Comparison

Brilliant vs Uptime

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

Head to head
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/

About

Uptime

Learn and grow in just 5 minutes with expert-designed summaries of books, podcasts, and courses. Access content as text, audio, or visual stories to retain information and take action in your daily life.

Highlights
  • 5-minute content summaries (Hacks)
  • Summaries of books, podcasts, documentaries, courses
  • Content available as text, audio, or visual stories
  • Science-based learning methodology
  • Actionable insights and tips
  • Save and categorize favorite content (Sparks, Boards)
Features
Read full description

Designed by experts and scientifically proven to help you learn, Uptime is an exciting way for you to spend 5 minutes immersing yourself in content that will help turn you into the smartest person in the room. Whether it’s meditation, politics, or career advice you’re after, our Hacks can have you feeling confident and well-informed across any area of your life. WHY UPTIME? • It’s effortlessly engaging. Our 5-minute summaries (which we call Hacks) are easy to understand, quick to get through, and cover every topic imaginable. • We save you time. Uptime finds the world’s top non-fiction books, podcast episodes, documentaries, and online courses, and summarizes them so you can take away all the key information in a fraction of the time. • You choose what works for you. Our content is available as text to read, audio to listen to, or as visual stories you can tap through. Whether you’re sitting down to concentrate or out on the go, Uptime is designed to suit your needs. • We’re built for learning. Designed by experts, Uptime has a science-based methodology that’s proven to foster long-term information retention. • We help you take action. We don’t just leave you to consume facts. Our Insights in Action provide you with tips and tricks that you can implement in your everyday life. • Uptime helps you reach your goals. Watch your streak go up and see how many hours you’ve saved — a book might take hours, but a Hack only needs 5 minutes. • You can bank the best bits for later. Save your favorite quotes, insights, and actions as Sparks to refer back to, and even categorize them into Boards to share with your friends. • Our content is one of a kind. Many of our Hacks are written by the creators themselves, not only guaranteeing authenticity but offering unique insight you can’t get anywhere else. • We guarantee quality. We curate only the top creators – with New York Times best sellers, the latest Netflix documentaries, top-rated Apple and Spotify podcasts, and courses from the world’s most prestigious universities. WHAT IS EVERYONE SAYING ABOUT UPTIME? "Uptime: the app that helps you appear well-read (without actually reading). No time for those big books everyone talks about? With a new app you can grasp Hawking, Piketty and Gladwell in five minutes." – The Times “Uptime has a crucial role to play in making education and knowledge more accessible and affordable..” – Lily Cole, author "Read less, absorb more: Unless you have unlimited free time, you’ll never be able to consume everything that strikes your interest. Uptime provides a workaround…" – Fast Company's best new apps of 2021 TRY UPTIME PREMIUM It's free for 7 days with no ads, unlimited content, and access to perks such as audio voice and speed selection, monthly streak repair, and deeper learning. If you purchase Uptime Premium, payment will be charged to your Apple account. Subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of your current period, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. You will still have access to all your subscription features and content for the remaining time of your then-current period.

Screenshots

Brilliant4 screens
Uptime4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Uptime at none against Brilliant's shown. Brilliant's advantage is ratings volume (32K vs 2.7K) and chart position (#65 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 and Uptime sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Brilliant against 4.7 for Uptime. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brilliant has 32K ratings behind it against 2.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 67% of Uptime's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Uptime every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Brilliant versus Uptime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrilliantUptime
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (32K ratings)4.7 (2.7K ratings)
Positive reviews79.1% of reviews — better67.2% of reviews
Number of ratings32K — better2.7K
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#65 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB86 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBrilliant.orgUPTIME APP LIMITED

Customer experience

Brilliant

All ratings32,174 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews3,583 reviews
Positive79.1%
Neutral7.6%
Negative13.2%

Uptime

All ratings2,724 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive67.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative27.2%

User reviews

Brilliant

From 32K 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

Uptime

From 2.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great way to preview books
  • 🚀 Convenient and engaging format
  • 🚀 Helpful for busy people
  • 👍 Enjoyable learning experience
  • 👍 Useful for those who don't like reading

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Requires paid subscription
  • 🔒 Limited content for free users
  • 🐛 Repetitive or diluted summaries
  • 🐛 Robotic voice can be unpleasant
  • 🐛 Unreliable cancellation process

Bugs and requests

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

Uptime

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription issues and unexpected charges
  • App crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Recommendation algorithm needs improvement

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline access to downloaded content
  • Better organization and management of saved content
  • More diverse content beyond just progressive/liberal views
  • Family sharing or discounted plans for multiple users

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
7 purchases

Uptime

Subscriptions7
  • Uptime Premium$3.991 Month
  • Uptime Premium$19.991 Month
  • Uptime Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • Uptime Premium1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • Uptime Premium7 Days trial2 variants$55.991 Year
  • Uptime Premium7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Uptime Premium1 Year trial2 variants$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Brilliant free?
Brilliant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Uptime free?
Uptime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Brilliant or Uptime?
Brilliant and Uptime are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 32K and 2.7K ratings respectively.
Do Brilliant or Uptime have ads?
Brilliant shows ads; Uptime does not.
Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Uptime?
Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Uptime every 6 days. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on September 24, 2026 and Uptime on September 22, 2026.

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