Brilliant vs Math Zen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Interactive problem-solving lessons
- Personalized practice sets
- Visual explanations of concepts
- Expert-crafted STEM courses
- Real-time feedback
- Builds critical thinking skills
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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/
Math Zen
This app provides adaptive math practice for standardized exams and university-level courses. It generates unique problems, tracks mastery, and offers offline access for focused learning. Review mistakes and visualize concepts to build long-term retention.
- Algorithmically generated problems
- Adaptive mastery-based progression
- Mistake journal for review
- Visual problem explanations
- Offline access
- Exam-specific problem sets
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Math Zen is a math practice app built for real exam performance, not a calculator that does your homework for you. Work through algorithmically generated problems that cover the topics and skills tested on real exams. The adaptive mastery-based progression system tracks your accuracy and adjusts difficulty automatically: struggle with a concept, and it comes back for review; master it, and you advance. Practice offline, anytime, with zero distractions. AP CALCULUS AND SAT MATH PREP Math Zen has dedicated exam paths for the tests US students actually take: - AP Calculus AB: 30 exam-style templates: particle motion, optimization, related rates, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and accumulation functions. - AP Calculus BC: everything in AB plus series, parametric equations, and polar coordinates. - SAT Math: 41 templates across Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry and Trigonometry, with word problems and real-world data. Exam prep problems include multi-part questions, where each part builds on the one before it. Also included: A-Level Maths, Gaokao, Suneung, Kyōtsū Test, Abitur, Baccalauréat, Selectividad, EXANI-II, ENEM, GSAT, VWO Wiskunde, and Högskoleprovet paths. 24 TOPICS, 570+ PROBLEM TEMPLATES Six sections covering math from arithmetic through university-level content: Algebra: Arithmetic, Algebra, Complex Numbers, Logarithms Precalculus: Functions, Graph Analysis, Hyperbolic Functions, Sequences & Series Calculus: Limits, Derivatives, Integrals, Differential Equations, Partial Derivatives, Parametric Equations, Polar Coordinates, Multiple Integrals, Laplace Transforms Geometry & Trigonometry: Geometry, Trigonometry Linear Algebra: Vectors, Matrices, Abstract Algebra Discrete Math: Probability, Statistics 156 subtopics. 570+ algorithmically generated templates. Every session is different. KEY FEATURES Mastery-Based Progression: A five-level bucket system tracks your accuracy within each subtopic and advances you from easy to hard as you demonstrate understanding. Structured, adaptive practice, not random drilling. Theory Built In: Every subtopic carries the rules its own problems need, with worked examples. Tap Show the rule the moment an answer comes out wrong, or open it from the header mid-problem. Mistake Journal: Every wrong answer is captured automatically. Come back later and retry that exact problem type with fresh numbers, until the concept clicks. Resolve them all for a small celebration. Visual Problems: Interactive graphs, geometric diagrams, and animated transformations bring abstract concepts to life. Offline First: The whole app works without internet. Practice on a plane or subway; progress syncs when you reconnect. Dark Mode: Follows your system setting, or pin it to light or dark. No Ads, Ever: Clean, focused, distraction-free. No ads, no coins, no lives. 11 Languages: English, Russian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch. PERFECT FOR - Students preparing for AP Calculus AB/BC, SAT Math, ACT Math, or IB Math - High school students in Algebra 2, Precalculus, or Calculus - University students in Calculus I/II, Linear Algebra, or Differential Equations - Self-learners who want structured math practice at their own pace HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose a topic or an exam prep path. 2. Math Zen generates a fresh problem (a quick quiz of one concept) matched to your current level. 3. Solve it: type your answer or select multiple choice. 4. Right answers advance you. Wrong ones show the rule and go to your mistake journal. SUBSCRIPTION Math Zen is free to start with access to core topics. Premium unlocks the full topic library, all exam prep paths, and detailed analytics. Privacy Policy: https://math-zen.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://math-zen.com/terms Support: contacts@trifoiltrailblazer.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Math Zen at none against Brilliant's shown. Math Zen also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Brilliant's advantage is ratings volume (33K vs 3) and chart position (#77 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, 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
Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Math Zen sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Math Zen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brilliant has 33K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 100% of Math Zen's.
Brilliant ships an update weekly, Math Zen every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brilliant | Math Zen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (33K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 79.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #77 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 264 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brilliant.org | Ivan Terekhin |
Customer experience
Brilliant
Math Zen
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
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- More courses in other scientific fields
Math Zen
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Brilliant
- 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
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- 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
Math Zen
- Math Zen Premium — Weekly$3.997 Days
- Math Zen Premium — Monthly$6.991 Month
- Math Zen Premium — Annual3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Math Zen Premium: Lifetime$24.99
- Math Zen Premium: Lifetime$29.99
- Math Zen Premium — Lifetime$39.99









