Photomath

Education

7.4~~/10~~

Our score

★ 4.3 Google Play·100M+ installs

Reviewed by Editorial Team, ScoredApps editorial · updated 2026-10-06

Screenshots

Camera screen headed "Learn algebra, arithmetic, geometry & more" with the handwritten equation x² − 3x − 4 = 0 inside the scan frame above a red capture button

Solutions screen for x² − 3x − 4 = 0 showing x₁ = −1 and x₂ = 4, with four methods listed: factoring, quadratic formula, PQ formula and completing the square

Solving Steps list for x² − 3x − 4 = 0 with an expanded card reading Factor out x from the expression and a red Next Step button

Solving Steps screen with a PLUS-tagged Factor out concept card that explains pulling out a common factor and gives a worked example

PLUS-tagged Animated Tutorial for long multiplication with digits highlighted, the caption about carrying the 2 and a Next Step button

About Photomath

Photomath's step-by-step solutions to scanned or typed math problems are free, while the paid Plus tier adds Animated Tutorials, hints and extra "how" and "why" tips for $9.99 a month in the US. The camera reads printed and handwritten problems from arithmetic to calculus, and an online solver returns the steps. The catch is the connection: nothing solves offline, and statistics and two-variable inequalities are unsupported.

App information

DeveloperGoogle LLC

Version8.48.0 (Android) · 8.47.0 (iOS)

Size19 MB (Android) · 31 MB (iOS)

Price / In-appFree

Contains adsNo

In-app purchasesYes

Content rating4+

Requires (Android)Android 5.0+

Requires (iOS)iOS 14.0+

Offline modeNone: scanning and solving need an internet connection

Interface languagesAR, HR, CS, DA, NL, EN + 26 more

Store rating (Google Play)4.3 from 3,098,034 ratings

Installs100M+

Updated by developer2026-08-31

Data checked2026-10-06

Specs come from the official store listings and were last checked on 2026-10-06. Developers change pricing and requirements — check the store page before installing.

Photomath Review: Free Steps, Paid Explanations, No Offline Mode

What stays free, and what the $9.99 Plus plan adds

The free plan returns machine-generated solving steps for symbolic math, and the help center says that core will always stay free. Animated Steps, short animations inside certain steps, joined the free tier in October 2023, according to the iOS release notes. Plus adds Animated Tutorials, hints and "third-level" steps, and the pricing card on the official site strikes through custom visual aids and extra "how" and "why" tips for the free plan. In the App Store screenshots, a Factor out concept card carries a PLUS tag while the solution above it stays open. Plus costs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year on the US site, about 40 percent less per month on the annual plan. Prices are regional and can change, so check the current price in the app.

The 2–3 second scan, the pen icon and the method picker

The camera frame is a resizable rectangle: hold its bottom-right corner and drag to fit one problem. The help center says a result should appear within two to three seconds, otherwise the problem is unsupported or misread. The scan travels to cloud servers, where a neural network turns it into a formula and a solver builds the steps. If the recognized formula is wrong, the pen icon reopens it in the math keyboard. For x² − 3x − 4 = 0, the screenshots list four methods: factoring, the quadratic formula, the PQ formula and completing the square. The keyboard has quirks. A bare cos(30) is read in radians, so add the degree sign, and "100 − 10%" gives a wrong result unless you type 100 − (10%*100).

Online-only solving and the 5 unsupported topic groups

The help center states that using the app takes a stable internet connection, because recognition and solving run in the cloud. Reviewers on version 8.46.0 reported connection errors on working Wi-Fi, and a 2026 reviewer asks for the old offline mode back. The same help center lists statistics, probability, interest rate, trigonometric inequalities and two-variable inequalities as unsupported. Google LLC is the publisher on both stores. On privacy, the policy says camera images are used to recognize the problem, are indexed, and may help test and improve the service. Google Play's data-safety section lists shared user and device IDs for advertising or marketing and shows no deletion request route, while the policy offers deletion on request. The terms set a minimum age of 13, although the stores rate the app Everyone and 4+.

Pros

Step-by-step solutions for equations and expressions stay free, according to the help center
Offers several solving methods per problem, such as four for a quadratic equation
Animated Steps joined the free tier in October 2023, so some animations cost nothing
Pen icon reopens a misread scan in the math keyboard for correction
Covers arithmetic through derivatives, integrals and differential equations in 32 app languages
No advertising label on either the Google Play or the App Store listing

Cons

Needs a stable internet connection; recognition and solving run on cloud servers
Statistics, probability, interest rate and two-variable inequalities are listed as unsupported
Hints, third-level steps and Animated Tutorials sit behind $9.99 monthly Plus
Camera scans go to cloud servers and may be used to improve the service

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Verdict

We score Photomath 7.4: the free steps and multi-method solutions are strong, but paid hints, online-only solving and unsupported topics hold it back. Take it if you are a middle or high school student, a parent, or an adult refreshing algebra through calculus and want to see how a solution unfolds. Skip it if you need statistics or probability, want to work offline, or expect the free plan to explain every concept.

Core function8.0Steps with several methods from algebra to calculus, but statistics and two-variable inequalities are unsupported and some scans return no solution.

Ease of use8.5Resizable scan frame, a pen icon for fixing misreads and a keyboard fallback, though percent and radian input needs care.

Monetisation6.5Free covers steps only; hints, tutorials and extra tips need Plus at $9.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly; yearly cannot drop to monthly.

Performance6.5Only 19 MB on Android, but solving runs in the cloud, so a weak connection means errors and no offline fallback.

Privacy & permissions6.5Camera images go to servers and may help improve the service; Play shows shared IDs for advertising and no deletion request route.

7.4out of 10 · weighted average of the five scores above

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Frequently asked questions

Is Photomath free?

Yes, the core is free: step-by-step solutions for scanned or typed problems cost nothing, and the help center says they will always stay free for symbolic math. Plus adds Animated Tutorials, hints and third-level steps. Neither Google Play nor the App Store shows an advertising label, though both list in-app purchases.

Does Photomath show more than one way to solve a problem?

Yes, when a problem has several standard routes it lists them. For the quadratic x² − 3x − 4 = 0, the store screenshots show factoring, the quadratic formula, the PQ formula and completing the square, each opening its own steps. The help center adds that only the most common curriculum methods are kept.

How much does Photomath Plus cost?

Photomath Plus costs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year on the US website, and both plans carry a Start trial button; the site does not state the trial length. Billing runs through Google Play or the App Store and renews automatically. A yearly plan cannot be reduced to monthly. Prices are regional, so check the app.

Does Photomath work offline?

No. The help center says a stable internet connection is required, because scans are analyzed on cloud servers, and reviewers on version 8.46.0 reported connection errors on working Wi-Fi. Cancelling Plus keeps access until the paid period ends, and the help center says pausing a subscription is not possible.

What is a good alternative to Photomath?

Gauth also scans math and adds physics, chemistry and biology, but its free plan shows ad breaks and Plus costs $11.99 a month in the US. Google Lens explains homework step by step and needs a connection, too. ChatGPT reads photos you send it and answers in conversation, which suits subjects beyond math.