Merlin Bird ID vs Brilliant
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Merlin Bird ID is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.7. Merlin Bird ID wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Brilliant on 3.
Beginner and backyard birders, hikers and curious kids
Curious adults and teens who want to understand math and science by solving problems
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Merlin Bird ID | Brilliant |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #2 of 10 | #5 of 10 |
| Developer | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Brilliant Worldwide |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Merlin Bird ID better than Brilliant?
Merlin Bird ID is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.7. Merlin Bird ID wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Brilliant on 3.
Which is cheaper, Merlin Bird ID or Brilliant?
Merlin Bird ID: Completely free, funded by Cornell Lab members and supporters. Brilliant: Free: 2 lessons a day with ads; Premium unlocks unlimited lessons and Koji. On value for money, Merlin Bird ID scores higher.
Do Merlin Bird ID and Brilliant work on the same devices?
Only Brilliant runs on Web.
Which is more private, Merlin Bird ID or Brilliant?
Merlin Bird ID scores higher on privacy (9.0/10). App Store label: no tracking, and only a user ID is linked to you. Email, coarse location and usage are collected without your identity. Google Play says no data is shared.
Strengths and weaknesses
Merlin Bird ID
- Free, with no ads or in-app purchases
- Identifies birds by sound in real time
- Works offline once you download a region
- Only covers birds
- No Mac, Windows or web version
- Some users report glitches saving sightings
Merlin answers the question every backyard birder asks. Hold up your phone and Sound ID names the birds singing around you as they sing, snap a picture for Photo ID, or answer five quick questions about what you saw. Download a Bird Pack and it works with no signal. It's free with no ads, built by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It only does birds, but it does them brilliantly.
Full Merlin Bird ID review
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
