Khan Academy excels for structured, comprehensive exam preparation and accessibility across all levels with free video-based lessons, while Brilliant specializes in interactive, problem-solving-focused learning for math and science enthusiasts. Choose Khan Academy for broad curriculum coverage and exam prep; choose Brilliant for engaging, conceptual understanding through interactive puzzles.
Khan Academy vs Brilliant — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Free online learning platform covering K-12 and college-prep with video lectures and practice exercises.
Paid interactive learning platform specializing in STEM with problem-solving and guided discovery.
Teaching Methodology. Subject Coverage. Cost Model (2026). Annual Price (2026). Best For Beginners. Best For Advanced Learners. SAT/ACT Preparation. Interactivity Level. Certifications. District/School Integration
Both platforms serve distinct educational needs in 2026. Khan Academy is the superior choice for comprehensive curriculum coverage, standardized test preparation, and institutional district adoption, with its free model and expanding Illustrative Mathematics courses. Brilliant excels for learners seeking deeper conceptual understanding through interactive problem-solving in STEM fields. Choose Khan Academy if you need exam prep or broad subject coverage; choose Brilliant if you want engaging, puzzle-based mastery of advanced math and science concepts.
Khan Academy: 100% of core lessons free | Brilliant: Limited free access, premium required
Khan Academy: All K-12 subjects plus standardized test prep | Brilliant: Math, physics, computer science, scientific thinking
Khan Academy: Video + practice exercises | Brilliant: Interactive puzzles and real-time feedback
Khan Academy: SAT, ACT, AP, state assessments | Brilliant: Minimal exam-focused content
Khan Academy: Full rollout in 2026-27 school year | Brilliant: Individual-focused, limited district integration
Khan Academy: Thousands of instructional videos | Brilliant: Video content minimal, puzzle-focused
Khan Academy: Excellent scaffolding from basics | Brilliant: Better for intermediate+ learners
Khan Academy: Basic progress tracking and badges | Brilliant: Advanced gamification with challenge levels
Khan Academy: College-prep and AP levels available | Brilliant: Advanced problem-solving focus
Khan Academy: Optional premium features | Brilliant: Required for full access
Khan Academy: Full-featured iOS and Android apps | Brilliant: Web-first, limited mobile optimization
Illustrative Math Curriculum Integration
Khan Academy: Grades 6-8 and Algebra 1 updated by summer 2026 | Brilliant: No formal IM alignment
Khan Academy: Non-profit funded | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Progress tracking only | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: K-12 & Foundational | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Data unavailable | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Steady (data unavailable) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 5+ (Math, Science, ELA, History, Social Studies) | Brilliant: 4 (Math, Physics, CS, Science)
Khan Academy: Extensive library | Brilliant: Minimal (problem-focused)
Khan Academy: Unlimited | Brilliant: 7 days
Khan Academy: Advanced with 2026-27 expansion | Brilliant: Basic
Khan Academy: 5/10 (moderate) | Brilliant: 9/10 (high)
Khan Academy: Flexible/variable | Brilliant: 15+ recommended
Khan Academy: Extensive library | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: All ages (K-12+) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Highly rated | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Concept-based mastery | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 4 main + AP/College | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Integrated with hints | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 6+ (Math, Science, ELA, Social Studies, Test Prep, College) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 5,000+ comprehensive video lessons | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Basic points system | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Basic progress reports, Mission Control for parents | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: PreK - Grade 12 + College & AP | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 100+ million monthly visitors globally | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Limited offline viewing | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Free (Premium $84/year) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: No, pre-recorded videos | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 30+ core subjects | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Over 150 million users | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Individual/unlimited access | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 24/7 on-demand access | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: iOS and Android apps | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Created by certified experts | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: $0 (free) or $14.99/month premium | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 8,000+ videos | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Core academics (Math, Science, History, English, Test Prep) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 10-15 minutes per video | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: No (pre-recorded only) | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 200+ million lifetime | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Content created by education experts and Khan Academy staff | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: 24/7 self-paced, learn anytime | Brilliant: N/A
Khan Academy: Free ($0) | Brilliant: $168/year or $19.99/month
Khan Academy: 2,000+ | Brilliant: 200+ (mostly problem-focused, not video-centric)
Khan Academy: 10,000+ | Brilliant: 5,000+
Khan Academy: 10 (Math, Science, English, History, Test Prep, etc.) | Brilliant: 5 (Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science)
Khan Academy: 4 (Kindergarten content available) | Brilliant: 13
Khan Academy: 6 (lecture + practice exercises) | Brilliant: 9 (problem-solving discovery with visual feedback)
How to choose between Khan Academy and Brilliant
Khan Academy vs Brilliant — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Khan Academy vs Brilliant. Contains 68 attribute comparisons, 8 FAQ pairs.
Khan Academy vs Brilliant — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Khan Academy vs Brilliant.
Should I use Khan Academy or Brilliant for learning math?
Use Khan Academy if you're starting from scratch or need foundational math (K–12, pre-calculus, SAT prep). Use Brilliant if you're already strong in math and want engaging, advanced problem-solving and logic puzzles. Khan excels at building basics; Brilliant excels at deepening advanced skills. Both offer free trials—try both for 7–14 days to see which fits your pace.
