Every nootropic promises sharper recall, cleaner thinking, or “brain power” in a bottle. But once you’ve tested enough of them, you start to see a pattern: many products either hide behind proprietary blends that look good on a label but underdeliver in practice, or they put all their chips on one mysterious ingredient that supposedly unlocks cognitive superpowers.
That’s exactly the divide between Dynamic Brain by Stonehenge Health and Prevagen by Quincy Bioscience. Dynamic Brain tries to cover every possible base with a massive multi-ingredient formula, while Prevagen bets everything on a single protein originally discovered in jellyfish.
Both have strong marketing and plenty of customer reviews behind them. But do either of them actually deliver results when you put them to the test?
I’ve given both a fair trial, dug through the research, and even looked at the legal history where relevant. This isn’t just a quick overview of ingredients. It’s a ground-level perspective from someone who’s used both, compared them head-to-head, and also benchmarked them against what I consider the gold standard for nootropics today.
Quick Verdict
If you want the best combination of research, transparency, and actual performance, Mind Lab Pro is the smarter buy than either Dynamic Brain or Prevagen. At $69/month, it’s only slightly more expensive than these two, but it has 11 ingredients at clinically supported doses and independent research on the entire formula.
But if you’re choosing strictly between Dynamic Brain and Prevagen, here’s the short answer:
Prevagen, on the other hand, is built around a single molecule: apoaequorin. The science behind it is controversial at best, and the company was legally forced in 2024 to stop making misleading claims about memory support.
Dynamic Brain does have one redeeming feature: a full clinical dose of BacoMind® Bacopa monnieri, which is one of the few nootropic herbs with consistent evidence for improving memory and reducing stress. The problem is that the rest of its 40+ ingredients are hidden in a proprietary blend too small to be effective.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Dynamic Brain |
| Dosage | Draw |
| Short-Term Effects | Dynamic Brain |
| Long Term Effects | Dynamic Brain |
| Third-Party Testing | Draw |
| Clinical Research | Draw |
| Side Effects | Prevagen |
| User Reviews | Prevagen |
| Price | Prevagen |
Winner
Hunter Focus provides a comprehensive approach covering all areas of cognitive performance with well-formulated and dosed ingredients.
Based on my experience with each nootropic supplement, neither Hunter Focus nor Thesis hold a light to Mind Lab Pro.
Mind Lab Pro has 3 clinical studies backing its formula and is a non-stimulant nootropric to enhance short and long-term brain function.
What Is Dynamic Brain?
Dynamic Brain is Stonehenge Health’s flagship “brain health” supplement, and at first glance it looks impressive. The label lists over forty different vitamins, minerals, and nootropic compounds. For someone new to nootropics, this might look like a one-stop solution for memory, focus, mood, and long-term brain health.
But the deeper you dig, the clearer it becomes that this formula is built around one real workhorse: BacoMind® Bacopa monnieri. This is a standardized bacopa extract dosed at 300 mg, which lands right in the clinically validated range.
Multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown bacopa at this dose can improve memory recall, reduce stress, and support mental clarity, but only with consistent use over four to twelve weeks. It’s not an instant booster, but it is one of the most reliable natural nootropics available.
Beyond bacopa, the rest of the ingredient list is rolled up into a proprietary blend. This includes phosphatidylserine, huperzine A, choline bitartrate, DHA, and an assortment of B vitamins and antioxidants. On paper, these are all legitimate nootropics.
In practice, the total size of the proprietary blend makes it mathematically impossible for them to be included at effective doses.
The result is a supplement that gives you one powerful herb (bacopa) surrounded by a halo of underdosed supporting players. If Stonehenge Health were more transparent about the dosages, I’d be less skeptical, but the proprietary label tells me they know the formula wouldn’t look as strong if everything were disclosed.
What Is Prevagen?
Prevagen is one of the most heavily advertised memory supplements in America. If you’ve watched daytime TV, you’ve probably seen its commercials promising sharper memory and better brain health thanks to its unique ingredient: apoaequorin.
This is a protein originally discovered in a species of jellyfish. The company’s story is that when taken orally, apoaequorin helps protect brain cells and improve memory.
