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Three types of electronic circuitry are employed in the mechanisms of hearing aids.

Conventional analogue hearing aids are designed to respond to particular noise frequencies and they amplify all sounds in the same way, though the hearing aid audiologist reserves some control over the settings. Hearing aids based on this technology are the least expensive type.

Analogue programmable hearing aids use a microchip and are programmed by computer to adjust to different listening environments (e.g. quiet conversation, railway station, concert). A button on the device or a remote control can be used to change the settings as the user's listening requirements alter. Programmable aids are more versatile than the conventional type and usually last longer but are naturally more expensive.

Digital programmable hearing aids are the most sophisticated, using digitized sound processing to convert sounds into digital signals. They can quickly make very sensitive adjustments by analyzing the sounds they pick up and differentiating between them. A hearing aid audiologist can tailor the programming of a digital hearing aid to a specific individual's hearing aid to a specific individual's hearing loss, thereby offering greater control over volume, sound quality, extraneous noise reduction and comfort. However, digital hearing aids are more costly than other types.