Comparison

TED Talks vs Brilliant

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TED Talks

Access thousands of inspiring and informative videos on a wide range of topics. Get personalized recommendations, watch with subtitles in over 100 languages, and download content for offline viewing. Stay curious and informed with this educational resource.

Highlights
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Subtitles in over 100 languages
  • Browse by topic or curator picks
  • Stream to Apple TV with AirPlay
  • Download videos for offline viewing
  • Watchlist for later
  • Surprise Me! feature
Features
Read full description

Get personalized recommendations that match your unique interests, or browse TED’s library of thousands of inspiring, informative, transformational videos for free. Features on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch: ・Sign in to get personalized recommendations and sync videos across all your devices ・Watch videos with subtitles in over 100 languages ・Check out the newest and trending videos, browse by topic, or select from our curators’ picks ・Stream videos to your Apple TV with AirPlay ・Download videos to watch offline ・Add talks your list to watch later ・Toggle between dark mode or light modes ・Get instant inspiration with the “Surprise Me!” feature Get the TED app to stay curious, informed and inspired.

About

Brilliant

Master math and computer science through interactive, visual lessons. This app focuses on active problem-solving and personalized practice to build critical thinking and STEM skills. Ideal for students and lifelong learners seeking to deepen their understanding and confidence.

Highlights
  • Interactive problem-solving lessons
  • Personalized practice sets
  • Visual explanations of concepts
  • Expert-crafted STEM courses
  • Real-time feedback
  • Builds critical thinking skills
Features
Read full description

Brilliant is a superintelligent tutor for math and coding. Our team of experts from MIT and Harvard has built a world-class personalized learning system. For students from grade 5 to college and beyond – you work through problems with a tutor that sees where you’re stuck, can sketch right on your screen, asks the right questions, and guides you to real a-ha moments. Forget memorizing formulas. Brilliant is designed to build real understanding and help you excel. It’s there when you need it, adapts to how you think, and makes learning feel like a fun challenge instead of a chore. Master everything from foundational math and algebra to college-level calculus, Python, computer science, AI, neural networks, algorithms, data analysis, physics, and more. Join over 10 million people using Brilliant to reach their learning goals. WHY BRILLIANT WORKS - One-on-one learning for all
 Private tutoring is the most effective way to learn, but it’s expensive, hard to schedule, and out of reach for most families. Brilliant’s tutor works with you one-on-one, every single day, for a fraction of the cost. No scheduling. No waiting. Just learning.
 - Like someone sitting next to you Brilliant’s tutor can see what’s on your screen and react in real time, from highlighting parts of a problem to creating visualizations that bring hard concepts to life. - Expert-crafted curriculum Every course is crafted by our team of human experts from top institutions around the world. And with new and updated courses added every month, there’s always something new to explore. - Learning that adapts to you Brilliant’s tutor personalizes your experience in real time, adjusting to your skill level, filling gaps before they become problems, and helping you build confidence as you go. - Build true problem-solving skills Brilliant doesn’t give you answers. It guides you through problems and to your own a-ha moments. So while you’re learning, you’re also building critical thinking and analytical skills – and having fun. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “Koji doesn’t judge. It feels like talking to the most patient teacher.” — Alan “Going through a lesson with Koji is more active, interactive, and guided than traditional learning.” — Lory “She read the problem out loud and figured it out on her own — ‘Oh! I know! Never mind, Mom, I got it!’ I'm seeing those breakthroughs more often.” — Arianne Send feedback to ios@brilliant.org. LIKE US: https://facebook.com/brilliantorg FOLLOW US: https://x.com/brilliantorg Privacy Policy: https://brilliant.org/privacy_policy/ Terms of Use: https://brilliant.org/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

TED Talks4 screens
Brilliant4 screens

Verdict

The call

TED Talks and Brilliant both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 44% of TED Talks's. Brilliant also leads on chart position (#85 vs unranked) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). TED Talks's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 19) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. TED Talks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for TED Talks against 4.7 for Brilliant. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10K and 33K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of TED Talks's written reviews are positive against 79% of Brilliant's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TED Talks ships an update fortnightly, Brilliant weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TED Talks versus Brilliant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTED TalksBrilliant
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (10K ratings)4.7 (33K ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.7% of reviews79.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10K33K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#85 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size178 MB104 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTED Conferences LLCBrilliant.org

Customer experience

TED Talks

All ratings10,319 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews1,758 reviews
Positive43.7%
Neutral17.4%
Negative38.9%

Brilliant

All ratings32,990 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews3,645 reviews
Positive79.0%
Neutral7.7%
Negative13.4%

User reviews

TED Talks

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great content
  • 👍 Inspiring and thought-provoking
  • 📚 Variety of topics
  • 🎧 Convenient for listening on the go

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🔍 Poor search functionality
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔇 Audio/video playback issues
  • 📥 Download feature not working as expected

Brilliant

From 33K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick exercises, fast improvement
  • 👍 Engaging and easy learning
  • 👍 Effective learning of complex topics
  • 👍 Intuitive and challenging but not intimidating
  • 👍 Wonderful learning tool

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited variety of learning methods
  • 🔍 Limited course selection
  • 🔍 Inconsistent explanations and unclear wording

Bugs and requests

TED Talks

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Videos fail to load or play
  • Saved talks disappear from user's list
  • Syncing issues with user accounts
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to create and manage playlists
  • Implement background audio playback
  • Improve Chromecast support
  • Add more customization options (e.g., video playback speed, dark mode)
  • Enhance discoverability of new and relevant content

Brilliant

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Progress not saving correctly
  • Explanations not loading properly
  • Home page not loading
  • Difficulty cancelling subscription

Requested features

6 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline mode
  • Spaced repetition practice
  • Ability to bookmark/save difficult problems
  • More detailed explanations
Show 1 more
  • More courses in other scientific fields

In-app purchases

None

TED Talks

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

Brilliant

Subscriptions16
  • Brilliant Premium - Personal stats & exclusive problems$19.991 Month
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts2 variants$24.991 Month
  • Brilliant Premium$24.991 Month
Show 13 more
  • Brilliant Premium with Tutor$30.001 Month
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$74.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$96.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$111.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium$111.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts2 variants$119.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium$127.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium7 Days trial$127.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$149.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium7 Days trial$149.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium7 Days trial$159.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium with Tutor7 Days trial$167.991 Year
  • Brilliant Premium with Tutor7 Days trial$191.991 Year

Questions

Is TED Talks free?
TED Talks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brilliant free?
Brilliant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TED Talks or Brilliant?
Brilliant is rated higher. TED Talks averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Brilliant averages 4.7 from 33K ratings.
Do TED Talks or Brilliant have ads?
Brilliant shows ads; TED Talks does not.
Which is updated more often, TED Talks or Brilliant?
TED Talks ships an update fortnightly, and Brilliant weekly. Most recently, TED Talks was updated on October 17, 2026 and Brilliant on October 16, 2026.

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