Best AI math solver for students

Decision table

The 5 tools on the same fields

Wolfram|Alpha

• Best for: algebra, calculus, linear algebra, statistics and science courses where exact answers and correct notation matter.
• Main limitation: the free Basic account does not include step-by-step solutions, and natural-language word problems can need rephrasing into math.
• Price or plan limits: Pro for students $5 a month billed $60 annually; Pro Premium for students $8.25 a month billed $99 annually, with 3x computation time and 5MB uploads.
• Learning support: practice problems with hints and step-by-step solutions, plus guided calculators that walk through a method.

Wolfram|Alpha Pro for students costs $60 a year and adds step-by-step solutions, according to Wolfram's student pricing page on 17 October 2026.

Photomath

• Best for: students who want to photograph a textbook or worksheet problem and see each step.
• Main limitation: it is phone-first, and the extra explanations and animated tutorials sit behind Photomath Plus.
• Price or plan limits: the Photomath Plus help page says core step-by-step solutions to symbolic math will always remain free. Plus is billed through Google Play or the App Store on monthly, 6-month or yearly plans, and the yearly plan works out to a 50% discount on monthly.
• Learning support: Plus includes more than 400 AI-powered animated tutorials, deeper explanations and contextual hints.

Photomath keeps step-by-step solutions to symbolic math free, and Plus adds over 400 animated tutorials, according to Google's Photomath help center on 17 October 2026.

Khanmigo

• Best for: middle school, high school and early college students who need to learn the method, and parents who want to see how their child uses AI.
• Main limitation: it tutors rather than solves, so it is slower when you only want to check an answer.
• Price or plan limits: the Khanmigo pricing page lists $4 a month or $44 a year for learners and for families, free access for teachers, and district pricing on request. Sales tax is extra.
• Learning support: tutoring runs on Khan Academy's content; the family plan shows parents their children's chat history and sends moderation alerts.

Khanmigo costs $4 a month or $44 a year for learners and families, and is free for teachers, according to Khanmigo's pricing page on 17 October 2026.

ChatGPT

• Best for: word problems, concept explanations and homework that mixes math with physics, chemistry or economics.
• Main limitation: it is a language model, so it can still make arithmetic or algebra mistakes; OpenAI's own help page says study mode can make mistakes and may sometimes give a direct answer.
• Price or plan limits: study mode is available on every ChatGPT plan; the ChatGPT Plus help article lists Plus at $20 a month, billed monthly, with no annual option.
• Learning support: OpenAI's study mode help page describes Socratic questioning, step-by-step explanations, quizzes and support for a photo of a math problem.

ChatGPT study mode is available on all ChatGPT plans on web, iOS and Android, according to OpenAI's Help Center on 17 October 2026.

Mathway

• Best for: fast answers across basic math, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, linear algebra, chemistry and physics in a browser.
• Main limitation: the Mathway home page says an optional subscription is needed to see the full work for every step, and the subscription price appears after sign-in.
• Price or plan limits: free to use without signing up, with 59+ free calculators across 11 subjects.
• Learning support: typed or photographed problems, with dedicated calculators for equations, derivatives and factoring.

Mathway offers 59+ free math calculators across 11 subjects, according to Mathway's home page on 17 October 2026.

What universities say about AI math solvers

Policies differ by school and by course, but the published rules share three points. Read them before you point any AI math solver at graded work.

Stanford University. Stanford's Board on Conduct Affairs generative AI policy guidance, adopted 16 February 2023, says that absent a clear statement from the instructor, using generative AI is treated like assistance from another person. Entering assignment or exam questions to substantially complete the work is not permitted, and students should disclose any use beyond incidental use.

University of Toronto. The University of Toronto Mississauga academic integrity page on generative AI states the university's stance that students may not use generative AI in a course unless the instructor explicitly permits it, and that unpermitted use is an academic offence. It also warns that the rule can differ between assessments in the same course.

University of Waterloo. A 13 February 2023 memo from Waterloo's Associate Vice-President, Academic names "homework help" platforms including Chegg and Photomath as a long-standing integrity challenge, and says submitting AI-generated content as your own work violates Policy 71 on student discipline.

Stanford's default rule, adopted 16 February 2023, treats generative AI help like help from another person unless the instructor says otherwise.

In practice: check the syllabus and each assignment's instructions, ask the instructor when unsure, keep your own working, and say which tool you used and how. Using a solver to check a finished answer or to study a worked example is a very different act from pasting in the homework question. Teachers setting these rules can find more in our AI tools guide for educators, and students worried about detection reports should read our Turnitin AI detection review.

No AI math solver should be used on a graded assignment unless your instructor's policy allows it.

Why checking matters more than solving

Computation engines and chatbots fail in different ways. Wolfram|Alpha and Mathway run problems through symbolic solvers, so their errors usually come from misreading your input; chatbots can misread the problem and also slip in the middle of a correct-looking derivation. OpenAI's study mode page itself tells users to double-check important information, especially for homework and exams.

A simple habit handles both: substitute the answer back into the original equation, or ask a second tool to solve the same problem and compare. For proofs and word problems, ask the tool to explain why each step follows, then try a similar problem without help. If you can do the second one alone, you learned it.

How to choose

1. Take three problems from your current unit: one routine, one word problem and one you got wrong.
2. Try each in Photomath (free steps) and in Wolfram|Alpha's free tier to see whether you need Pro's step-by-step.
3. Ask ChatGPT in study mode or Khanmigo to tutor you through the problem you got wrong, without giving the answer first.
4. Check every final answer by substitution or a second tool.
5. Read your course policy and note what each tool is allowed for: checking, studying or nothing.
6. Pay only for the one that fits, and prefer annual plans only for courses that run all year.

For flashcards, note-taking and exam prep beyond math, see our AI study tools shortlist, and for a deeper look at the assistant, the full ChatGPT review.

How we rank

We compared each solver's documented plans and prices, which features are free and which are paid, step-by-step and tutoring features, input methods (typing, photos, uploads), subject coverage, and parent or teacher controls. We also read published academic integrity policies from Stanford, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. Every price and limit comes from vendor or university pages as listed on 17 October 2026, in US dollars. Our full method is on the HumanRank ranking methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI for math? Wolfram|Alpha is the best AI for math when accuracy matters, because it computes answers with a symbolic engine; Pro for students costs $60 a year and adds step-by-step solutions.

Is there a free AI math solver with steps? Yes. Photomath says its core step-by-step solutions to symbolic math will always remain free, and Mathway shows steps for free with full work behind a subscription.

Is using an AI math solver cheating? It depends on your course policy. Stanford treats AI help like help from another person unless the instructor allows it, and the University of Toronto bans generative AI in a course unless the instructor explicitly permits it.

Can ChatGPT solve math problems correctly? Often, but not always. OpenAI's study mode help page says it can make mistakes, so check answers by substitution or with a computation tool like Wolfram|Alpha.

Does Wolfram|Alpha show steps for free? No. The student pricing page says the free Basic account does not include step-by-step solutions; Pro for students adds them for $5 a month billed annually.

How much does Khanmigo cost? Khanmigo costs $4 a month or $44 a year for learners and families, and it is free for teachers, according to Khanmigo's pricing page.

Can I take a photo of a math problem? Yes, in most of these tools. Photomath and Mathway solve from photos, Wolfram|Alpha Pro adds photo input in its apps, and ChatGPT study mode accepts a photo of a problem.

Should I tell my teacher I used an AI math solver? Yes, when in doubt. Stanford's guidance tells students to acknowledge generative AI use beyond incidental use and to default to disclosing it.