Can a calculus solver show steps?

Yes. MathScans shows every step of derivatives, integrals and limits, names the rule applied on each line and explains why it applies. Photomath and Symbolab show basic steps for free, while Mathway and Wolfram Alpha keep full steps for paying users.

Does the solver say which rule it used?

Yes. Every step carries a short label naming the operation, such as applying the product rule, choosing a substitution or cancelling a common factor. Underneath, a plain explanation says why that rule fits this problem, which is the reasoning examiners look for when they award method marks.

Can I scan a handwritten integral?

Yes. Write the integral sign tall, keep the dx clear, and put any bounds clearly above and below the sign. Crop to the one integral, then check the problem MathScans read back before reading the solution.

Does it solve definite integrals?

Yes. Scan the integral with its bounds and MathScans finds the antiderivative, then evaluates it at the upper and lower bounds and subtracts, showing each step.

Does MathScans handle multivariable calculus or differential equations?

MathScans is built for single-variable calculus: limits, derivatives and integrals as taught in high school and first-year university. For partial derivatives, multiple integrals or differential equations, Symbolab and Wolfram Alpha are the stronger choice.

Can a calculus solver draw graphs?

Some can. Mathway and Symbolab include graphing tools. MathScans does not draw graphs, so pair it with a graphing tool such as Desmos if a question asks you to sketch a curve.

Is there a free calculus solver with steps?

Photomath and Symbolab both show basic calculus steps for free. MathScans is paid, at $9.99 a month with a 3-day free trial, or $4.99 a week, and every explanation is included.

Calculus solver, on iPhone

Scan a derivative, integral or limit. See every step.

MathScans solves calculus from a photo of your problem, printed or handwritten. Each line names the rule it used and explains why it applies.

Below is a full worked integral, a limit, and an honest look at how the main calculus solvers compare.

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The MathScans subject screen with Calculus and its integral example alongside arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics

What the calculus solver covers

MathScans covers single-variable calculus, the kind taught in the last years of school and the first year of university. That means limits, derivatives and integrals.

Whichever rule a problem needs, the solution names it on the line where it is used. You see the decision, not just its result.

Limits

Direct substitution
Factoring and cancelling
Limits at infinity
One-sided limits

Derivatives

Power rule
Product and quotient rules
Chain rule
Trig, exponential and log functions

Integrals

Power rule in reverse
u-substitution
Integration by parts
Definite integrals with bounds

The three areas of single-variable calculus, with typical techniques in each.

A worked integral: u-substitution

Substitution is where most students lose the thread, because the variable changes halfway through. Here is how MathScans works one, step by step.

01
Spot the inner function
∫ 2x(x² + 1)³ dx
The bracket x² + 1 is raised to a power, and its derivative, 2x, sits right outside it. That pairing is the signal for a substitution.
02
Choose the substitution
u = x² + 1, du = 2x dx
Let u be the inner function. Differentiating gives du = 2x dx, which matches the 2x dx already in the integral exactly.
03
Rewrite in terms of u
∫ u³ du
Replace x² + 1 with u and 2x dx with du. What was a messy product is now a plain power of u.
04
Integrate with the power rule
u⁴ / 4 + C
Add one to the power and divide by the new power. The + C is the constant of integration, which an indefinite integral always needs.
05
Substitute back
(x² + 1)⁴ / 4 + C
The question was in x, so the answer must be too. Replace u with x² + 1 to finish.

And a limit that starts as 0/0

Plugging x = 2 straight in gives 0 divided by 0, which is undefined. That does not mean the limit does not exist. It means the expression needs simplifying first.

Factoring the top shows a common factor of x − 2, which cancels. After that, direct substitution works and the limit is 4.

A good solver explains why it factored instead of just doing it. Spotting the 0/0 case is the skill the question is really testing.

lim x→2 (x² − 4) / (x − 2)
Direct substitution gives 0/0, so simplify first
lim x→2 (x − 2)(x + 2) / (x − 2)
Factor the numerator as a difference of squares
lim x→2 (x + 2)
Cancel the common factor of x − 2
= 4
Now substitute x = 2

Evaluating the limit of (x² − 4) / (x − 2) as x approaches 2.

Four calculus mistakes the steps make visible

Most lost marks in calculus come from a handful of slips, not from misunderstanding the topic. They are easy to make and hard to spot in your own working.

When every step names its rule, the slip shows up as the line where your working and the solution stop matching. These are the four that come up most.

