Brilliant
Interactive problem-solving courses in math, computer science, data and science — by doing, not watching.
Brilliant interactive geometry lesson on iPad — student dragging a vertex to discover the angle-sum property of a triangle in real time.
TL;DR
Brilliant's killer move is treating learning as a problem-solving activity, not a video-watching one. The lessons are short, interactive and demand a click or input on every screen — much closer to how STEM is actually practiced. The price ($27.99/mo or $161.88/year) buys access to 40+ courses; not cheap, but cheaper than a single hour of human tutoring.
Recommend it if
You're a 10+-year-old or adult learner with daily-habit ambitions in STEM, you find video courses too passive, or you're a parent looking for a screen-time investment that's closer to learning than YouTube.
Skip it if
You're looking for a school-licensed classroom tool (Brilliant is consumer), you only need K-5 reading help (out of scope), or you can't commit to a paid subscription beyond the free trial.
Quick facts
- Platforms
- WebiOSAndroid
- Languages
- English
- School fit
- 6-8 9-12 Higher Ed Adult / PD
- Subjects
- MathComputer ScienceData AnalysisPhysicsChemistryLogic
- Time to first output
- < 5 min for first lesson
- Learning curve
- Easy
- Setup
- Sign up, take placement, daily lesson begins
- Works offline
- —
Real-world use cases
How a teacher, student or parent actually puts this tool to work.
| Who | Scenario | Time | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 8th-grader builds a daily 15-min habit on Visual Algebra over 6 weeks before starting Algebra 1 in school — concepts feel familiar by day 1. | 15 min/day | Pre-built intuition for school math |
| Parents | Parent of a 12-year-old buys the family plan as a screen-time alternative — kid trades 30 min of YouTube for 30 min of Logic and Probability courses. | 30 min/day | Substituted screen-time |
| Students | Adult learner brushing up CS fundamentals before a coding bootcamp — completes the Computer Science Foundations course in 4 weeks of evenings. | 30 min/day | Pre-bootcamp prep |
- Students
8th-grader builds a daily 15-min habit on Visual Algebra over 6 weeks before starting Algebra 1 in school — concepts feel familiar by day 1.
- Time
- 15 min/day
- Output
- Pre-built intuition for school math
- Parents
Parent of a 12-year-old buys the family plan as a screen-time alternative — kid trades 30 min of YouTube for 30 min of Logic and Probability courses.
- Time
- 30 min/day
- Output
- Substituted screen-time
- Students
Adult learner brushing up CS fundamentals before a coding bootcamp — completes the Computer Science Foundations course in 4 weeks of evenings.
- Time
- 30 min/day
- Output
- Pre-bootcamp prep
Brilliant’s pitch: learning by doing, not watching. Every screen demands a click, drag, or input — closer to how mathematicians and scientists actually work than to a video lecture. 40+ courses span arithmetic thinking through calculus, visual algebra, probability, computer science foundations, data analysis and physical science.
Where it fits
- 10+-year-old to adult learners building daily STEM habit
- Parents looking for a screen-time investment with real pedagogy behind it
- Self-learners prepping for technical interviews, bootcamps, or upper-school math
Where it doesn’t
Not a school-licensed product. No FERPA-aligned classroom version. The price gates almost everything beyond the daily preview.
What we like
- + Interactive lessons with real-time feedback — learn by doing, not watching videos
- + 40+ courses across math, CS, data science and physical science
- + Polished mobile and web experience; great for daily commute or study habit
- + Backed by award-winning teachers and Reach Capital portfolio
Heads up
- − Premium gates almost everything; the free tier is a daily-lesson teaser
- − Annual at ~$162/year; family / group plans cheaper per seat but require commitment
- − Not a school-licensed product; no FERPA-aligned classroom version
Pricing breakdown
Pricing
Verified directly on the vendor site. We re-check every quarter.
Free
- · Daily lesson preview
- · Limited course access
- · Across web, iOS, Android
Premium Annual
Most useful- · Unlimited access to 40+ courses
- · Personalized practice
- · No ads, jump to any lesson
- · Web, iOS, Android sync
Premium Monthly
- · Unlimited course access
- · No long-term commitment
- · All Premium features
Family / Group
- · Family plan for up to 6 members
- · Group plan with discounted per-seat pricing for 3-50 seats
Privacy & compliance
Privacy & compliance
What we found in the vendor's terms, DPA, and trust center. Verify with your district before deploying.
- FERPA
- Unclear
- SOC 2
- Unclear
- COPPA
- Unclear
- GDPR
- Compliant
- Trains on your data
- Unclear
- Data retention
- Standard consumer terms; user progress and content stored in the account.
- Hosting regions
- US · EU
Operated by Brilliant Worldwide, Inc. Designed for individual learners; not positioned as a school-licensed product with a signed DPA. Reach Capital portfolio company.
Works with
- Apple App Store
- Google Play
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
How is Brilliant different from Khan Academy?
Khan Academy is video-first and free; Brilliant is interactive-first and paid. Khan covers more grade-school standards alignment; Brilliant covers more conceptual depth especially in middle/upper-secondary STEM. Many serious learners use both — Khan for school standards, Brilliant for deeper conceptual habit.
Is the free tier enough?
For testing the experience, yes. For ongoing study, no — the daily preview is a teaser. The product economics rely on Premium subscription.
Is it appropriate for school deployment?
Brilliant is sold as a consumer product. Schools sometimes use group plans for after-school programs, but there's no FERPA-aligned classroom version with student-roster-controlled access.
What age range does it work best for?
Officially "everyone"; in practice the courses are calibrated for ~10+ years old through adult learners. The lower-grade ramp (Arithmetic Thinking, Proportional Reasoning) suits middle school well.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes — auto-renew is configurable from settings. The annual is one upfront payment with a refund policy per their terms.
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