The supplement comes in three main strengths:
- Regular Strength: 10 mg apoaequorin + 50 mcg vitamin D
- Extra Strength: 20 mg apoaequorin + 50 mcg vitamin D
- Professional: 40 mg apoaequorin + 50 mcg vitamin D, sold mostly through health practitioners
The science, however, doesn’t back the marketing very well as il show in you in the clinical research section of the article
From a practical standpoint, Prevagen is easy to find. It’s sold in nearly every major pharmacy, supermarket, and online retailer. It’s simple to use, generally well tolerated, and stimulant-free. But in terms of actual performance, most users either feel no change or only modest improvement after three months of use.
You can read my Prevagen review for my experience.
Dynamic Brain vs. Prevagen Main Differences
Benefits
When it comes to benefits, Dynamic Brain and Prevagen both market themselves as memory boosters, but the way they attempt to get there is very different.
Dynamic Brain, thanks to its bacopa content, has a legitimate pathway to improving memory. Bacopa has been shown to enhance recall and learning after several weeks, and many users also report feeling calmer and less mentally scattered.
In my own trial, the main benefits I noticed were related to remembering small details more easily and having a smoother flow of thought under pressure.
Prevagen, on the other hand, is much narrower. It doesn’t try to cover focus, clarity, or stress resilience. It’s strictly marketed as a memory aid. But given the weak evidence, it’s a gamble. Some users swear by it, reporting better recall after 90 days. Others, like me, feel nothing even after a full month of use.
Ingredients
This is where the differences become most obvious. Let’s break them down in depth.
Dynamic Brain
- BacoMind® Bacopa monnieri (300 mg): This is the star ingredient. Studies consistently show bacopa improves memory acquisition and recall, particularly in older adults and students under stress. It works gradually by enhancing communication between neurons and reducing oxidative stress. The dose here is exactly in the sweet spot.
- Phosphatidylserine: Important for cell membrane structure and signaling. At 100–300 mg daily, it can slow memory decline in older adults. But in Dynamic Brain’s proprietary blend, it’s almost certainly dosed far below that.
- Choline bitartrate: A cheaper form of choline with limited bioavailability. At 500–1000 mg, it supports acetylcholine production and focus. The likely micro-dose here won’t move the needle.
- Huperzine A: A cholinesterase inhibitor that increases acetylcholine levels. Effective at micro-doses, but not recommended for daily long-term use. Potentially helpful, but needs cycling.
- DHA: A key omega-3 fatty acid for brain health, but here it’s more of a token inclusion. True benefits require grams, not milligrams.
- B Vitamins (B6, B12, Folate): Always helpful for energy metabolism and brain health, but common in most multivitamins.
The other 30+ ingredients range from herbal extracts to amino acids to antioxidants, but none are disclosed at clinical levels. They’re included more for label appeal than functional impact.
Prevagen
- Apoaequorin (10–40 mg): A jellyfish-derived protein claimed to protect brain cells. The main human trial failed to show significant benefits in the overall population. Safety is acceptable in the short term, but long-term data are sparse.
- Vitamin D (50 mcg): A useful vitamin for mood and overall health, but hardly unique. Most people can get it from a standalone supplement for a fraction of the cost.
In terms of ingredient transparency and dosing, Dynamic Brain at least delivers one proven compound at a real dose. Prevagen is more of a one-ingredient experiment.
Stimulant vs Non-Stimulant
Neither Dynamic Brain nor Prevagen contains caffeine or amphetamine-like stimulants. That means you won’t feel the kind of immediate, punchy effect you’d get from a cup of coffee or a prescription stimulant.
For some people, that’s a positive as it provides no jitters, no crashes, and safer for long-term daily use. For others, especially those expecting an instant boost, it can be disappointing. Both of these products are in the category of slow-builders.
Short vs Long-Term Effects
With Dynamic Brain, the first couple of weeks usually don’t bring noticeable changes. Bacopa’s mechanism works gradually, and most studies show measurable improvement only after four to six weeks. That lines up with my experience: nothing the first month, then clearer recall by week five.
With Prevagen, the company itself recommends giving it 90 days. In my case, after one month I felt nothing. Some reviewers online claim improvements after two to three months, but given the scientific controversy, it’s hard to know if that’s placebo, natural fluctuation, or genuine benefit.
Clinical Research
Dynamic Brain, as a complete formula, has no published clinical trials. Bacopa itself is well studied, but you can’t assume results from single-ingredient trials translate to a giant underdosed blend.
Prevagen’s clinical backing rests almost entirely on a single paper – the Madison Memory Study, which tested apoaequorin in 218 older adults over 90 days.
For the overall group, there was no significant difference between apoaequorin and placebo. The company highlighted positive results in post-hoc subgroup analyses, basically cherry-picking certain data slices, but regulators saw through that.
