# Brilliant vs Parallel

The clearest difference is rating: Brilliant at 4.7 against Parallel's 4.0. Brilliant also leads on ratings volume (33K vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Parallel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). 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 Parallel sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Brilliant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. 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 complicate that: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 100% of Parallel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Parallel every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Parallel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-history-timeline/id6772115245/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 79.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Anatol Knotek](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895362751) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Education, #182 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


### Parallel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-history-timeline/id6772115245)

Explore historical connections by viewing multiple timelines simultaneously. Discover who lived at the same time as historical figures and events. Create custom collections or use curated ones to delve into specific eras and topics.

**Highlights:** View multiple historical timelines, Discover contemporaries at a glance, Access concise biographies with Wikipedia links, Create custom history collections, Offline functionality, Private and no tracking

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Painters & Sculptors XL | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buildings XL | $1.99 | one-time |
| Science & Technology XL | $1.99 | one-time |
| Parallel Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brilliant free?

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

### Is Parallel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Brilliant or Parallel?

Brilliant is rated higher. Brilliant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Parallel averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Brilliant or Parallel have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Parallel does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Parallel?

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Parallel every 3 weeks. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on October 3, 2026 and Parallel on September 25, 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.*