# Khan Academy vs Brilliant

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Khan Academy at none against Brilliant's 19. Khan Academy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (110K vs 32K). Brilliant's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and chart position there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Khan Academy against 4.7 for Brilliant. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110K and 32K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Khan Academy's written reviews are positive against 79% of Brilliant's.

Khan Academy ships an update every 6 weeks, Brilliant weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Khan Academy | Brilliant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (110K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/khan-academy/id469863705/reviews) | **[4.7 (32K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **110K** | 32K |
| Positive reviews | 74.3% of reviews | **79.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#60** | #76 |
| Size | 52 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Khan Academy](https://appshunter.io/developer/469863708) | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) |

## What reviewers say

### Khan Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/khan-academy/id469863705)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Access a vast library of free educational content, including interactive exercises, videos, and articles. Master subjects from math and science to humanities and finance at your own pace, with offline access and personalized learning paths.

**Highlights:** Thousands of interactive exercises, videos, and articles, Study math, science, economics, finance, grammar, history, and more, Practice exercises with instant feedback and hints, Offline content access, Personalized learning mastery system, Syncs progress with website account

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Impeccable app
- 👍 Very easy to learn with
- 👍 Great for learning math
- 👍 Excellent math program
- 👍 Fantastic learning tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 New writing system issues
- 🐛 Incorrect grammar
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Deleted all my progress
- 🐛 Annoying keyboard issues

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect answers marked wrong
- Keyboard issues
- Glitches in interactive diagrams
- Crashes and freezes
- Content not loading

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more content for higher grades
- Allow redoing exercises
- Improve writing/drawing tools


### Brilliant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252)

**Currently charting:** #76 Top Grossing · Education, #178 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brilliant Premium - Personal stats & exclusive problems | $19.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $24.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium | $24.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium with Tutor | $30.00 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $74.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $96.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $111.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $111.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $119.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $127.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $127.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $149.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $149.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $159.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium with Tutor | $167.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium with Tutor | $191.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saving correctly
- Explanations not loading properly
- Home page not loading
- Difficulty cancelling subscription

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline mode
- Spaced repetition practice
- Ability to bookmark/save difficult problems
- More detailed explanations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Khan Academy free?

Khan Academy 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, Khan Academy or Brilliant?

Brilliant is rated higher. Khan Academy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 110K ratings, while Brilliant averages 4.7 from 32K ratings.

### Do Khan Academy or Brilliant have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Khan Academy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Khan Academy or Brilliant?

Khan Academy ships an update every 6 weeks, and Brilliant weekly. Most recently, Khan Academy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Brilliant on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Khan Academy or Brilliant?

Khan Academy currently peaks at #60 in the App Store charts, and Brilliant at #76. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*