# Brilliant vs Skillshare

The clearest difference is ads: Skillshare at none against Brilliant's shown. Skillshare also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Brilliant's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 62%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Skillshare sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Brilliant against 4.8 for Skillshare. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33K and 25K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 62% of Skillshare's.

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Skillshare every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Skillshare |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews) | **[4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skillshare-creativity-classes/id916819843/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 25K |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 61.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#54** | #158 |
| Size | 104 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Skillshare, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/916819842) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

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

**Currently charting:** #54 Top Grossing · Education, #146 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


### Skillshare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skillshare-creativity-classes/id916819843)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Access thousands of online courses taught by industry professionals to develop your creative skills. Learn drawing, animation, design, photography, and more at your own pace. Offers free classes and a premium subscription for unlimited access.

**Highlights:** Thousands of online creative courses, Professionally led lessons, Offline viewing, Progress syncing across devices, Mini viewer for multitasking, Free classes available

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $18.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Monthly Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $31.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $31.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Monthly Membership | $49.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Annual Membership | $167.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Membership | $169.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Membership | $169.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent variety of creative classes
- 🤓 High-quality instruction from industry professionals
- 🕰 Flexible learning at your own pace
- 💡 Inspiring and motivating content
- 📚 Broad range of topics covered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking search and organization features in the app
- 🖥 Limited functionality compared to the website
- 🔌 Offline viewing issues and inconsistencies
- 🤖 Buggy and unstable app performance
- 🔒 Questionable billing and cancellation practices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Video playback issues and syncing problems
- Inconsistent user interface and navigation
- Inability to access class resources and materials
- Account management and cancellation difficulties

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort and organize saved classes
- Offline class downloads and viewing
- Seamless integration between app and website
- More advanced search and filtering options
- Picture-in-picture mode for multitasking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brilliant free?

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

### Is Skillshare free?

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

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

Skillshare is rated higher. Brilliant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Skillshare averages 4.8 from 25K ratings.

### Do Brilliant or Skillshare have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Skillshare does not.

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

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Skillshare every 10 days. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on November 3, 2026 and Skillshare on November 3, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Brilliant or Skillshare?

Brilliant currently peaks at #54 in the App Store charts, and Skillshare at #158. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*