Khan Academy vs Brilliant: which is free?
Khan Academy is completely free for all core courses and practice exercises. Brilliant offers limited free content (puzzle previews only); most content requires a Premium subscription (~$12/month in 2026). For full free access to a comprehensive curriculum, Khan Academy wins. Both offer 7–14 day free trials of their premium features.
Which is better for SAT/ACT prep: Khan Academy or Brilliant?
Khan Academy is definitively better for SAT/ACT prep. It has an official partnership with College Board and offers full SAT practice tests, personalized practice plans, and targeted skill building—all free. Brilliant doesn't offer formal standardized test preparation. If your goal is SAT/ACT readiness, choose Khan Academy.
Is Brilliant or Khan Academy better for learning math?
It depends on your goal and learning style. Khan Academy is better for: curriculum-following (aligned to school math from Pre-K through calculus), free access, video explanations you can rewind, and tracking progress against grade-level standards. Brilliant is better for: building deep mathematical intuition, understanding WHY math works (not just how to execute procedures), adult learners who want engaging interactive problem-solving, and going beyond school math to explore number theory, probability, and advanced topics. For a student trying to pass their algebra class: Khan Academy. For an adult who wants to genuinely understand mathematics at a deeper level: Brilliant.
Yes — Khan Academy is entirely free with no premium tier, no paywalled content, and no ads. The full library of videos, exercises, and courses is available at no cost to anyone in the world. Khan Academy is a nonprofit funded primarily by major philanthropy (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org, Fundación La Caixa, and others). The only paid product is Khanmigo ($44/month or $44/year with school partnerships), an AI tutoring assistant built on GPT-4 that supplements the free content with interactive Socratic guidance. The core educational content remains free as part of Khan Academy's mission.
Brilliant has content for different levels but works best for adult learners with some foundation. The "Foundations" courses in math and science are designed to be accessible to absolute beginners and build from first principles with excellent visual interactives. However, Brilliant's problem-solving approach requires more active cognitive effort than Khan Academy's explanatory videos — some true beginners find it challenging without the scaffolding of a traditional explanation first. For complete beginners: Khan Academy builds foundational understanding effectively. For beginners with some math comfort who want to engage deeply with concepts: Brilliant's foundations courses are excellent.
Brilliant is a supplement or alternative learning path, not a college replacement. It can build excellent STEM intuition and cover topics that overlap with introductory college coursework (calculus, physics, probability, data structures) in more engaging ways than many textbooks or lectures. However, Brilliant has no credentialing, no official grades, no instructor feedback, and is not accredited. For professional certification or degree requirements: traditional courses or MOOCs with certificates (Coursera, edX) are appropriate. For building genuine understanding of math and science beyond what college courses develop: Brilliant is excellent. Many people use Brilliant alongside formal education to deepen their understanding.
Is Brilliant worth paying for compared to Khan Academy's free content?
It depends on your goal. Khan Academy is free and sufficient for K-12 curriculum support and SAT/ACT prep. Brilliant at $149.99/year is worth paying if you're an adult or advanced learner who wants to develop genuine mathematical intuition, build computational thinking skills, or learn topics like Python, data science, or quantum computing that aren't free on Khan Academy. Brilliant's interactive problem-solving approach also reduces passive learning habits — its course completion rates are significantly higher than video-only platforms. If your goal is homework help or test prep, Khan Academy is enough. If your goal is building real STEM thinking skills, Brilliant delivers measurably better outcomes for adult learners.
How to Choose Between Khan Academy and Brilliant
Teaching Methodology: Khan Academy has Video-based mastery learning with structured progressions, while Brilliant has Interactive problem-solving and puzzle-based learning.
Subject Coverage: Khan Academy has Comprehensive K–12, SAT/ACT, AP, and standardized tests, while Brilliant has Math, physics, computer science, and logic (STEM-focused).
Cost Model (2026): Khan Academy has Fully free; Plus plan ~$14/month optional, while Brilliant has Free limited; Premium ~$12/month required for full access.
Annual Price (2026): Khan Academy has ~$120/year (Khan Academy Plus), while Brilliant has ~$115/year (Brilliant Premium).
Best For Beginners: Khan Academy has Excellent — gentle scaffold from K–12 basics, while Brilliant has Too advanced for complete beginners; assumes prior knowledge.
Best For Advanced Learners: Khan Academy has Reaches AP/early college level, while Brilliant has Goes to Olympiad-level problems and graduate concepts.
SAT/ACT Preparation: Khan Academy has Official SAT practice (College Board partnership), while Brilliant has Not offered.
Interactivity Level: Khan Academy has Practice exercises after video lessons, while Brilliant has High — real-time interactive puzzles throughout.
Certifications: Khan Academy has Completion badges (not college-credited), while Brilliant has Completion badges (not college-credited).
District/School Integration: Khan Academy has Full district platform rollout (2026), while Brilliant has Individual and small group focus.
Khan Academy excels for structured, comprehensive exam preparation and accessibility across all levels with free video-based lessons, while Brilliant specializes in interactive, problem-solving-focused learning for math and science enthusiasts. Choose Khan Academy for broad curriculum coverage and e