# Brilliant vs Math Zen

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Math Zen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/math-zen-exam-prep-and-drill/id6758208511/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 79.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 264 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Ivan Terekhin](https://appshunter.io/developer/888645337) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Grossing · Education, #166 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


### Math Zen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/math-zen-exam-prep-and-drill/id6758208511)

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.

**Highlights:** Algorithmically generated problems, Adaptive mastery-based progression, Mistake journal for review, Visual problem explanations, Offline access, Exam-specific problem sets

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Math Zen Premium — Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Math Zen Premium — Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Math Zen Premium — Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Math Zen Premium: Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |
| Math Zen Premium: Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Math Zen Premium — Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brilliant free?

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

### Is Math Zen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Brilliant or Math Zen?

Math Zen is rated higher. Brilliant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Math Zen averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Brilliant or Math Zen have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Math Zen does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Math Zen?

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Math Zen every 3 days. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on October 23, 2026 and Math Zen on October 17, 2026.

---

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