BrainDojo vs Other Ways to Keep a Daily Brain-Training Habit

BrainDojo is an iPhone and iPad app for making brain training a small daily habit, with handwriting, calculation, and reading aloud exercises. There are many other ways to do the same thing, some of them much older than smartphones. This post puts BrainDojo next to the options people are realistically choosing between, says what each does well, and says where I think another one is the better choice.

The person choosing is often an adult who wants a short daily routine for focus and memory, or someone choosing for a parent or grandparent. What they are choosing between is less a list of apps than a question of form: paper, a game console, a phone app, or no product at all.

What BrainDojo Does

To keep the comparison fair, here is what it does and nothing more.

Free plan. Two “Try” games a day, a different pair each day. The Brain Dojo Check once a day, a short set of games that scores processing speed, inhibitory control, and working memory. A stamp calendar for the days you trained.
BrainDojo Plus (subscription). Everything in Free, plus “Today’s Training”, a daily set sized to the time you said you have and weighted toward the goals you chose at setup, all the mini games, and new games as they are added.
No ads on either plan.
No sign-up to start. You can begin as soon as the app opens. Registering an account in Settings is optional.
Works offline. The Help Center asks you to go online at least once a week.
iPhone and iPad. It is offered on the App Store.

It is not a medical device, and I will not claim it treats or prevents anything. It is a tool for a habit.

Option 1: Paper Drill Books

In Japan, the best known are the “brain training drills for adults” by Professor Ryuta Kawashima of Tohoku University, published by Kumon. According to Kumon Publishing, the series gives you calculation, reading aloud, and writing exercises to work through every day, and it has been on sale for more than 20 years. Similar workbooks exist in many languages.

What it does well. A pencil and a page have no notifications, no battery, and no subscription. Writing by hand on real paper is arguably the most natural version of the handwriting exercise. A book is easy to give to an older relative who does not use apps.

Where it differs. You buy each book, and once it is finished you need the next one. Timing yourself and keeping a record is up to you. The same page cannot adjust to how much time you have today.

Option 2: Brain Training for Nintendo Switch

Nintendo’s Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch includes calculation, reading aloud, memory exercises, and sudoku. You play with a stylus or your finger, and some exercises use the Joy-Con camera. A Brain Age check runs a series of exercises for processing speed, short-term memory, and self-control, and there are two-player games.

What it does well. It is a polished game from a company with decades of experience making games, and the two-player mode makes it a good fit for a family evening. It is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.

Where it differs. You need a Nintendo Switch, and the game is something you sit down to play rather than something in your pocket. If there is already a Switch in the house, this matters much less.

Option 3: Lumosity and Similar Subscription Apps

Lumosity is one of the best known brain-training apps. Its App Store page describes more than 40 games covering memory, attention, problem-solving, speed, math, and words, a 10-minute Fit Test to set your baseline, and daily workouts. As of September 2026, it is free to download, and a Premium subscription adds a personalized training program and more detailed insights.

What it does well. A large library, detailed tracking, and availability on both iPhone and Android.

Where it differs. The emphasis is different. BrainDojo puts particular weight on handwriting with a finger and on reading aloud, and it keeps the daily commitment very small. Lumosity puts more into a large library and tracking. Which approach suits you is a matter of taste.

Option 4: Puzzles, a Book, and a Pencil

The oldest option is still a real one: a sudoku or crossword in the newspaper, a page of a book read out loud, a few lines copied by hand into a notebook.

What it does well. It costs nothing or close to it, and you already know how to do it. Reading aloud to a child or a grandparent turns it into time spent together.

Where it differs. There is no structure, no variety you did not choose yourself, and no record unless you keep one. For many people, that lack of structure is exactly why the habit fades.

Side by Side

	BrainDojo	Paper drill books	Brain Training for Switch	Lumosity	Puzzles and reading aloud
Cost	Free plan, Plus subscription	Purchase per book	Game purchase, plus a Switch	Free download, Premium subscription	Free or close to it
Device	iPhone, iPad	Paper and pencil	Nintendo Switch	iPhone, Android	None
Main activities	Handwriting, calculation, reading aloud, mini games	Calculation, reading aloud, writing	Calculation, reading aloud, memory, sudoku, and more	40+ games for memory, attention, speed, math, words	Whatever you choose
Regular check	Brain Dojo Check, once a day	Varies by book	Brain Age check	Fit Test for a baseline	None
Record of your days	Stamp calendar	On paper, by you	In the game	In the app	Only if you keep one

When Another Option Is the Better Choice

I would rather you keep a habit with something else than drop one with BrainDojo.

If you or the person you are choosing for does not use a smartphone, a paper drill book is the better choice. It is also easier to give as a present.
If there is a Nintendo Switch at home and you want something to play together, Brain Training for Switch is made for that, and the two-player mode is something BrainDojo does not have in the same form.
If you use Android, BrainDojo is not an option, since it is offered for iPhone and iPad. Lumosity is on both.
If you want a large library with detailed statistics, a subscription app built around tracking will give you more of that.
If you do not want to pay anything or use a screen, a newspaper puzzle and ten minutes of reading aloud cost nothing.

Where I think BrainDojo fits best is someone with an iPhone or iPad who wants the daily commitment to be as small as possible, likes the idea of writing with a finger and reading aloud rather than only tapping, and wants no ads and no sign-up. The free plan is enough to find out whether that is you.