Photomath Has a Free Plan and Plus Costs $9.99 a Month

Seven monthly payments cost $69.93, six cents under the annual plan, and eight cost $79.92. A two-step algebra example shows how to use the free steps without copying them.

Is Photomath Free?

Photomath lists a free plan with step-by-step explanations, custom visual aids, and extra "how" and "why" tips, and a paid Photomath Plus at $9.99 billed monthly or $69.99 billed annually. In the guides we publish here, we show learners how software fits study habits. Photomath is a step-by-step solver app that shows the steps for a problem you type or photograph.

The free plan on Photomath includes step-by-step explanations, custom visual aids, and extra 'how' and 'why' tips. These features help students understand the intermediate stages of an equation. However, the site describes free access as limited and paid plans as full access.

The exact limits on the free plan are not spelled out in the text on the Photomath homepage. Terms change, so check photomath.com and the app store listing for the current free allowances.

Whatever tool you use for homework, check the mathematical result by hand or through a second calculation method to confirm the answer is correct. Relying on a screen without verification can leave calculation errors unnoticed.

PlanPriceWhat the site says
Free Plan$0Step-by-step explanations, custom visual aids, and extra 'how' and 'why' tips
Photomath Plus (Monthly)$9.99 billed monthlyFull access, according to the site
Photomath Plus (Annual)$69.99 billed annuallyFull access, according to the site

How Much Does Photomath Plus Cost and When Does It Pay Off?

Photomath Plus costs $9.99 billed monthly or $69.99 billed annually on the official website. The site describes paid plans as full access. Which schedule is cheaper depends on how many months you need.

One month of Photomath Plus costs $9.99. Two months cost $19.98, and three months cost $29.97.

Seven monthly payments total $69.93, which is 6 cents under the annual price. Eight monthly payments total $79.92. So the monthly plan wins only if you cancel before month eight.

From the eighth month on, the $69.99 annual plan costs less.

A student who needs help during a single ten-week geometry unit should choose the monthly option. Three payments cost $29.97, which saves $40.02 compared to the annual charge. A college student taking two consecutive semesters of calculus will use the software for nine or ten months.

Ten monthly charges reach $99.90. In that scenario, the $69.99 annual subscription saves $29.91 over the course of the academic year.

Other Ways to Solve Math Problems

Students have other options for working through math problems. A step-by-step solver app shows the steps for a problem you type or photograph. Mathway is one such program that provides step-by-step solutions without signing up.

An optional subscription gives access to the full work shown for every step. Mathway does not show plan prices on its homepage, so check Mathway's own site for current rates. If you want other options, our guide to Mathway alternatives compares several choices.

Symbolab is another step-by-step solver app, and this page states no Symbolab price, plan or feature. General artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots present a different option for studying homework problems. Chatbots include ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

A general chatbot writes fluent text by predicting language and can be wrong, including on arithmetic. A calculator computes exactly.

When you give a chatbot a long arithmetic string, it can drop an operational step. Khanmigo is a Socratic tutor from Khan Academy that asks guiding questions instead of giving the finished work. Plans and prices change, so confirm current terms on the Photomath, Mathway and Khanmigo pages.

To see how different programs compare, read our breakdown of AI math tools for students, which describes guided tutors, general chatbots, and non-AI practice for math.

Using Math Tools to Learn the Method

Seeing steps written out on a screen does not mean a student has learned how to solve the problem independently. What we see students get wrong most often is copying down a screen solution without understanding the rules behind each line. Consider a basic linear equation:

3x - 7 = 14

Add 7 to both sides:

3x = 21

Divide both sides by 3:

x = 7

When an app displays those three lines, the solution looks simple. The real test happens when the numbers change. A student faces 4x + 9 = 25 on an exam and gets stuck because they memorized how the screen looked and never learned the balancing rule. Order of operations shows the same problem. Look at this expression:

18 - 3 Γ— 4 + 6 Γ· 2

Follow the standard order of operations. Multiply 3 by 4 to get 12. Divide 6 by 2 to get 3. Rewrite the expression:

18 - 12 + 3

Perform addition and subtraction from left to right. Subtract 12 from 18 to get 6. Add 3 to 6 to get 9.

The correct final value is 9. A chatbot can slip here if it adds 12 and 3 before subtracting from 18, producing an incorrect answer of 3. Manual verification prevents that error.

Schools set their own rules, so follow your teacher's and school's policy on AI. AI is for learning the method. It is not for handing in answers.

Submitting computer-generated steps directly as your own homework may break your school's AI rules. For a deeper discussion on study strategies, see our guide on AI for learning math. For extra practice questions without looking at completed answer keys, our free quiz generator makes quizzes for study review.

Who Should Skip Photomath Plus

A student who needs help for one short unit, or who has not yet tried the free plan, should skip Plus for now. Plus makes sense only after the free steps stop answering your questions. Our verdict would change if Photomath's site spelled out the free-plan limits, or if the listed prices of $9.99 monthly and $69.99 annually moved. The break-even point above uses those two prices, so a price change shifts it.

What to Do Before Choosing a Paid Math Plan

Testing the free features of Photomath on your current math assignments shows whether you need the paid subscription. Test the tools first. Before spending $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year, evaluate your actual study routine.

  1. Solve three sample problems by hand. Write down your own work first so you can identify the exact line where you get stuck.
  2. Check the steps on the free plan of Photomath. Compare the free step-by-step explanation to your own paper notes.
  3. Review your school guidelines. Confirm with your teacher how study software fits into your homework expectations.
  4. Evaluate the break-even timeline. Determine whether you need assistance for a short two-month review or the full school term.
  5. Test a second verification method. Use a regular calculator to compute your arithmetic before closing your notebook.

Take your next homework assignment, test whether Photomath is free enough for your daily study needs on the Photomath site, and practice calculating the final answer manually before you buy a subscription.

Comparing photo solvers? See whether Gauth is free and what Gauth Plus costs and the Gauth alternatives for each way you study.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Photomath free?

Yes, in part. Photomath lists a free plan with step-by-step explanations, custom visual aids, and extra "how" and "why" tips, and a paid Photomath Plus with full access. The exact free-plan limits are not spelled out in what we read, so confirm them on photomath.com and the app store listing.

How much does Photomath cost?

The site lists a free plan with step-by-step explanations and does not spell out the free plan's limits. Photomath Plus costs $9.99 billed monthly or $69.99 billed annually. Confirm current pricing on photomath.com.

Is Photomath better than ChatGPT?

It depends on the job. Photomath shows step-by-step explanations for a problem you type or photograph, and a general chatbot such as ChatGPT writes fluent text by predicting language. A chatbot can slip on multi-step arithmetic and present wrong numbers with confidence, so check its calculations with a calculator or a solver.

What is the best math app for free?

Photomath lists a free plan with step-by-step explanations, and Mathway shows step-by-step solutions without signing up. Khanmigo is a Socratic tutor from Khan Academy that asks guiding questions instead of giving finished work.

Is Photomath Plus worth it?

Photomath Plus is worth it only if the free plan's limits get in your way, and the site does not spell those limits out. The annual plan costs less than eight monthly payments ($79.92). If you only need help for a two-month or three-month exam review, paying month-to-month costs less.