Brilliant alternatives: 5 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Hosts authored activities, quizzes and progress, although the actual interactive pedagogy still has to come from you.
licenseGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installInstall PHP and a supported database and web server, create the moodledata directory, then run the web installer and cron
dataCourse records and activity data live in a relational database; uploaded files, caches and sessions live under moodledata, with .mbz course backups
vs BrilliantIt is an LMS shell rather than Brilliant's interactive pedagogy, so the author must build the lessons, feedback and activities from scratch.
setupWeb hosting, PHP and database compatibility, cron, security hardening and upgrades all belong to the operator
facts verified 2026-08-11
Authors branching interactive explorations that respond to wrong answers instead of merely displaying the solution.
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse Oppia.org directly, or deploy the Python and Angular application on a Google App Engine-style stack
dataExplorations, skills, stories, questions and learner progress live in Oppia's hosted Google Cloud Datastore and Storage, or the equivalent self-hosted deployment
vs BrilliantCreating responsive branches is manual, and the result does not match Brilliant's broad authored catalog or production-quality interactive visuals.
setupNone on Oppia.org; self-hosting is a developer-grade Google App Engine deployment
facts verified 2026-08-11
A desktop lesson authoring tool for interactive exercises, games, equations and quizzes, with decidedly public-sector aesthetics.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installDesktop installer or local browser PWA; the Team Edition is separately self-hosted
dataEditable lessons live as .elpx project files; output exports as web pages, EPUB3 or SCORM/LMS packages, while Team Edition uses server storage
vs BrilliantIt is an authoring and export tool, not Brilliant's polished ready-made adaptive STEM curriculum, guided learning path or motivation system.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-11
A free desktop H5P editor for interactive lessons, simulations and quizzes; content quality remains your problem.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runson your machine
installWindows Store or EXE, macOS Intel or Apple-silicon DMG, or Linux Snap, AppImage, deb or pacman package
dataInteractive content lives in local .h5p packages and can be exported as H5P, standalone HTML or SCORM
vs BrilliantIt edits standalone H5P activities but supplies no sequenced curriculum, adaptive guided path or ready-made STEM library.
setupWindows may show SmartScreen, and current macOS builds have had unsigned or damaged-app Gatekeeper reports
facts verified 2026-08-11
Excellent interactive mathematics authoring and practice, but it stops being Brilliant once the science is not mathematical.
licenseEUPL-1.2
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted web apps or install native desktop or mobile apps
dataActivities can be saved locally as .ggb ZIP/XML files or to a GeoGebra cloud account as online resources
vs BrilliantIt is excellent for interactive mathematics but becomes a much weaker substitute once the science is not mathematical, and it lacks Brilliant's guided curriculum.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-11
last updated 2026-08-11 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moodle | GPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, ios, android, self-hosted | 7,300 | 2026-08 |
| Oppia | Apache-2.0 | they host it | web, self-hosted | 6,800 | 2026-08 |
| eXeLearning | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 138 | 2026-08 |
| Lumi | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | macos, windows, linux | — | — |
| GeoGebra | EUPL-1.2 | they host it | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android | — | — |
People still pay for Brilliant because the learning loop is buildable, while trusted curriculum, instructors, feedback, credentials, and community are not. The recurring cost buys curriculum quality, assessment validity, content rights, spaced-repetition tuning, speech models, sync, moderation, and support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $360 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Brilliant?
Yes: Moodle, Oppia, eXeLearning and 2 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Brilliant?
Our verdict is NOT REALLY. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Brilliant, build interactive practice around user-authored math and science lessons. The hard boundary is expert curriculum, interactive problem library, pedagogy, apps, and content rights, plus content, pedagogy, and network. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at canivibecodeit.com/brilliant.
