Photomath: reviews and analysis

TLDR: Photomath photographs a maths problem and returns the working step by step. The basic tier is free and already includes those step-by-step explanations, so what you pay for is depth rather than access to the method. Plus starts at $9.99 a month according to the official site. It lives on phones only.

What Photomath is and how it works

Photomath solves one very specific problem: the exercise is written on paper, and typing it into a keyboard is already half the work. Point the camera, the app recognises the problem and returns the working. Camera input is not exclusive to it, since Symbolab also photographs problems and Wolfram Alpha offers it in its mobile apps. The difference is what that route costs: in Photomath both the scan and the step-by-step working sit in the free tier, while Symbolab holds complete steps behind its paid plan and Wolfram Alpha requires Pro for photo input.

The official site claims coverage from elementary maths through college level, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and calculus, and it covers word problems. Its App Store description puts it better than its own website: whether the problem is handwritten, in a textbook, or on a screen, the app is meant to handle it. When the photo fails, there is a calculator inside the app for typing the problem in.

The product boundary is worth being clear about, because it decides the purchase. Photomath recognises and breaks down, but it never asks questions, checks whether you followed the reasoning, or switches explanation when you get lost. The AI maths category divides along exactly that line: some apps solve, others hold a conversation.

One detail the marketing page leaves out: the published iOS version is 8.46.0, from 12 February 2026. If you are about to buy a year, look at how long it has sat unchanged on the day you sign up.

What using it is like day to day

We have not taught a maths course with this app, so here is what daily users say, which in the two stores is not the same thing.

On the App Store the rating is 4.8 out of 5, resting on more than seven hundred and thirty thousand votes. That consensus is enormous and hard to argue with. On Google Play the picture changes: the five-star group dominates comfortably, but the second largest group is one star, ahead of the four-star group. When second place goes to the one, the distribution does not describe mildly satisfied people but two blocks at opposite ends. None of the sources we could read explains that split, so we are not going to pin it on a cause.

What does deserve clearing up, because it circulates backwards, is where the paywall sits. The free basic tier includes the step-by-step explanations, and its App Store listing says so plainly. The official site adds visual aids and extra how-and-why tips to that free layer. What the subscription holds back is the depth layer: custom animated tutorials and detailed textbook solutions. Anyone installing the app expecting the working itself to be behind a card is in for a pleasant surprise.

The real risk is about method rather than price, and with this tool the method comes from the parent or the teacher. Photograph, copy, close, and you get correct homework and no learning. Photograph, cover the screen, work it out by hand and compare where your steps diverge, and you get the opposite.

Before installing it on a minor’s phone, read the privacy policy. It says it will never knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 years of age, or the applicable age in your country, and that below 16 it will request either the young person’s own consent or that of their authorised holder of parental responsibility. The threshold where you live may not be 13.

Pricing and plans

Photomath is freemium and starts at $0. Photomath Plus, the subscription, costs from $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year according to the official site.

With one practical caution: the App Store listing shows in-app purchases at different amounts, so the price you get charged is whatever your store shows in your country. Treat the official figure as the reference and confirm yours before paying.

Against its segment, the free front door is the best thing it has. Gauth also starts at $0, Wolfram Alpha from $5 and Symbolab from $9.95. QANDA bills in Korean won, from 18,500, and its experience varies a lot by country. If your use is occasional, checking an exercise now and then, it is hard to justify paying anything here.

Who it is for (and who it is not for)

It is for whoever has the problem on paper and wants to see where it broke. A student who has already worked the exercise and wants to verify the method, a parent who needs to follow the working in order to explain it, a teacher checking a batch of answers quickly. In all three cases the scan is the shortcut and it works.

Anyone after a tutor should look elsewhere. If you want the tool to ask questions, spot the reasoning error and change its explanation, QANDA is closer to that idea. For advanced maths where you want to steer each transformation, Symbolab gives more control.

One disqualifier gets overlooked and decides a lot: Photomath exists on iOS and Android, with no desktop or browser version, while its four segment siblings all have the web. If your habit is typing expressions with the textbook open beside you, this is the wrong app.

Alternatives to Photomath

The direct comparison is with Symbolab, the alternative our catalogue assigns it. Symbolab wins once the maths gets harder, in exchange for a busier interface and its best explanation sitting behind the paid tier. Photomath wins on what that camera route costs and on how direct the whole thing is.

Gauth plays the same game, photo and steps in seconds, so choosing between the two comes down to which one reads your handwriting better. QANDA adds dialogue and adaptive practice, and its won pricing makes it hard to compare outside Asia. Wolfram Alpha covers something else entirely: it is a computation and knowledge engine, not a homework app.

Frequently asked questions

What does the free tier include?

Camera scanning, the built-in calculator and the step-by-step explanations, which the App Store listing confirms are included at no charge. The official site adds visual aids and extra how-and-why tips to that layer. It starts at $0.

How much does Photomath Plus cost?

From $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year on the official site. It adds animated tutorials and textbook solutions. The App Store shows in-app purchases at different amounts, so confirm the one in your store.

Does it handle handwritten problems?

Yes. Its official description says the problem can be handwritten, in a textbook, or on a screen. Accuracy depends on handwriting and lighting, so try it free with the handwriting of whoever will use it.

Is it useful for learning or only for copying?

It depends on the method. It shows the steps, which is more than a calculator does, though it never checks that you understood anything. Work the problem by hand first and use the scan only to locate the step that went wrong.

Can a minor use it?

Only with an adult across the settings. Its policy sets the threshold at 13 or whatever age applies in your country, and below 16 it requires consent that may come from the young person or from their authorised holder of parental responsibility. Read it before installing.