HQ Baseline vs. ImPACT vs. Sway

We get asked this all the time, so we wrote it down. This is our honest take on the three most common concussion baseline platforms. We obviously make HQ Baseline, so take our perspective accordingly — but we’ve tried to be fair to the other tools because they’re real options serving real programs.

ImPACT

What it is: The longest-running computerized concussion assessment. Desktop-based. Cognitive-only. Published research corpus is large — ImPACT is cited more than any other concussion assessment.

Strengths: Maturity, research depth, and clinician familiarity. Many sports medicine programs have been using ImPACT for a decade and have large historical datasets.

Limits: Desktop computer required — you need a computer lab or dedicated laptops. Cognitive-only — no balance, no tandem gait. No post-injury vs. baseline radar; you get a delta report. The interface is dated and the workflow was built for a world where desktops were normal.

Sway Medical

What it is: The first FDA-cleared mobile concussion assessment. Balance-first, with cognitive and VOMS modules added. Widely adopted by athletic training programs — over 7,000 clinicians.

Strengths:Genuine mobility, FDA clearance, strong balance scoring from phone sensors, polished clinician UX, and a solid research profile. For programs that need “mobile and clinically respected,” Sway is the default.

Limits:Not a complete SCAT6 battery — some modules are shorter or substituted. Cognitive scoring is touchscreen-only, no voice. Doesn’t include tandem gait motion scoring. Subtype-aware post-injury comparison is limited.

HQ Baseline

What it is: A self-administered, mobile, seven-module digital concussion baseline with voice-scored cognition, motion-scored balance and tandem gait, and subtype-aware post-injury comparison. Part of the broader Headquarters Health concussion care platform. HQ Baseline is not the SCAT6 and is not affiliated with the Concussion in Sport Group.

Strengths: The only platform that covers the core clinical domains — symptom evaluation, cognition, balance (mBESS), and tandem gait — in a fully self-administered mobile format. Voice recognition removes the proctor bottleneck. PCSS is mapped to four clinical subtypes so post-injury comparison shows where it changed, not just that it did. Shareable links onboard a whole team in one afternoon.

Limits: Younger than ImPACT and Sway, with a smaller research corpus. Not FDA-cleared as a device — positioned as clinical decision support. Some clinicians who have spent years on ImPACT or Sway may prefer to stick with what they know.

How to choose

• You already run ImPACT and it works:keep it, but consider adding a mobile tool for sideline retests and for programs that can’t get everyone to a computer lab.
• You need FDA clearance: Sway is the currently shipping option.
• You want a full cognitive + balance + tandem gait concussion baseline on a phone with voice scoring and subtype-aware comparison: HQ Baseline is the only shipping option as of 2026.
• You need unlimited baselines without per-test pricing: HQ Baseline is program-priced with unlimited tests included.