Which is better, NuFACE or medicube Booster Pro?

For lifting and toning, the NuFACE MINI+. It is FDA cleared for facial stimulation (K201680), it publishes its strength, and it lists who should not use it. It was $187.50 on Amazon on October 26, 2026. The medicube Booster Pro is the better pick only if you mainly want help with serum absorption and glow, with no gel. It was $186.86 on Amazon.

Is the medicube Booster Pro FDA cleared?

No. We found no FDA clearance (510(k)) for any medicube device. The Booster Pro, Mini, Mini Plus and X2 are listed with the FDA by medicube's maker, APR Co., as a Class I "Massager, Therapeutic, Electric." FDA describes that class as a device "to relieve minor muscle aches and pains," and it can be sold without FDA review. A listing is not a clearance or an approval.

Is NuFACE FDA approved?

Not approved; cleared. That is the normal path for this kind of device. FDA cleared the MINI+ under K201680 on February 19, 2021 and the Trinity+ under K201782. Both are cleared for "facial and neck stimulation" for cosmetic use. The clearance says NuFACE showed the device is like one already on the market. It does not prove it lifts your face: NuFACE's own filing says no clinical testing was done for it.

Can the medicube Booster Pro cause Bell's palsy?

No one has shown that it does. In January 2025 a TikTok user said she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy after two days on level 1, and the video passed 11 million views. medicube denies any link. We found no published case report, study or FDA finding on it. Bell's palsy also happens with no device at all, in about 15 to 30 people per 100,000 each year.

Is the medicube Booster Pro stronger than NuFACE?

By the two brands' own numbers, yes, by a lot. medicube says the Booster Pro runs at 7 (level 1) to 14 (level 5) mA. NuFACE's FDA filing puts the MINI+ at up to 335 µA, which is 0.335 mA. The brands may not measure the same way, so treat this as a rough gap, not an exact one.

Do I need gel with NuFACE?

Yes. NuFACE says to put on a mask-like layer of conductive gel every time. Its Aqua Gel was $35 for 1.69 oz on Amazon on October 26, 2026. The medicube Booster Pro needs no special gel; medicube says to use it over your usual serum.

Should I buy the medicube Booster Pro or the Booster Pro X2?

The X2 is newer ($179 on Amazon against $186.86). Both are on the same FDA listing as a Class I massager, so the X2 is not FDA cleared either.

medicube Booster Pro vs NuFACE: which face device to buy

Buy the NuFACE MINI+ ($187.50 on Amazon, Oct 26, 2026). The FDA cleared it for facial stimulation. The medicube Booster Pro is not cleared: the FDA lists it only as a Class I electric massager.

Our pick

NuFACE MINI+ Starter Kit $187.50 Amazon, Oct 26, 2026

Microcurrent for face and neck. FDA cleared (K201680). 5 minutes a day. Needs gel.

Buy on Amazon $187.50 Gel refill: $35

The FDA reviewed it for this job. FDA cleared the MINI+ (K201680) as a Class II device "intended for facial and neck stimulation." The medicube Booster Pro has no FDA clearance. Its FDA listing calls it a Class I electric massager, a class that can be sold without FDA review.
It tells you its strength and who should not use it. NuFACE publishes its current (up to 335 µA) and its manual says not to use it with a pacemaker, in pregnancy, with epilepsy, with active cancer or after recent surgery. The medicube guide we read has no list like that.
It costs about the same as medicube's newest model. The Booster Pro X2 is $179 on Amazon; the MINI+ is $187.50. NuFACE gives a 2-year warranty. medicube's site does not state a warranty term.

Buy the medicube Booster Pro instead if you want one tool that helps serum soak in, adds LED, and needs no gel. Amazon buyers also rate it higher (4.5 stars from 7,341 ratings, against 3.7 for the MINI+). It was $186.86 on Amazon on Oct 26, 2026, $1 less than the MINI+. It is not FDA cleared.

Buy on Amazon $186.86

On Amazon, the MINI+ is sold by Front Row Group and the black Booster Pro by Azura Co., not by the brands. NuFACE's 60-day money-back offer covers only mynuface.com orders. Amazon links may earn us a commission. It does not change the pick.

01 / Side by side

Every spec that matters, with where it came from

Brand pages, Amazon's product data and FDA records, all checked October 14, 2026. Under each row: where it came from.

