Blanked vs Peak: Which Memory Training App Should You Use?

Peak and Blanked are both game-first brain training apps. Neither feels like a clinical assessment tool. Both are designed to be genuinely fun to use. And both aim to make cognitive training a daily habit rather than a chore.

That’s where the similarities end. Peak is a broad cognitive training platform covering memory, attention, problem-solving, language, mental agility, coordination, and emotion control across 45+ games. Blanked is a focused visual memory trainer with 6 game modes, all targeting the same core skill from different angles.

They’re solving different problems. This comparison will help you figure out which problem is yours.

Full transparency: Blanked is our app. We’ll be as honest about where Peak beats us as we are about where Blanked has the edge.

Two Game-First Apps, Two Different Strategies

Both Peak and Blanked understand something that older apps like BrainHQ and CogniFit got wrong: if the app isn’t enjoyable, people stop using it. And an app you’ve abandoned trains nothing.

Peak’s strategy: Be the cognitive gym. Offer a wide range of exercises across multiple brain functions, let an AI Coach personalise your training plan, and give you detailed data on your performance across all areas. Peak wants to be the single app that covers your entire cognitive fitness routine.

Blanked’s strategy: Be the specialist. Instead of training seven cognitive areas at surface level, train one area (visual memory) deeply through six distinct modes. Blanked bets that focused, targeted training produces better results in the specific skill it targets than broad training spread thin.

The gym analogy works well here. Peak is like a general fitness class that hits cardio, strength, flexibility, and core. Blanked is like a dedicated leg day programme. If you want all-round fitness, the general class makes sense. If your legs are specifically weak, the targeted programme will produce faster results in that area.

What Each App Actually Trains

Peak

• Memory: Spatial recall, pattern matching, the Wizard memory game (developed with Cambridge University)
• Attention: Selective focus, divided attention, sustained concentration
• Problem-solving: Logic, planning, estimation
• Language: Vocabulary, word finding, verbal fluency
• Mental agility: Cognitive flexibility, task switching
• Coordination: Reaction time, motor control
• Emotion: Facial expression recognition, emotional intelligence

That’s seven cognitive categories with 45+ games across them. The breadth is impressive, and the AI Coach feature means your daily workout is personalised to focus on your weakest areas. The Brain Map visualisation shows your relative strengths and weaknesses at a glance.

Blanked

• Classic: General visual memory, colour and position recall
• Speed Recall: Rapid encoding under time pressure
• Snap Match: Change detection and visual comparison
• Sequence: Sequential visual memory, temporal ordering
• Counting Blitz: Rapid visual scanning, selective attention
• Colour Chain: Colour discrimination, sequential recall

Six modes, all visual memory. The difference is that each mode attacks a different facet of the same skill: encoding speed, spatial awareness, change detection, sequential recall, numerical estimation, and colour precision. (For a detailed breakdown, see our beginner’s guide to Blanked.)

Game Design and Daily Experience

Peak feels polished and data-rich. Daily workouts take about 10 minutes and include 3 to 5 games from different categories. The games are colourful, well-animated, and satisfying to play. The Coffee Break feature offers a shorter 5-minute option for busy days. Progress is tracked across your Brain Map, and you can compare your scores to other users in your age group and profession.

The free version is quite restrictive. You get one daily workout with limited game selection and ads between games. Peak Pro unlocks all 45+ games, removes ads, and gives access to Advanced Training programmes and deeper insights. Some users find the free tier frustrating because you can’t replay games or access the full catalogue without paying.

Blanked feels more like a mobile game. Sessions take about 2 minutes. The mascot Blink (a purple blob with expressive eyes) adds personality that Peak’s more data-focused interface doesn’t have. Daily streaks, cosmetics, weekly challenges, and a lives system create Duolingo-style habit loops. The “Go Blank!” moment, where the scene disappears and you have to recall everything from memory, is a genuinely satisfying gameplay mechanic.

The free version gives you access to all 6 game modes and all levels. Ads appear between sessions and lives are limited, but no core content is gated. Blanked+ removes ads, gives unlimited lives, and adds Memory Analytics.

