Softwr

Education · head to head

Brilliant vs Clever

Brilliant logo

Brilliant

Education

Learn math and science through problem-solving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clever logo

Clever

Education

Single sign-on and roster synchronisation between district student records and classroom applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brilliant requires active daily engagement to maintain learning streaks, which can feel gamified; Clever coverage is built around United States district data models and state reporting patterns, so schools outside the United States often find their student information system unsupported and their local identity conventions unrepresented.
  • They diverge on capability: Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, Clever covers Secure Sync.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brilliant and Clever actually diverge.

Attributes where Brilliant and Clever differ
AttributeBrilliantClever
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, ChromeOS
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Brilliant

  • Interactive lessons
  • Problem-solving
  • Daily challenges
  • Progress tracking
  • Guided paths
  • Offline access
  • Mobile learning
  • Mobile apps

Only in Clever

  • Secure Sync
  • Clever portal
  • Clever Badges
  • Instant Login
  • Clever IDM
  • Application analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Brilliant

  • Math learningnot Clever
  • Science educationnot Clever
  • Programming basicsnot Clever
  • Problem-solving skillsnot Clever

Clever

  • A district that has bought forty classroom applications and wants pupils to reach all of them without forty passwordsnot Brilliant
  • Primary schools where pupils cannot yet type a password reliably and need badge loginnot Brilliant
  • District IT that needs accounts created and revoked automatically as pupils enrol and leavenot Brilliant
  • Evidencing to a board which licensed applications are used enough to justify renewalnot Brilliant

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Brilliant

  • Requires active daily engagement to maintain learning streaks, which can feel gamified
  • Premium subscription needed for full course access; basic free tier is limited
  • Focuses only on STEM subjects; no humanities or social sciences
  • Interactive nature requires more time commitment than passive video learning

Clever

  • Coverage is built around United States district data models and state reporting patterns, so schools outside the United States often find their student information system unsupported and their local identity conventions unrepresented.
  • Because application vendors pay and districts do not, a district has no commercial leverage when a sync breaks, and support priority follows the paying side of the market.
  • Rostering is a single point of failure. One bad field mapping propagates wrong class lists to every connected application at once, and unpicking it means correcting the source system and waiting for the next sync cycle.
  • Sync is scheduled rather than immediate for many connections, so a pupil who transfers mid week can sit in the wrong class in several applications for a day or more.
  • Ownership moved to Kahoot! in 2021 and then to a private equity consortium in 2023, so a district is now depending on infrastructure whose long term roadmap is set by investor timelines rather than by education procurement cycles.

Pricing, plan by plan

Brilliant

Free
  • Premium Monthly$24.99/month
    • Access to all 90+ courses
    • No ads
  • Premium Annual$150/year
    • Access to all 90+ courses
    • No ads

Clever

Free
  • Clever core rostering and single sign-on$undefined/year
    • Free to United States districts
    • Funded by application vendors rather than the district
    • Secure Sync, portal and Badges included
  • Clever paid district products$undefined/year
    • Identity management and account provisioning
    • Multi-factor authentication for staff
    • Pricing quoted per district, not published

Which should you pick?

Choose Brilliant if

  • You need interactive lessons.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want problem-solving.
Brilliant review

Choose Clever if

  • You need secure sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, ChromeOS.
  • You also want clever portal.
Clever review

Questions people ask

Is Brilliant or Clever better?
Neither clearly leads. Brilliant starts at Free and Clever at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brilliant or Clever?
Brilliant starts at Free and Clever at Free.
Does Brilliant or Clever run on more platforms?
Brilliant runs on Web, iOS, Android. Clever runs on Web, iOS, Android, ChromeOS.
Can I use Brilliant for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Brilliant best used for?
Brilliant is most often used for math learning, science education, programming basics, problem-solving skills. Of those, math learning and science education are not what Clever is typically brought in for.
What can Brilliant do that Clever cannot?
Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, Problem-solving, Daily challenges, Progress tracking. Clever covers Secure Sync, Clever portal, Clever Badges, Instant Login.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brilliant: Does Brilliant offer offline learning?

Yes. The Brilliant mobile app allows users to download lessons and learn without internet connection.

Source
Clever: Does Clever really cost a district nothing?

The core rostering and single sign-on service is free to districts. Application vendors pay for the connection and build that cost into what they charge the district, so the money reaches Clever through the software bill instead of a direct invoice.

Brilliant: Is there a free tier for Brilliant?

Yes. Brilliant offers a free basic tier with access to some courses. K-12 teachers and their students can qualify for free Premium access.

Source
Clever: Is Clever FERPA and COPPA compliant?

Clever operates as a school official under FERPA, acting on district instruction, and relies on district consent rather than parental consent for COPPA. It has signed the Student Privacy Pledge.

Brilliant: What subject areas does Brilliant cover?

Brilliant covers over 90 courses across mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and data science, taught by experts from MIT, Harvard, Google, and Microsoft.

Source
Clever: What happens if we leave Clever?

Every connected application loses its roster feed and needs a replacement method, either a competing rostering service or manual CSV uploads per application. That is why districts rarely switch once more than a handful of applications depend on it.

Brilliant: How does Brilliant's teaching approach differ from video lectures?

Brilliant emphasizes active learning through interactive problem-solving rather than passive video watching, similar to Duolingo's gamified approach.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Brilliant

More on Clever

Keep looking

Other head to heads