Comparison

Brilliant vs Design Patterns Illustrated

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

Design Patterns Illustrated

Features
Read full description

1. Illustrated Design Patterns Visual learners rejoice! Each design pattern is accompanied by intuitive, full - color diagrams that illustrate core concepts.These visuals help bridge the gap between theory and implementation, making the patterns easier to understand and apply in real - world scenarios. 2. Comprehensive Pattern Library Access a complete library of the most essential design patterns, including: - Creational Patterns (e.g., Singleton, Factory) - Structural Patterns (e.g., Adapter, Composite) - Behavioral Patterns (e.g., Observer, Strategy) Each pattern comes with a detailed explanation of its use cases, pros and cons, and best practices. 3. Real - World Code Examples Learn how to implement design patterns with hands - on examples in multiple programming languages like Swift, Java, Python, and C#.Each pattern features downloadable, real - world code snippets to demonstrate how they are used in actual applications. 4. Interactive Quizzes & Challenges coming soon in the in-app purchase Test your knowledge with interactive quizzes after each pattern.Solve coding challenges to reinforce your understanding and earn achievements as you progress.This gamified approach ensures you stay engaged while learning. 5. Dark Mode & Custom Themes Customize your learning environment with Dark Mode or choose from a variety of themes to suit your preferences. 6. Offline Access No internet ? No problem! Save your favorite design patterns and examples for offline access, so you can continue learning on the go, even without connectivity.

Screenshots

Brilliant4 screens
Design Patterns Illustrated4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Design Patterns Illustrated at none against Brilliant's 19. Design Patterns Illustrated also leads on ads (none vs shown). Brilliant's advantage is chart position (#74 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Design Patterns Illustrated asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Brilliant versus Design Patterns Illustrated: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrilliantDesign Patterns Illustrated
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (33K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings33K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#74 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrilliant.orgApps Foundry Inc.

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

Design Patterns Illustrated

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Design Patterns Illustrated

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brilliant free?
Brilliant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Design Patterns Illustrated free?
Design Patterns Illustrated is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Brilliant or Design Patterns Illustrated have ads?
Brilliant shows ads; Design Patterns Illustrated does not.

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