Families look for a Photomath alternative when a child needs help beyond algebra and geometry, when they want an explanation that asks the student to think instead of showing the whole worked answer, or when a yearly subscription is hard to justify for a few weeks of exam revision. The options split into other maths solvers, tutors that teach and study tools built around notes.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderShort answer: The first three alternatives to Photomath in our AI homework helpers ranking are Cymath, Studdy and Question.AI. The first three places are kept for challengers when the category has enough of them; the best-known brands come after that, in ranked order. Choose Cymath if you prefer typing equations to scanning them and want other interface languages. These 11 products are all in Best AI Homework Helpers in 2026; the notes say how each one compares with Photomath.
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Photomath lists elementary maths, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and calculus. A student who also needs help with chemistry, essays or history has to run a second app, and the same child may then be paying two subscriptions for the same homework hour.
Its main feature is to scan a problem and show the solution, sometimes by several methods, with each step to check. That helps a student who is stuck. It also makes it easy to copy a result, so parents who want practice rather than answers look at tutors that question the student first.
The pricing page shows Basic at 0, an annual plan at 69.99 dollars and a monthly plan at 9.99 dollars, all listing the same features. Both paid plans carry a Start trial button, but the page gives no trial length, no free-tier limits and no owner or country, so the cost of staying is only partly visible.
| Alternative | Headquarters | Free option | Pricing model | Switch if | Our rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cymath | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | On request | you prefer typing equations to scanning them and want other interface languages | #8 |
| Studdy | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you want to be taught the assignment rather than shown the answer | #1 |
| Question.AI | United States | No free tier | See profile | one app should answer photographed questions from several subjects | #2 |
| Symbolab | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | your student is moving into calculus and wants practice and saved notebooks | #10 |
| Mathway | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you want a free first look at solutions and may add physics or chemistry later | #11 |
| Khanmigo | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you live in the United States and want guidance that never just hands over the answer | #7 |
| Wolfram Alpha | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | your problems go beyond school level and you want computed results | #12 |
| StudyX | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | homework help should sit beside writing checks and flashcards | #6 |
| Knowt | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | your exam revision matters more than solving single problems | #3 |
| StudyFetch | United States | No free tier | See profile | lecture recordings and slide decks are the main source of your homework | #4 |
| Course Hero | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you want past exams and tutor answers from a large document collection | #13 |
Not stated by the vendor · On request
Cymath expects the problem to be typed into a box using an on-screen symbol keyboard, so nothing is photographed. Around that sit a topic menu, reference pages and a practice section. The interface is offered in five languages and has iOS and Android apps. Its Premium link carries no price, so cost has to be confirmed at sign-up.
Switch from Photomath if you prefer typing equations to scanning them and want other interface languages.
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Studdy turns the student's own upload into a lesson: notes, a textbook page, a study guide or the homework itself. The explanation happens on a whiteboard that the student can interrupt mid-sentence, covering equations, diagrams, reactions and graphs. The first lesson is free. Beyond that, the page gives no amounts, billing terms or usage caps to compare.
Switch from Photomath if you want to be taught the assignment rather than shown the answer.
Studdy review, listed at 1 of 13 AI homework helpers products →
United States · See profile
FlowMind Technology Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, runs Question.AI, which reads a photographed problem across subjects from maths to business. Students can also chat with an uploaded PDF and summarise a textbook. The vendor says its features cost nothing, and links an optional Plus upgrade without showing a price. The 10 million user figure is its own.
Switch from Photomath if one app should answer photographed questions from several subjects.
Question.AI comes 2 of 13 when AI homework helpers products are ranked here →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Symbolab splits algebra, calculus and trigonometry into steps, and accepts typed notation, plain-language questions or photos. Practice problems come with hints, quizzes give feedback, and Notebooks and cheat sheets collect saved work. The page names Learneo, Inc. as the business, which also owns Course Hero, and it shows an Upgrade link with no price.
Switch from Photomath if your student is moving into calculus and wants practice and saved notebooks.
Where Symbolab stands: place 10 of 13 in the AI homework helpers ranking →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Mathway spans eleven subjects, from basic maths up to physics, and its FAQ says step-by-step solutions work without signing up. A subscription unlocks the full working for every step, at a price the page leaves out. Chegg's copyright sits on the site, and the five billion problems figure is the vendor's own count.
Switch from Photomath if you want a free first look at solutions and may add physics or chemistry later.
Check Mathway in the ranked list (11 out of 13, AI homework helpers) →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Khanmigo comes from the nonprofit Khan Academy and is designed to ask guiding questions in a Socratic style. Parent or learner access requires an adult aged 18 or over with a U.S. billing address, one parent plan covers up to 10 children, and amounts appear only at checkout. Teacher tools and a writing tool are free to sign up.
