Smarter
- Lumosity — Top Pick
- Khan Academy — Best Free App
- TED — Best for Video Lectures
- Today in History — Best for Learning History
- Duolingo — Best for Learning Languages
- Eidetic — Best for Improving Memorization Skills
- Elevate — Best for Brain Training
- DailyArt — Best for Learning About Art
- Headspace — Best for Meditation
- Peak — Best for Short Mental Exercises
How We Chose the Best Apps to Make You Smarter
To create our list of the 10 best apps to make you smarter, we looked for apps that offer video-based lessons, news aggregation, personalization, brain exercises, and social sharing features. Together, these features make it easy for users to learn new topics, customize their learning experiences, and share their progress with their friends and families.
Choose the learning app that’s right for you
Every app on our list offers a free version, so to pick the best app for you, we recommend testing out each app to find the one that provides the topics you’re interested in and the features you need to stay focused and productive. You should also read user reviews to learn more about other users’ experiences with each of the apps on our list.
Consider what topics you’re interested in
While all of the apps on our list help users improve their intelligence through various activities and features, many of them focus on teaching users specific subjects. Duolingo, for example, is perfect for users interested in learning a new language, while Eidetic is designed to help users improve their memorization skills. Choose an app that focuses on the subject you are particularly interested in learning.
Our Learning App Reviews
Lumosity — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Lumosity is our top pick, thanks to its library of over 40 educational games, puzzles, and other brain training activities that can’t be found on other apps. Users start with a free 10-minute Fit Test to establish their baseline scores and compare themselves with other users in their age group. Lumosity also offers a unique workout feature, which gives users daily personalized brain workouts based on their learning preferences and training habits. You can customize your learning experience to focus on areas you want to improve. For example, you can choose to focus on improving your memory, problem-solving, or language skills. To unlock advanced features like personalized workouts and in-depth learning insights, you’ll need to subscribe for $11.99 per month.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium: $11.99/month
- Support available: Help Center/FAQs, Email, Ticket
| Lumosity Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Educational games and puzzles | Free version lacks features |
| Daily personalized workouts | |
| In-depth learning insights | |
Khan Academy — Best Free App
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Khan Academy is a nonprofit that offers a completely free platform featuring a wide range of instructional videos, learning activities, and study guides covering nearly every topic under the sun. From computer science to chemistry, you can use Khan Academy to learn new topics, prepare for exams, or brush up on specific skills. Unlike other apps on our list, Khan Academy also offers interactive lessons that include step-by-step instructions to help you solve problems and learn new topics. These interactive lessons provide real-time feedback to help you keep track of your learning progress. While you don’t need an account to access any content on this app, you can save your progress across multiple devices by signing up.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Help Center, Support Community
| Khan Academy Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free to use | No news aggregation |
| Practice lessons, study guides, and test prep | |
| Community forums | |
TED — Best for Video Lectures
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
TED Talks are incredibly popular for learning about new topics from experts in various fields. The official TED app gives users on-demand access to these TED Talks, making it the best and only app on our list dedicated to providing high-quality video lectures. Users can watch videos online or offline, get personalized recommendations from the TED community, sync videos across devices, and watch videos with subtitles in over 100 languages. If you’re not sure what to watch, you can view what’s trending or use the ‘Surprise Me!’ feature to watch a video that covers a topic outside of your everyday interests. The app is entirely free to use and features thousands of videos.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Help Center, Email
| TED Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Free library of TED Talks | No brain exercises |
| Community recommendations | |
| Offline viewing | |
Today in History — Best for Learning History
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Today in History is the only app on our list dedicated to teaching users about history. More specifically, the app offers users daily lessons and information about important historical events that happened on the same day in the past. Depending on your interests, you can specify the type of information the app sends you every day. For example, you can choose to receive updates regarding events, births, deaths, or holidays. Daily history briefs include famous quotes from historical figures, newspaper headlines, images of historical events, and more. Users can turn on reminders to receive daily notifications reminding them to read their daily briefs, and you can easily share your favorite fun facts and quotes on social media. The app is free to use, but for those that want to support the app, there is a Pro subscription available for $1.99 per month.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Pro: $1.99/month
- Support available: Email, FAQs
| Today in History Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Daily history briefs | No brain exercises |
| Customizable reminders | Not available on Android |
Duolingo — Best for Learning Languages
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Duolingo is the best app for users interested in learning a new language. You can choose from over 35 different languages and learn using a combination of daily lessons, stories, and audio lessons. While similar language apps focus on teaching simple vocabulary, Duolingo aims to help users develop fluency in their chosen language by teaching them how to read, write, listen, and speak the language. Users can track their learning progress in the app and compete with other users on leaderboards by completing daily lessons. Duolingo’s language courses are free, and by upgrading to Plus for $6.99 per month, you can get rid of ads, unlock Mastery Quizzes, and downloadable courses for offline learning.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Plus: $6.99/month
- Support available: Email, Help Center/FAQs, Forum, Ticket
| Duolingo Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Over 35 free language courses | No videos |
| Audio and text-based lessons | |
| Social features | |
