Brilliant
Teachable
| Feature | Brilliant | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $11.99/mo | Free / from $59/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | stem-learners, students, career-changers, lifelong-learners | course-creators, coaches, educators, experts, solopreneurs |
| Founded | 2012 | 2013 |
| Interactive Lessons | ✓ | ✗ |
| Daily Challenges | ✓ | ✗ |
| Visual Explanations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Progress Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Offline Access | ✓ | ✗ |
| Community | ✓ | ✗ |
| Course Builder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Coaching | ✗ | ✓ |
| Digital Downloads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Quizzes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Certificates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Affiliates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Marketing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Brilliant Pros
- Highly interactive visual learning approach
- Excellent for building mathematical intuition
- Short daily lessons that fit busy schedules
- Covers fundamentals through advanced topics
✗ Brilliant Cons
- Limited free content (only a few lessons per course)
- Focused on STEM only (no humanities/language)
- Can feel too gamified for serious learners
✓ Teachable Pros
- Easy course builder with drag-and-drop
- Built-in payment processing and affiliates
- Custom domain and branding on all plans
- Coaching and community features included
✗ Teachable Cons
- Transaction fees on free and basic plans
- Limited site customization options
- No built-in community forum (added 2024)
The Verdict
Brilliant is built for stem learners and students, with a focus on interactive-lessons and daily-challenges. Teachable targets course creators and coaches and leads with course-builder and coaching.
On pricing, Brilliant is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $11.99/mo compared to $59/mo for Teachable. That $47.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Teachable offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Brilliant takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Brilliant has a slight overall edge — but if easy course builder with drag-and-drop matters most to you, Teachable may still be the right call.