Spec	NuFACE MINI+	medicube Booster Pro
Price on Amazon (Oct 26, 2026)Amazon's product data	$187.50, sold by Front Row Group	$186.86, sold by Azura Co.
Price from the brandmynuface.com, medicube.us	$250	$230 (list price $249)
FDA statusFDA 510(k) database, device listings, 21 CFR 882.5890 and 890.5660	Cleared: K201680, February 19, 2021. Class II, "facial and neck stimulation"	Listed, not cleared. Class I "Massager, Therapeutic, Electric" (product code ISA)
What it doesbrand pages	Microcurrent only	Booster (electroporation, to push serum in), MC (microcurrent), Derma Shot, Air Shot, plus LED and sonic vibration
StrengthNuFACE's FDA filing K201680; medicube's Bell's palsy statement	70 to 335 µA (up to 335 µA), about 8 pulses a second	7 (level 1) to 14 (level 5) mA, by medicube's own statement
Gelbrand pages and FAQ	Required (NuFACE Aqua Gel or another conductive gel). $35 for a 1.69 oz tube on Amazon	Not required (medicube says any serum works)
How oftenNuFACE manual; medicube FAQ	5 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 60 days, then 2 to 3 times a week	Booster, MC and Derma Shot: 5 to 10 minutes, 1 to 3 times a day. Air Shot: 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week
Who should not use itNuFACE user manual; medicube Booster Pro guide (English PDF)	Manual lists: pacemaker or other implanted device, pregnancy, epilepsy, active cancer, recent surgery, under 18	Guide lists only places not to use it: the eye area, open wounds, areas with recent procedures
Warrantymynuface.com warranty page; medicube.us	2 years; 60-day money-back only when bought from mynuface.com	Not published on medicube.us (checked 2026-10-14)
Amazon ratingAmazon listing page	3.7 stars, 661 ratings	4.5 stars, 7,341 ratings

µA is a microamp, one thousandth of a milliamp (mA). The two brands do not say how they measure, so compare the strength figures as a rough gap only.

02 / The FDA records

NuFACE is cleared for face stimulation. medicube is listed as a massager.

"Cleared" means the maker sent the FDA a 510(k) and the FDA agreed the device is like one already on the market. "Listed" means the maker told the FDA it sells the device. For a Class I massager, no review comes first.

NuFACE MINI+ (filed as "NuFACE Mini Plus") K201680

Class II, product code NFO ("Stimulator, Transcutaneous Electrical, Aesthetic Purposes"), cleared February 19, 2021. The Trinity+ has its own clearance, K201782.

The same filing says: "The substantial equivalence for the subject device is not demonstrated by results of clinical testing. Therefore, no clinical testing were performed."
medicube Booster Pro: no 510(k) found Class I

FDA's device listing, filed by APR Co., Ltd. (Korea), FDA registration 3016769192, names 5 medicube devices under product code ISA, "Massager, Therapeutic, Electric": the Booster Pro, Pro Mini, Pro Mini Plus, Pro X2 and a face roller head.

FDA's rule for that code: "A therapeutic massager is an electrically powered device intended for medical purposes, such as to relieve minor muscle aches and pains." … "The device is exempt from the premarket notification procedures." 21 CFR 890.5660

We searched FDA's 510(k) database for medicube, Booster, Age-R and the maker, APR. Nothing came back for a medicube device.

Why it matters: NuFACE went through an FDA review as a device that sends current through your face. medicube's listing puts a device with microcurrent, EMS and electroporation modes in a class meant for massagers. We are not saying either device is unsafe; we are saying only one was reviewed for what it does.

03 / What actually differs

Four differences, and which ones matter

1. What it is for

NuFACE does one thing: microcurrent to tone and lift. medicube sells the Booster Pro mostly for glow: its Booster mode uses electroporation to help serum soak in, and its claims are about absorption and pores. If lifting is your goal, NuFACE is built for it. If glow is your goal, medicube is.
2. How strong it is

NuFACE's FDA filing puts the MINI+ at 70 to 335 µA. medicube's own statement puts the Booster Pro at 7 (level 1) to 14 (level 5) mA, many times higher on paper. medicube says other face devices run at 35 to 80 mA and calls its level low. It does not name those devices.
3. Gel, and the running cost

NuFACE needs a thick layer of conductive gel every session; a 1.69 oz tube is $35 on Amazon. medicube needs no special gel and works over your usual serum.
4. Warnings and warranty

NuFACE's manual lists who should not use it and gives a 2-year warranty. medicube's English guide lists only where not to use it, and medicube.us does not state a warranty term. Neither is a reason to panic. Both are reasons to know what you are buying.

04 / Safety reports

Both have injury reports. Neither has proof of harm.

FDA's MAUDE database collects reports from users and makers, read October 14, 2026. Anyone can file one, and the FDA does not confirm that the device caused the problem. NuFACE has sold for much longer, so these are counts, not rates.

NuFACE (all models)

25 reports since 2011

They include fainting with an irregular heartbeat, facial nerve pain diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia, eye problems, and throat or thyroid swelling. Some are the same event filed twice, once by the user and once by NuFACE. In one, NuFACE said the user had a heart condition and was using the device against its labeling.

See the reports (openFDA)
medicube Booster Pro family

5 reports since 2025

3 describe a reaction after use. One X2 user wrote that after a single 5-minute session on the lowest setting, "my right under eyelid area had a heavy weighted feeling." The other 2 are complaints that the device is marketed without FDA clearance.