In 2024, the FTC and New York Attorney General won their case against Quincy Bioscience, requiring them to stop making misleading claims about memory benefits.
That ruling didn’t ban the supplement itself, but it did make clear that the scientific evidence isn’t strong enough to justify the claims they were making on the Madison Memory Study.
Regulators found the results insufficient to justify the company’s claims, and the 2024 legal ruling confirmed as much.
Side Effects
Dynamic Brain is generally safe, but Bacopa can cause digestive issues like bloating, nausea, or mild fatigue in the first couple of weeks. These usually pass with continued use. Huperzine A may cause headaches if it’s actually dosed high enough to be active.
Prevagen appears safe in the short term, but since apoaequorin is a protein not naturally found in the human diet, the long-term safety is less clear. Reported side effects are rare and mild, usually headaches or dizziness.
Availability
Dynamic Brain is sold mostly online, direct from Stonehenge Health. They offer bundle pricing and a 90-day money-back guarantee, but you won’t typically find it in local stores.
Prevagen is everywhere. It’s sold in CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon, and supermarkets nationwide. Accessibility is one of its biggest advantages.
User Reviews
Dynamic Brain holds an average of around 4.3 out of 5 stars on its own site, though that always needs to be taken with caution. The most consistent praise is for memory support, while negative reviews usually point to lack of focus improvement or underwhelming results given the price.
Prevagen has tens of thousands of reviews online. The pattern is clear: some older adults swear by it, saying their memory feels sharper after three months, while others say it did absolutely nothing. The polarization mirrors the shaky science.
Price
| Nootropic | Size | Price | Notes |
| Dynamic Brain | 60 caps (30-day supply) | $49.95 | $40.96 with subscription |
| Prevagen Regular | 30 caps (10 mg) | $39.95 | 60 caps: $74.95 |
| Prevagen Extra Strength | 30 caps (20 mg) | $59.95 | 60 caps: $109.95 |
| Prevagen Professional | 30 caps (40 mg) | $89.95 | Practitioner only |
My Experience With Dynamic Brain and Prevagen
When I first tried Dynamic Brain, I committed to a full eight weeks because I knew bacopa takes time. The first few weeks were uneventful. I felt nothing different in my day-to-day work. No extra focus, no burst of creativity, nothing in the gym or while writing.
But around week four, I started to notice small but real changes. During training sessions, I was recalling sequences and cues faster. In writing, I wasn’t pausing as much to remember a reference or detail.
Even in daily life, like remembering to bring my kids’ gear for practice, I felt a subtle improvement. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was real enough that I could say bacopa was working.
What I didn’t feel was any sharper focus or higher mental energy. For that, I rely on other stacks that include properly dosed citicoline, tyrosine, or lion’s mane.
Dynamic Brain just didn’t deliver there. I eventually concluded it was basically a decent bacopa supplement wrapped in marketing for 40 other ingredients that didn’t matter.
My Prevagen trial was less promising. I tried the Regular Strength version for a month. I wanted to see at least a hint of change before committing to the 90 days the company recommends. But after thirty days, there was no difference at all — no better recall, no sharper thinking, nothing noticeable in daily life.
Maybe the higher doses would have made a difference, but given the shaky evidence and the high price, I didn’t feel motivated to continue.
Comparing the two experiences, Dynamic Brain at least gave me something tangible, even if limited. Prevagen gave me nothing.
Should You Take Dynamic Brain or Prevagen?
Deciding between these two really comes down to what you’re hoping to get out of a supplement. If your goal is memory support, and you’re willing to wait four to six weeks for gradual results, Dynamic Brain has some legitimacy thanks to its bacopa content. It’s not cheap, and you’re really only paying for one active ingredient, but at least that ingredient is proven.
Prevagen is a tougher sell. It’s widely available, heavily marketed, and simple to use, but the evidence behind apoaequorin is weak. The fact that regulators had to step in and stop the company from making exaggerated claims tells you a lot.
While some users swear by it, I suspect much of that is placebo effect or natural variation. If you’re determined to try it, commit to 90 days at the higher dose, but manage your expectations.
For anyone serious about overall brain performance, I recommend skipping both and going with Mind Lab Pro. It’s transparent, fully dosed, stimulant-free, and backed by research not just on individual ingredients but on the full formula. I’ve had far more consistent results with it than with either Dynamic Brain or Prevagen.
Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro Nootropic Brain Supplement
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