Chain rule

Dropping the inner derivative

Multiply by the derivative of the inside, every time

Indefinite integrals

Forgetting + C

Every antiderivative needs its constant

Quotient rule

Swapping the terms on top

Bottom times derivative of top, minus top times derivative of bottom

Definite substitution

Keeping the old bounds

Change the bounds to u, or substitute back before evaluating

Common calculus slips and how to avoid each one.

How to scan calculus notation cleanly

Calculus has more symbols to misread than algebra. Write the integral sign tall enough that it cannot pass for a bracket, and leave a clear gap before the dx.

For a definite integral, put the bounds clearly above and below the sign. For a limit, write the arrow and the value underneath the word lim, not beside it.

Then crop to one problem and check the version MathScans read back. Our math scanner page covers what to do if a scan comes back wrong.

Calculus solvers compared

Every big math app handles calculus. They differ in how you enter the problem, how much working you see for free, and how far past first-year calculus they go.

App	Input	Steps without paying	Calculus range
Photomath	Photo	Yes, basic	Single-variable calculus
Symbolab	Typed, with a camera option	Basic steps	Calculus and beyond, including differential equations
Mathway	Photo or typed	No, answers only	Calculus, with a graphing calculator
Wolfram Alpha	Typed	Steps need Pro	Very broad, well past school calculus
MathScansours	Photo, print or handwriting	3-day trial	Single-variable calculus

Checked on each app's US App Store listing and website in October 2026.

If your course goes into differential equations or multivariable calculus, Symbolab or Wolfram Alpha will serve you better than MathScans. Our Symbolab alternative page covers that trade-off.

If you work from handwritten problem sets and want each step explained in words, that is where a camera-first app helps most. The best math solver apps comparison covers the wider field.

What a MathScans calculus solution looks like

The rule on every line

Each step is labelled with what was done, such as applying the chain rule or substituting back, before showing the result.

That label is what you write in the margin of an exam answer to earn method marks.

A MathScans solution showing each step as typeset math, with the operation named and a plain-language explanation

Watch the substitution happen

Substitutions and the chain rule are hard to follow as static lines. The animation shows which terms change on each step, so you can see where the inner function went.

Pause, rewind and replay any step as often as you need.

The MathScans animated tutorial player stepping through an expression, with play and voice controls

Hear it explained

Read aloud narrates the whole solution in any of 19 languages.

It is useful for revision away from a desk, or if your course is taught in your second language.

The MathScans language settings screen listing English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and more

Using a calculus solver to revise

Work the problem yourself first, even if you get stuck halfway. Then scan it and find the first line where your working and the solution part ways.

That line is usually a rule you skipped, most often the inner derivative in the chain rule or the + C on an indefinite integral. Note it, then try a similar problem without help.

For a deeper look at the chain rule, our math app for calculus page works a derivative line by line. The algebra and trigonometry solvers cover the skills calculus leans on.

Questions about solving calculus

Can a calculus solver show steps?: Yes. MathScans shows every step of derivatives, integrals and limits, names the rule applied on each line and explains why it applies. Photomath and Symbolab show basic steps for free, while Mathway and Wolfram Alpha keep full steps for paying users.
Does the solver say which rule it used?: Yes. Every step carries a short label naming the operation, such as applying the product rule, choosing a substitution or cancelling a common factor. Underneath, a plain explanation says why that rule fits this problem, which is the reasoning examiners look for when they award method marks.
Can I scan a handwritten integral?: Yes. Write the integral sign tall, keep the dx clear, and put any bounds clearly above and below the sign. Crop to the one integral, then check the problem MathScans read back before reading the solution.
Does it solve definite integrals?: Yes. Scan the integral with its bounds and MathScans finds the antiderivative, then evaluates it at the upper and lower bounds and subtracts, showing each step.
Does MathScans handle multivariable calculus or differential equations?: MathScans is built for single-variable calculus: limits, derivatives and integrals as taught in high school and first-year university. For partial derivatives, multiple integrals or differential equations, Symbolab and Wolfram Alpha are the stronger choice.
Can a calculus solver draw graphs?: Some can. Mathway and Symbolab include graphing tools. MathScans does not draw graphs, so pair it with a graphing tool such as Desmos if a question asks you to sketch a curve.
Is there a free calculus solver with steps?: Photomath and Symbolab both show basic calculus steps for free. MathScans is paid, at $9.99 a month with a 3-day free trial, or $4.99 a week, and every explanation is included.

Keep reading

Scan tonight's integral. Follow every step.

Try MathScans free for 3 days on the monthly plan. After that it is $9.99 a month or $4.99 a week. Cancel any time in Settings.

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