Comparison, updated September 2026
Photomath alternatives, compared honestly.
Photomath is very good and its free tier shows steps, so “just use Photomath” is a legitimate answer. This page is for the cases where it is not: you want fuller working, you want stronger coverage at calculus level, or you want something that explains out loud rather than only on the page.
Disclosure: MathScans is our own app.
We build one of the four apps below, so treat our opinion of it accordingly. To keep this useful rather than a sales pitch, every competitor fact here was read off that app's own public listing, and the picks are sorted by how you study rather than by which app is ours.
The four apps at a glance
| App | Steps without paying | Cost | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photomath | Yes, in the free tier | Free, with Photomath Plus from $5.99 | The benchmark. 4.8 stars from 733K ratings and 32 languages. |
| Symbolab | Partly, fuller working is paid | Freemium | Strongest on typed input and higher-level algebra and calculus. |
| Mathway | Answer free, steps are paid | Freemium | Very broad problem coverage across many subjects. |
| MathScansours | Yes, on every solution | $9.99/mo or $4.99/wk, 3-day trial | Animated step replays and voice narration in 19 languages. |
Prices and ratings were checked in September 2026 and change often. Confirm on each app's App Store page before subscribing.
Which one should you actually install?
If you want the most proven option, or do not want to pay
Photomath. 733,000 ratings at 4.8 stars is a track record nothing else here matches, its free tier already shows steps, and it covers 32 languages. If you have not tried it yet, try it before you pay for anything on this page.
If you are deep in calculus or type rather than scan
Symbolab. Its typed-input engine and higher-level coverage are its strength, and the web version means you are not tied to a phone.
If you learn by watching and listening
MathScans. Steps animate so you see terms move rather than reading a static line, and every explanation is narrated aloud in 19 languages. If you learn best by watching and hearing a method, this is the one built for you, and the 3-day trial lets you confirm it on your own homework.
Where we are actually different
Steps you can watch and hear.
Every other app on this list gives you the working as text. That is fine until a step involves terms actually moving, at which point a static line of algebra is a poor description of what happened.
MathScans animates it. Terms highlight, move and combine so you see the transformation rather than infer it. And every explanation can be read aloud, in the same 19 languages the solutions are generated in, which matters if you are studying maths in your second language.
It is a focused, newer app: maths only, iPhone only, with steps you watch and hear in 19 languages. If that is what you have been looking for, the 3-day trial lets you put it on your own homework today and decide for yourself.
Questions people ask about Photomath
- Is Photomath free?
- The basic app is free and includes step-by-step explanations. Photomath Plus is a paid upgrade, listed on the App Store between $5.99 and $9.99, which adds things like textbook solutions and more detailed explanations.
- Is Photomath legit and accurate?
- Yes, it is a legitimate app with a 4.8-star average from more than 733,000 App Store ratings. Google announced its acquisition of Photomath in 2022 and completed it in June 2023, after the European Commission cleared the deal that March. Like every camera-based solver, its accuracy depends heavily on the scan. A blurry photo or an ambiguous handwritten exponent can be misread by any of these apps, so it is worth checking that the equation it read back matches the one on your page.
- What is the best free alternative to Photomath?
- If not paying is your first requirement, Photomath's own free tier already shows step-by-step working, and Symbolab and Mathway both have free tiers too, though each holds part of the working behind a subscription. MathScans is a paid app with a 3-day trial, and it is the natural next step once a free tier stops going deep enough: animated steps, spoken explanations, and full working on every solution.
- Why would I pay for MathScans when Photomath has a free tier?
- For two things Photomath's free tier does not do. The first is watching a step happen: MathScans animates the terms moving and combining, so a transformation is something you see rather than infer from a static line of algebra. The second is hearing it: every step is narrated aloud in any of 19 languages, which helps if you study by listening or you are working in your second language. If either of those is how you learn best, the 3-day trial is the fastest way to feel the difference.
- Are there apps like Photomath for other subjects?
- Yes, though not from us. MathScans is deliberately maths only. For chemistry, physics and general homework across subjects, look at broader AI study apps. An app that claims to do every subject well is usually weaker at each one.
- Does MathScans work on Android?
- Not yet. MathScans is iPhone only and requires iOS 17 or later. If you are on Android, Photomath, Symbolab and Mathway are all available there.
Try the one that animates and speaks.
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.