Eidetic — Best for Improving Memorization Skills
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Users that want to improve their memorization skills should look no further than Eidetic. Unlike any other app on our list, Eidetic uses the spaced repetition technique to help users memorize anything from fun facts to phone numbers. The app works by testing your memorization at spaced-out intervals to promote long-term retention. Users can add their own flashcards to memorize whatever they want, making it a great test prep tool. You can choose from three intensity levels: Cram, Normal, or Casual. Cram helps users memorize their information in one day, Normal in two weeks, and Casual in one month. The app is free to download and use but does contain in-app purchases of up to $4.99 per item.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $4.99 per item
- Support available: Email
| Eidetic Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Uses spaced repetition to improve memory | Limited support options |
| Customizable flashcards | Not available on Android |
| Three intensity levels | No personalization |
Elevate — Best for Brain Training
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Like Lumosity, Elevate is a brain training app that aims to help users improve their cognitive abilities through daily exercises and activities. The app offers over 40 brain training games to help users improve their focus, memory, processing, math, precision, and comprehension skills. Users can track their progression, practice with daily personalized training sessions, and you can take your training to your Apple Watch with Elevate Dash. Elevate’s unique Adaptive Progression feature makes it stand out from other brain training apps. With this feature, your training sessions will gradually increase in difficulty to ensure you are constantly being challenged. To unlock the app’s full range of features, users will have to subscribe to Pro for $4.99 per month.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Pro: $4.99/month
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Elevate Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Personalized training sessions | No videos |
| Adaptive progression | |
| Over 40 brain training activities | |
DailyArt — Best for Learning About Art
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Users primarily interested in arts and culture will appreciate DailyArt — the only app on our list dedicated to teaching users about art. DailyArt will introduce you to new pieces of classic, modern, and contemporary art every day. Each piece of art is accompanied by short stories that give users more background information about the work and the artist. The app’s collection currently includes over 2,500 classic pieces of art, 700 artist biographies, and information about 500 museum collections. Users can save favorites, easily find new pieces of art they haven’t seen, and share their favorites with their friends and family.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $1.99 – $5.49 per item
- Support available: Email
| DailyArt Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Extensive library of art and artistic biographies | No brain exercises |
| Information about museum collections | No videos |
| Short stories accompany each piece | Limited support options |
Headspace — Best for Meditation
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Headspace stands out from the rest of the apps on our list as it is the only one to offer access to an extensive library of meditation practices, exercises, and calming stories. While meditation may not directly contribute to increased intelligence, users often find that it improves their focus, motivation, and concentration. By improving these skills, users can enhance their personal study habits. Headspace includes hundreds of guided meditations covering various categories, including anxiety, focus, and sleep. It also has quick three-minute meditations, animated videos that teach users new skills, workout videos, and progress tracking features. The free version is very limited, as it only provides access to a small selection of meditations. To unlock all of the app’s features and activities, you’ll need to subscribe for $12.99 per month.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Plus: $12.99/month
- Support available: Help Center/FAQs, Email, Chat, Tickets
| Headspace Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Large library of guided meditations | No brain exercises |
| Mindful workout videos | Free version lacks features |
| Sleep stories | |
Peak — Best for Short Mental Exercises
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Peak is a brain training app similar to Lumosity and Elevate. It offers many of the same features as these apps, including over 45 games covering six different categories, personalized training sessions, and progress tracking. Unlike these apps, Peak offers a unique Coffee Break feature, which gives users access to short five-minute workouts when they don’t have enough time for more extended exercises. Peak also includes objectives to help keep users motivated and to help them keep track of their progress on the app. The app also lets users compete directly with friends and compare their scores with other users in their age range.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Pro: $4.99/month
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Peak Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Personalized training sessions | No videos |
| Short training activities | |
| Compete with friends | |
Apps to Make You Smarter: Features Summary Table
| Apps to Make You Smarter Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | Subscription Fees or In-App Purchases | Features |
| Lumosity — Top Pick | Premium: $11.99/month | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Khan Academy — Best Free App | None | ✓ Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| TED — Best for Video Lectures | None | ✓ Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized X Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Today in History — Best for Learning History | Pro: $1.99/month | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized X Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Duolingo — Best for Learning Languages | Plus: $6.99/month | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Eidetic — Best for Improving Memorization Skills | $4.99 per item | X Video-Based X News Aggregator X Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Elevate — Best for Improving Concentration | Pro: $4.99/month | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| DailyArt — Best for Learning About Art | $1.99 – $5.49 per item | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized X Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Headspace — Best for Meditation | Plus: $12.99/month | ✓ Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized X Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |
| Peak — Best for Short Mental Exercises | Pro: $4.99/month | X Video-Based X News Aggregator ✓ Personalized ✓ Brain Exercises ✓ Community Sharing |