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Education · head to head

Brilliant vs UltraCamp

Brilliant logo

Brilliant

Education

Learn math and science through problem-solving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UltraCamp logo

UltraCamp

Education

Camp registration priced per reservation, with the fee schedule published in full

From
$4/reservation
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Brilliant has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Brilliant requires active daily engagement to maintain learning streaks, which can feel gamified; UltraCamp per-reservation pricing scales linearly with growth, so a large camp pays substantially more than it would under a flat licence and has little leverage until it passes 2,000 reservations and enters quoted territory.
  • They diverge on capability: Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, UltraCamp covers Per-reservation registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brilliant and UltraCamp actually diverge.

Attributes where Brilliant and UltraCamp differ
AttributeBrilliantUltraCamp
Starting priceFree$4/reservation
Pricing modelUnknownPer reservation
Free tierYesNo
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 UltraCamp

  • Per-reservation registration
  • Billing and payment plans
  • Facility and retreat rentals
  • Point of sale
  • Photo gallery
  • Custom reporting
  • Unlimited staff users
  • Online store

What people use each for

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

Brilliant

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

UltraCamp

  • A camp that wants to know its software cost per registration before the season rather than negotiate an annual licencenot Brilliant
  • A conference or retreat centre that rents facilities off-season and needs booking as well as camper registrationnot Brilliant
  • A small camp whose volume would make a flat enterprise licence poor valuenot Brilliant
  • A camp switching vendors that wants a named price for data migration rather than an open-ended services quotenot 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

UltraCamp

  • Per-reservation pricing scales linearly with growth, so a large camp pays substantially more than it would under a flat licence and has little leverage until it passes 2,000 reservations and enters quoted territory.
  • UltraCamp retains 30% of photo gallery sales, a revenue share far above the 3% it takes on merchandise, which turns a parent-facing nicety into a meaningful cost of doing business.
  • Health and medical record handling is thinner than CampMinder's, so camps with a staffed health centre and daily medication rounds often find it insufficient.
  • The interface and reporting are functional rather than modern, and building the unlimited custom reports on offer takes administrator time the camp has to fund itself.
  • The $1,200 annual minimum means very small camps pay for reservations they never make, so the effective per-reservation cost for a camp of two hundred is closer to $6.

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

UltraCamp

$4/reservation
  • Reservations 0 to 999$4/reservation
    • $4.00 per reservation
    • $1,200 annual minimum in reservation fees
    • Unlimited staff users and custom reports
  • Reservations 1,000 to 1,999$3.75/reservation
    • $3.75 per reservation
    • Above 2,000 reservations priced by quote
    • Card processing about 2.5% plus $0.35 and roughly $20 a month in gateway fees
  • Optional modules$600/year
    • Point of sale $600 a year
    • Facility rental and retreat management $700 a year
    • Photo gallery with 30% of sales retained by UltraCamp

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 UltraCamp if

  • You need per-reservation registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want billing and payment plans.
UltraCamp review

Questions people ask

Is Brilliant or UltraCamp better?
Neither clearly leads. Brilliant starts at Free and UltraCamp at $4/reservation, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brilliant or UltraCamp?
Brilliant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brilliant and $4/reservation for UltraCamp.
Does Brilliant or UltraCamp run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Brilliant for free?
Yes. Brilliant has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. UltraCamp starts at $4/reservation.
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 UltraCamp is typically brought in for.
What can Brilliant do that UltraCamp cannot?
Brilliant covers Interactive lessons, Problem-solving, Daily challenges, Progress tracking. UltraCamp covers Per-reservation registration, Billing and payment plans, Facility and retreat rentals, Point of sale.

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
UltraCamp: What will it actually cost us?

Take your reservation count times $4.00, or $3.75 above a thousand, subject to a $1,200 annual minimum, plus $299 setup and any data import. Then add card processing at roughly 2.5% plus $0.35 on tuition.

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
UltraCamp: Is there a contract?

No. UltraCamp sells without a term contract, which is unusual in this market and materially reduces switching risk.

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
UltraCamp: What does the photo gallery cost?

UltraCamp keeps 30% of photo sales. If parents spend heavily on photos, price that before enabling the module.

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
UltraCamp: How does it compare to CampMinder on health records?

CampMinder is stronger. If you run a health centre with a nurse and medication logs, test that area carefully before choosing UltraCamp.

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