Comparison

Brilliant vs Curio

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

Head to head
About

Brilliant

This app offers a personalized learning experience for math and coding, acting as a virtual tutor. It guides users through problems, fostering understanding and problem-solving skills with expert-crafted content. Suitable for learners from grade 5 through college and beyond.

Highlights
  • Personalized one-on-one learning
  • Interactive problem-solving guidance
  • Expert-crafted curriculum
  • Adaptive learning system
  • Builds critical thinking skills
  • Covers math, coding, science, and more
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

Curio

This app uses AI to create personalized, day-by-day learning paths for any subject. It offers structured curricula, quizzes, flashcards, and progress tracking to help users master new skills efficiently. Learn coding, music, languages, and more with a clear roadmap from beginner to expert.

Highlights
  • AI-generated personalized curricula
  • Day-by-day learning plans
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Quizzes and active recall
  • Gamified progress tracking (XP, streaks, levels)
  • Multiple learning realms
  • Focus tools and study tracking
Features
Read full description

Learn anything. Curio turns AI into your personal tutor — pick any topic and get a structured, day-by-day learning path built just for you. No random tutorials. No information overload. Just a clear roadmap from beginner to expert. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose what you want to learn — coding, design, music, languages, business, science, anything 2. AI generates a personalized curriculum with daily lessons 3. Follow your day-by-day plan with quizzes, flashcards, and projects 4. Track progress with streaks, XP, and level-ups PERSONALIZED AI CURRICULUM Curio doesn't give you a generic course. It builds a custom learning path based on what you want to master. Python? Guitar? Marketing? Photography? AI creates a structured roadmap with the right depth and pace for you. MULTIPLE LEARNING REALMS Learn more than one thing at a time. Each topic gets its own Realm with its own curriculum, progress, and flashcards. Switch between Realms anytime. GAMIFICATION THAT WORKS • XP for every completed lesson • Daily streaks that build consistency • Weekly challenges with bonus rewards • Level progression showing real growth • Curio Cat — your learning companion who grows with you SPACED REPETITION FLASHCARDS Learn once, remember forever. Built-in flashcards use proven spaced repetition to schedule reviews at the perfect time. 5 minutes a day keeps weeks of learning fresh. QUIZZES & ACTIVE RECALL Micro-quizzes test understanding, not just memory. Adaptive difficulty that gets harder as you improve. FOCUS TOOLS • Pomodoro-style focus timer • Daily reflection journal • Weekly progress dashboard • Study time tracking BUILT FOR EVERYONE Students studying for exams. Career changers learning new skills. Developers picking up new tech. Creatives exploring new mediums. Professionals upskilling. Hobbyists diving deep into any passion. PODCAST & VIDEO LEARNING Curated YouTube videos and podcasts integrated into your curriculum. Learn by reading, watching, or listening. 100% FREE. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. No paywalls. No trial periods. No premium tier. Just learn. Stop scrolling random tutorials hoping something sticks. Get a real plan. Download Curio. Pick a topic. Start today

Screenshots

Brilliant4 screens
Curio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Curio at none against Brilliant's 10. Curio also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). Brilliant's advantage is ratings volume (33K vs 1) and chart position (#74 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Curio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Curio 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 1, 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 Curio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Curio every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Brilliant versus Curio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrilliantCurio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (33K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33K — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#74 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrilliant.orgGopal Bagaswar

Customer experience

Brilliant

All ratings33,328 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews3,693 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative13.3%

Curio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Curio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Brilliant

Subscriptions10
  • Brilliant Premium - Personal stats & exclusive problems$19.991 Month
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$24.991 Month
  • Brilliant Premium$24.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Brilliant Premium with Tutor$30.001 Month
  • Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts$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 Premium with Tutor7 Days trial$191.991 Year
None

Curio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brilliant free?
Brilliant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Curio free?
Curio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brilliant or Curio?
Curio is rated higher. Brilliant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Curio averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Brilliant or Curio have ads?
Brilliant shows ads; Curio does not.
Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Curio?
Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Curio every 4 days. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on November 11, 2026 and Curio on October 31, 2026.

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