Brilliant is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.1. Brilliant wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 0, with 1 tied.
Curious adults and teens who want to understand math and science by solving problems
Learners who want structured, level-based courses with real feedback
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Brilliant | Busuu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #5 of 12 | #9 of 12 |
| Developer | Brilliant Worldwide | Busuu Limited |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Brilliant better than Busuu?
Brilliant is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.1. Brilliant wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 0, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Brilliant or Busuu?
Brilliant: Free: 2 lessons a day with ads; Premium unlocks unlimited lessons and Koji. Busuu: Free lessons with ads; Premium and Premium Plus are priced by region and plan length. On value for money, Brilliant scores higher.
Do Brilliant and Busuu work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Web.
Which is more private, Brilliant or Busuu?
Brilliant scores higher on privacy (7.7/10). App Store label links purchases, location, contact info, content, IDs and usage data to you, but none is listed as tracking. The free plan shows some ads; Premium is ad-free.
Strengths and weaknesses
Brilliant
- Learn-by-doing lessons build intuition, not rote memory
- Koji nudges you toward answers instead of giving them away
- Beautiful design makes hard topics approachable
- Free plan is capped at two lessons a day, in order, with ads
- No certificates and little help for school exams
Brilliant teaches math, science, data and coding by making you solve things, not watch things. Each lesson is a short run of interactive puzzles, and Koji, its new AI tutor, can sketch on your screen and talk you through a stuck moment. The design is excellent. The free plan allows two lessons a day with ads, so Premium is where it makes sense. Skip it if you need exam prep or credentials.
Full Brilliant review
Busuu
- Structured lessons that explain the grammar
- Real people check your writing and speaking
- Courses go all the way up to advanced levels
- The free plan is limited and shows ads
- The best speaking tools need Premium Plus
- Only 14 languages
Busuu feels more like a real course than a game. Lessons follow clear levels from beginner up to advanced, and fluent speakers in the Busuu community can check your writing and speaking. A Study Plan fits lessons around your week, Smart Review gathers the words and grammar you've learned for practice, and Premium Plus adds AI conversation practice. It covers 14 languages. The free plan is limited and shows ads, and prices vary a lot.
Full Busuu review