Switch from Photomath if you live in the United States and want guidance that never just hands over the answer.
Full verdict on Khanmigo, which sits at number 7 of 13 for AI homework helpers →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Wolfram Alpha computes answers from its own algorithms and knowledgebase, taking natural language or maths notation. Step-by-step working is a Pro feature, and the page shows no prices or trial. The product reaches past homework into mobile apps, business solutions and an API, which suits advanced students more than younger ones.
Switch from Photomath if your problems go beyond school level and you want computed results.
Wolfram Alpha holds rank 12 among 13 entries in our AI homework helpers guide →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
StudyX gathers homework help, AI notes, flashcards, quizzes and writing tools such as plagiarism checking and paraphrasing in a single app. A selector switches between a StudyX model for quick replies and a Pro one for deeper reasoning. Plus and Ultra plans are mentioned without prices or limits, and the only company detail is StudyX Inc.
Switch from Photomath if homework help should sit beside writing checks and flashcards.
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Knowt calls itself a free alternative to Quizlet. Uploaded course material becomes notes, flashcards and practice tests, with unlimited learn mode on flashcards and a PDF summariser that accepts up to 30 files per batch. Student, teacher and school plans are listed without prices, and Knowt Inc. gives no country.
Switch from Photomath if your exam revision matters more than solving single problems.
Knowt review, listed at 3 of 13 AI homework helpers products →
United States · See profile
StudyFetch, Inc. lists a Beverly Hills address and converts powerpoints, lectures and class notes into study tools. Its Sparky tutor, a Study Plan built from deadlines and Live Lecture notes captured while recording make it a course companion. The FAQ says getting started costs nothing, while premium prices and free limits are not listed.
Switch from Photomath if lecture recordings and slide decks are the main source of your homework.
StudyFetch review, listed at 4 of 13 AI homework helpers products →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Course Hero is a document library of 184M documents and 77M answered questions according to its homepage, sold as a Premium account. That unlocks past exams, assignments and lecture notes, with tutor Q&A and textbook solutions. Learneo, Inc. operates it. The page shows no prices or trial, so the paywall comes before the cost.
Switch from Photomath if you want past exams and tutor answers from a large document collection.
Course Hero review, listed at 13 of 13 AI homework helpers products →
Studdy: It builds a lesson from the uploaded homework on an interruptible whiteboard, and the first lesson costs nothing.
Cymath: Problems go in through a symbol keyboard, with a practice section and an interface in five languages.
Khanmigo: It prompts in a Socratic style, and one parent plan covers up to 10 children with a U.S. billing address.
Mathway: It covers eleven subjects, and its FAQ says step-by-step solutions are available without signing up.
StudyFetch: Powerpoints and lectures become study tools, with a Study Plan built from deadlines.
Photomath stays a good fit when the student mostly needs maths from primary school to college, wants to point a phone camera at the page and prefers each step explained with visual aids. The plans are clearly listed, with a monthly option for short bursts. If the student only needs help in maths, a second tool adds cost without adding coverage.
We could not see on the pricing page whether Photomath exports a history of solved problems. Copy any worked examples the student wants to keep into a notebook before cancelling, and note which topics were scanned most often.
Annual and monthly plans are separate products, and the page does not state the trial length. Check the app store subscription screen for the renewal date before moving, so a trial or a yearly charge does not roll over unnoticed.
Tutors that question the student, and solvers that show steps as plain text, feel slower than the camera flow. Try three familiar problems in the new tool and compare how clearly each step is justified before switching for good.
Its pricing page lists a Basic tier at 0 with step-by-step explanations, custom visual aids and extra tips, next to an annual plan at 69.99 dollars and a monthly plan at 9.99 dollars. The page does not describe the limits of Basic.
The page names elementary maths, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and calculus, described as elementary through college. For other subjects a student needs another app.
Khanmigo prompts in a Socratic style and Studdy teaches from uploads on an interruptible whiteboard. Both are slower than a scanner, which is the point for a student who is meant to practise.
Cymath takes typed input through a symbol keyboard, and Symbolab accepts typed notation, plain language or photos. Mathway also handles typed or photographed problems.
Mostly not on the pages we read. Several list an upgrade or premium link without amounts, so check the checkout screen before committing.
Knowt and StudyFetch turn uploaded notes and lectures into practice material, and StudyX adds flashcards and writing checks beside homework help.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Written, edited and fact-checked by Sebastiaan Smits. Last reviewed 9 November 2026. How we review.
