Comparison

Brilliant vs Maffs

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

Maffs

Features
Read full description

Master calculus — one problem at a time. Maffs generates unlimited practice problems across three core calculus courses. Whether you're prepping for AP Calculus, acing your college final, or brushing up on fundamentals, Maffs gives you the focused repetition you need to build real problem-solving confidence. THREE COURSES, UNLIMITED PROBLEMS ▸ Limits Direct substitution, factoring, rationalization, trigonometric limits, limits at infinity, L'Hôpital's rule, and the squeeze theorem. ▸ Derivative Calculus Power rule, product rule, quotient rule, chain rule, trig derivatives, exponential & logarithmic differentiation, implicit differentiation, and inverse trig. ▸ Integral Calculus Power rule, basic integrals, u-substitution, trig integrals, exponential & logarithmic integration, integration by parts, partial fractions, and trig identities. WHY STUDENTS LOVE MAFFS • Unlimited randomly generated problems — never run out of practice • Built-in LaTeX input with live preview — type math naturally • Step-by-step work tracking — show your work as you solve • Instant feedback — know immediately if you're right or wrong • Detailed solutions — learn from every mistake • Helpful hints — get unstuck without giving up • Streak tracking — build a daily practice habit • 28-day performance chart — see your progress over time • Beautiful dark mode — study comfortably day or night • No account required — start practicing instantly HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose a course: Limits, Derivatives, or Integrals 2. Solve the randomly generated problem 3. Use the LaTeX input with quick symbol buttons 4. Add work steps to show your reasoning 5. Submit your answer and get instant feedback 6. Review the full solution and learn from it 7. Keep your streak alive by practicing daily Built for students who believe the best way to learn calculus is to practice calculus. No videos. No lectures. Just problems. Download Maffs and start your streak today.

Screenshots

Brilliant4 screens
Maffs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maffs at none against Brilliant's 19. Maffs also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Brilliant's advantage is chart position (#75 vs unranked). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Maffs asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Brilliant versus Maffs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrilliantMaffs
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (33K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings33K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#75 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrilliant.orgProspre Nutrition 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

Maffs

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

Maffs

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

Other comparisons