Education · head to head
Brilliant vs Photomath
Photomath
Education
Camera based maths solver that shows step by step working, owned by Google since 2022
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Brilliant requires active daily engagement to maintain learning streaks, which can feel gamified; Photomath full free step by step solutions make it straightforward for a student to submit copied working without doing the reasoning themselves, which is a real concern for teachers assigning homework.
- They diverge on capability: Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, Photomath covers Camera scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brilliant and Photomath actually diverge.
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 Photomath
- Camera scanning
- Step by step solutions
- Built-in calculator
- Word problem support
- Animated explanations
- Textbook alignment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Brilliant
- Math learningnot Photomath
- Science educationnot Photomath
- Programming basicsnot Photomath
- Problem-solving skillsnot Photomath
Photomath
- A student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrongnot Brilliant
- A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot Brilliant
- A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot Brilliant
- A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot 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
Photomath
- Full free step by step solutions make it straightforward for a student to submit copied working without doing the reasoning themselves, which is a real concern for teachers assigning homework.
- Word problems, a common school assessment format, are gated behind the Plus subscription, so the free tier is weaker on exactly the problem type many students struggle with most.
- Camera recognition of messy handwriting or complex notation such as matrices or multi-line proofs is unreliable, and misreads produce confidently wrong steps.
- Since the 2022 Google acquisition, the product sits inside a company whose primary business is advertising and data, which is a relevant factor for schools with strict student data policies.
- It solves problems rather than teaching underlying concepts from scratch, so a student with no foundational understanding gets a worked answer but not necessarily comprehension.
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
Photomath
Free- Photomath Plus$9.99/month
- Step by step solutions for most problem types free and unlimited on the base app
- Plus unlocks word problems, animated explanations and deeper steps
- Plus available at roughly $59.99 billed annually as a cheaper alternative to monthly
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.
Choose Photomath if
- You need camera scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want step by step solutions.
Questions people ask
- Is Brilliant or Photomath better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brilliant starts at Free and Photomath at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brilliant or Photomath?
- Brilliant starts at Free and Photomath at Free.
- Does Brilliant or Photomath run on more platforms?
- Brilliant runs on Web, iOS, Android. Photomath runs on iOS, Android.
- 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 Photomath is typically brought in for.
- What can Brilliant do that Photomath cannot?
- Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, Problem-solving, Daily challenges, Progress tracking. Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support.
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.
SourcePhotomath: Is Photomath free?
Basic step by step solutions for most maths problem types are free and unlimited. Word problems, animated explanations and some textbook-specific solutions require Photomath Plus.
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.
SourcePhotomath: Who owns Photomath now?
Google acquired Photomath in 2022. It operates as a standalone app but is owned by Google.
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.
SourcePhotomath: Does it just give the answer or show working?
It shows step by step working for the method used, not only the final answer, on both free and Plus tiers, with Plus adding more detail.
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.
SourceRelated pages
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