# Brilliant vs Philosophy Books

The clearest difference is price: Brilliant at Free against Philosophy Books's $1.99. Brilliant also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 19 months) and review sentiment (79% vs 50%). Philosophy Books's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 19) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Brilliant is free to download; Philosophy Books costs $1.99 up front. Brilliant sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Philosophy Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Philosophy Books every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Philosophy Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **79.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#78** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [俊 姜](https://appshunter.io/developer/974809005) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #78 Top Grossing · Education, #182 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


### Philosophy Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philosophy-books/id1250634701)

Access a curated collection of 30 essential English philosophy books offline. Searchable content allows for quick access to classic works from renowned thinkers. All in one convenient application.

**Highlights:** 30 must-read philosophy books, Searchable content, Offline access, All-in-one app, Classic English texts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brilliant free?

Brilliant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Philosophy Books free?

Philosophy Books costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Brilliant or Philosophy Books have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Philosophy Books does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Philosophy Books?

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Philosophy Books every 19 months. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on October 17, 2026 and Philosophy Books on October 13, 2026.

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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.*