# Brilliant vs Curio

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.

Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Curio asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Curio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-learn-anything/id6760644187/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Gopal Bagaswar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885477880) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · Education, #147 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| 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 | $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 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


### Curio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-learn-anything/id6760644187)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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