See the reports (openFDA)

The Bell's palsy story: in January 2025 a TikTok user said doctors diagnosed her with Bell's palsy after two days of the Booster Pro on level 1. The video passed 11 million views (Daily Dot). medicube called it misleading and said its current is too low "to cause nerve damage or paralysis" (medicube statement; NewBeauty). We found no published case report, study or FDA action either way. Bell's palsy affects about 15 to 30 people per 100,000 each year with no device involved (Cleveland Clinic, quoted by NewBeauty).

05 / Who should buy which

One line for each kind of buyer

You want to tone and lift, with an FDA-cleared device: NuFACE MINI+, $187.50 on Amazon.
The same, with more power and a bigger head for jaw and neck: NuFACE Trinity+, $395 on Amazon. Up to 600 µA, FDA cleared (K201782).
You want glow and better serum absorption, with no gel: medicube Booster Pro, $186.86 on Amazon.
You want medicube's newest model: medicube Booster Pro X2, $179 on Amazon, sold by medicube. Same Class I massager listing; not FDA cleared.
You have a pacemaker or other implant, epilepsy, a thyroid problem, or you are pregnant: talk to your doctor before using either. NuFACE's manual says not to use its devices in most of these cases.

06 / Do they work?

Only the brands have tested them

NuFACE's ENGAGE study: 56 people used the original Trinity once a day for 60 days. Graders looking at photos found 85% had better facial contour. NuFACE does not mention a group that used a fake device, and the study was not on the MINI+. NuFACE
NuFACE's FDA clearance is not proof of results. Its MINI+ filing says no clinical testing was done for it.
medicube reports "+763.3% Boost in Skin Absorption Efficiency" and "-34.56% Appearance of Pores," tested by the "Global Institute of Dermatological Sciences," with no number of people given. medicube
Neither brand points to a trial of the device it sells today against a fake device. Results need regular use: NuFACE tells owners to keep using it 2 to 3 times a week after the first 60 days.

07 / Questions

Frequently asked

Which is better, NuFACE or medicube Booster Pro?: For lifting and toning, the NuFACE MINI+. It is FDA cleared for facial stimulation (K201680), it publishes its strength, and it lists who should not use it. It was $187.50 on Amazon on October 26, 2026. The medicube Booster Pro is the better pick only if you mainly want help with serum absorption and glow, with no gel. It was $186.86 on Amazon.
Is the medicube Booster Pro FDA cleared?: No. We found no FDA clearance (510(k)) for any medicube device. The Booster Pro, Mini, Mini Plus and X2 are listed with the FDA by medicube's maker, APR Co., as a Class I "Massager, Therapeutic, Electric." FDA describes that class as a device "to relieve minor muscle aches and pains," and it can be sold without FDA review. A listing is not a clearance or an approval.
Is NuFACE FDA approved?: Not approved; cleared. That is the normal path for this kind of device. FDA cleared the MINI+ under K201680 on February 19, 2021 and the Trinity+ under K201782. Both are cleared for "facial and neck stimulation" for cosmetic use. The clearance says NuFACE showed the device is like one already on the market. It does not prove it lifts your face: NuFACE's own filing says no clinical testing was done for it.
Can the medicube Booster Pro cause Bell's palsy?: No one has shown that it does. In January 2025 a TikTok user said she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy after two days on level 1, and the video passed 11 million views. medicube denies any link. We found no published case report, study or FDA finding on it. Bell's palsy also happens with no device at all, in about 15 to 30 people per 100,000 each year.
Is the medicube Booster Pro stronger than NuFACE?: By the two brands' own numbers, yes, by a lot. medicube says the Booster Pro runs at 7 (level 1) to 14 (level 5) mA. NuFACE's FDA filing puts the MINI+ at up to 335 µA, which is 0.335 mA. The brands may not measure the same way, so treat this as a rough gap, not an exact one.
Do I need gel with NuFACE?: Yes. NuFACE says to put on a mask-like layer of conductive gel every time. Its Aqua Gel was $35 for 1.69 oz on Amazon on October 26, 2026. The medicube Booster Pro needs no special gel; medicube says to use it over your usual serum.
Should I buy the medicube Booster Pro or the Booster Pro X2?: The X2 is newer ($179 on Amazon against $186.86). Both are on the same FDA listing as a Class I massager, so the X2 is not FDA cleared either.

08 / Sources and method

What we checked, and what we did not

FDA records, read October 14, 2026: K201680 (NuFACE Mini Plus) and K201782 (Trinity Plus); FDA device listings for medicube via openFDA; 510(k) searches for medicube, Booster, Age-R and APR; 21 CFR 890.5660; MAUDE reports for both brands.
Brand pages, read October 14, 2026: NuFACE MINI+, NuFACE warranty and returns, NuFACE user manual, medicube Booster Pro, medicube's Bell's palsy statement.
Amazon sellers: Amazon's product data (Creators API) and listing pages, October 14, 2026. Amazon prices read October 26, 2026 from each amazon.com product page.
News: Daily Dot, NewBeauty, January 2025.

What we did not do: we did not test either device or measure its current, and we did not contact either brand. medicube's full in-box manual was not online, so it may list warnings we could not read. Prices change; check before you buy.