# Brilliant vs CogniMap

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CogniMap at none against Brilliant's 10. Brilliant's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Brilliant ships an update weekly, CogniMap monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | CogniMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Toru Kawaguchi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063198642) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #67 Top Grossing · Education, #160 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 with interactive explanations and adapts to their skill level, fostering deep understanding and problem-solving abilities. 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


### CogniMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognimap-memory-map-journal/id6773031077)

**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 CogniMap free?

CogniMap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Brilliant or CogniMap have ads?

Both Brilliant and CogniMap show ads.

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

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and CogniMap monthly. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on November 12, 2026 and CogniMap on November 10, 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.*