Brilliant
Interactive courses in maths, science and computing built around solving problems, not watching video.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
Khan Academy and ChatGPT cover the headline feature free, so the $15/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- ChatGPT study mode tutoring any subject interactively for the same monthly price. OpenAI, August 5, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Khan Academy, ChatGPT and 3Blue1Brown.
- What the call is worth $180/yr
- $15/mo at the entry paid tier — $180 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- August 5, 2025
- List price
- $15/mo
- Per year
- $180
The backstory
Brilliant teaches through short hand-built interactive problems that make you manipulate an idea rather than read about it. Study modes in the general assistants now tutor any topic at any level, adapt to your answers and cost the same as a Brilliant subscription. Brilliant is wounded because its content library is a fixed cost competing with infinite generated explanation, though the handcrafted visual interactions remain better than anything a chat window produces.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $180/yrFree courses with an AI tutor layer
khanacademy.org open_in_newStudy mode tutors interactively on any subject
chatgpt.com open_in_newFree visual maths explanations of exceptional quality
3blue1brown.com open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.