The key trade-off: Peak gives you more variety and more data. Blanked gives you a faster session and a more engaging game-first feel. If you have 10 to 15 minutes and want comprehensive cognitive tracking, Peak delivers that. If you want something you can do in 2 minutes while waiting for the kettle and still feel like you’ve trained, Blanked fits that slot.

The Data and Progress Tracking

This is where Peak has a clear advantage.

Peak’s Brain Map is one of the best progress visualisation tools in any brain training app. It displays your performance across all seven categories as a radar chart, making it immediately obvious where you’re strong and where you need work. The AI Coach uses this data to adjust your daily workouts accordingly. Line graphs show trends over time, and you can compare your scores to demographic benchmarks.

Blanked’s tracking is more focused. The free version shows basic progress (levels completed, streak count, scores). Blanked+ adds Memory Analytics, which tracks your encoding speed, recall accuracy, and performance by game mode. It’s detailed within its scope, but it doesn’t attempt to map your entire cognitive profile the way Peak does.

If you’re someone who thrives on detailed performance data across multiple domains, Peak wins here. If you primarily care about how your visual memory is improving and want that tracked clearly, Blanked’s focused analytics do the job well.

Scientific Backing

Peak has been developed in collaboration with researchers from Cambridge University, Yale, UCL, and NYU. The Wizard memory game was specifically created with Professor Barbara Sahakian at Cambridge. Peak has published studies showing improvements on trained tasks and some near-transfer measures, though the developers are careful not to overclaim. They state the app is intended to challenge cognitive abilities, not to claim it prevents decline or improves general intelligence.

Blanked is newer and doesn’t have published clinical trials. Its mechanics are built on well-established cognitive science principles: active recall, adaptive difficulty, spaced daily practice, and targeted visual memory training. Each principle has strong independent research support, but the app itself hasn’t been through a formal study. (For the science behind the training methods, see our post on what happens to your brain when you play memory games.)

The honest summary: Peak has stronger institutional research partnerships and more published product-specific data. Blanked’s training principles are well-supported by cognitive science, but the product hasn’t been independently studied yet. If published research behind the specific app matters to you, Peak has the edge.

Pricing Breakdown

Peak

• Free: limited daily workout, ads, restricted game access
• Pro: approximately £7/month or £35/year
• Pro unlocks all 45+ games, removes ads, adds Advanced Training and deeper insights
• Family Plan available (1 subscription, up to 5 additional members)

Blanked

• Free: all 6 game modes, all levels, ads and limited lives
• Blanked+: subscription removes ads, unlimited lives, 100 gems/month, daily power-up, Memory Analytics

The critical difference is what’s behind the paywall. Peak gates a significant portion of its content (most games, replay ability, Advanced Training) behind Pro. If you don’t subscribe, you’re getting a fairly limited experience. Blanked gives you the full game for free. The subscription adds comfort features and analytics, not core content.

Peak’s Family Plan is worth noting. If multiple people in your household want brain training, one Pro subscription covering up to 6 accounts is good value. Blanked doesn’t currently offer a family option.

So Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Peak if:

• You want broad cognitive training across memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and more
• You love detailed data, performance benchmarks, and AI-driven personalisation
• You’re happy investing 10 to 15 minutes per session
• Published research behind the specific app matters to you
• You want a Family Plan for multiple users

Choose Blanked if:

• You specifically want to train visual memory (faces, places, spatial details, visual recall)
• You want sessions that take 2 minutes, not 10 to 15
• You prefer a game-first experience with a mascot, streaks, and cosmetics
• You want full access to all game modes without paying
• You bounced off data-heavy apps and want something simpler and more fun

Use both if:

• You want Peak’s broad cognitive coverage plus Blanked’s focused visual memory depth. There’s minimal overlap, and a 2-minute Blanked session before or after a 10-minute Peak workout creates a well-rounded daily routine.

If you’re leaning toward Blanked, you can download it free from the App Store and try every game mode without paying. For a broader look at the full competitive landscape, see our best brain training apps 2026 roundup.