Best AI for Math in 2026: Free and Paid, Ranked

The best AI for math depends on what you need help with. For a free tutor that explains problems step by step, start with ChatGPT’s study mode or Gemini’s Guided Learning. For exact answers to hard calculations, use Wolfram|Alpha. For a quick photo of a homework problem with free steps, Photomath and GeoGebra are the best picks.

Here’s our tier list, then what each tool does free, what costs money, and how to use AI to learn math instead of copying answers.

How we ranked them

The tiers are our judgment. We compared what each tool offers on its own pages and weighed five things:

• Teaching. Does it show steps, give hints or ask you questions?
• How it gets the answer. A math engine computes answers. A chatbot writes them, which is flexible but can slip.
• The free plan. What you get without paying.
• Price. What paying costs and what it adds.
• Ease. Can you snap a photo or type the problem in plain English?

S tier: best overall

ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s study mode turns it into a patient tutor. OpenAI says that instead of only giving a final answer, it can “ask questions, guide your thinking, explain ideas step by step, and check your understanding as you go.” You can upload a photo of a math problem and ask it to quiz you one question at a time.

Free vs paid: Study mode works on every plan, including Free, which has unlimited everyday text chats. Go ($8 a month) adds more file uploads and more data analysis, which runs Python. Plus ($20 a month) adds what OpenAI calls “advanced intelligence for complex work.” There’s no annual billing.

Best for: Working through homework one step at a time.

Watch out for: OpenAI says study mode “can make mistakes” and sometimes gives a direct answer, so ask for hints. It doesn’t work in Temporary Chats, GPTs or Projects.

Gemini

Gemini can read a photo of your homework and, Google says, “break it down with clear, step-by-step guidance to help you learn how to get to the answer.” Its Guided Learning mode, which Google says is open to all users, walks you through a topic instead of handing over one answer.

Free vs paid: Gemini is free with a Google Account. Google AI Plus ($4.99 a month) gives 2x the free usage, and Google AI Pro ($19.99 a month) gives 4x. US college students 18 and older can get Google AI Pro free for a year if they redeem by December 31, 2026. See our student AI deals.

Best for: Students who already use Google’s apps.

Watch out for: You must be signed in to use Guided Learning, and it’s still rolling out in the mobile app. The student offer needs a payment method and then charges $19.99 a month unless you cancel.

Wolfram|Alpha

Wolfram|Alpha isn’t a chatbot. It computes answers with its own built-in knowledge base and algorithms, so it’s the tool to trust when the exact number matters.

Free vs paid: It’s free for personal, noncommercial use, but the free Basic account doesn’t include step-by-step solutions. Pro costs $9.99 a month, or $5 a month billed at $60 a year. It adds step-by-step solutions, practice problems with hints, and photo input in the phone apps. Pro Premium costs $12 a month or $99 a year.

Best for: Checking algebra and calculus answers.

Watch out for: Without Pro you mostly get the result, not the reasoning, and it won’t quiz you like a tutor.

A tier: excellent, with a narrower focus

Photomath

Point your phone at a problem and Photomath shows how to solve it. Photomath says it’s “designed for learning” and covers math “for elementary through college.”

Free vs paid: Photomath’s help center says its step-by-step solutions to symbolic math “will always remain free of cost.” Photomath Plus costs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year on Photomath’s site. It adds AI-powered animated tutorials, deeper explanations and contextual hints.

Best for: Middle and high school worksheet problems.

Watch out for: Plus is billed through the App Store or Google Play, and Photomath says you must cancel at least a day before the period ends.

GeoGebra

GeoGebra is a free set of graphing, geometry and calculator tools, plus the GeoGebra Math Solver. You take a photo of your homework, get step-by-step solutions with explanations, and practice similar problems.

Free vs paid: GeoGebra says its calculators, apps and resources are free for non-commercial use, which covers most use by students, teachers and parents at school or home.

Best for: A free solver and graphing calculator in one place.

Watch out for: The solver gives you worked steps, not a conversation. For open-ended “why does this work?” questions, a chatbot is better.

Claude

Anthropic’s Claude explains longer, wordier problems well. Its free plan can search the web, create files and run code, so you can ask it to check a calculation with code.

Free vs paid: Claude Free costs nothing. Claude Pro is $20 a month, or $17 a month billed at $200 a year, and adds more usage and more Claude models. Our Claude vs ChatGPT picker compares the two.

Best for: Older students and adults who want detailed explanations.

Watch out for: Claude’s “learning mode” is listed under its Education plan for universities, not personal plans, so ask for hints yourself. Anthropic also warns that Claude “can write things that might look correct but are very mistaken.”

Khanmigo

Khanmigo is Khan Academy’s AI tutor, built to help “by never giving you the answer.” It works alongside Khan Academy’s lessons and exercises.

Free vs paid: Learners and parents pay $4 a month or $44 a year. Teachers get Khanmigo free in the countries Khan Academy lists, and the main Khan Academy library stays free for everyone.

Best for: Parents who want a tutor that won’t hand over answers.

Watch out for: To buy it, you must be 18 or older, live in the United States and have a US billing address. Anyone under 18 needs a parent to sign up and add them.

B tier: good, but full steps cost extra

Symbolab

Symbolab’s AI math solver breaks problems into steps across algebra, calculus, trigonometry and more. You can type a problem, say it in everyday language or share a photo, and its AI chat lets you ask about any step.

Free vs paid: Symbolab Pro costs $9.95 a month, $32.95 every six months, or $39.95 a year. Pro adds “full access to solution steps” and “full access to AI chat.” Symbolab’s upgrade page doesn’t spell out the free limits.

Best for: Students who want worked steps and will pay a little.

Watch out for: When we opened the upgrade screen, it first offered a $79.95 bundle with QuillBot. You don’t need the bundle to get Symbolab Pro.

Mathway

Mathway solves problems in subjects from basic math and algebra to calculus, statistics, chemistry and physics. You type a problem or upload a photo.

Free vs paid: Mathway is free and shows step-by-step solutions without an account. Its paid Step-by-Step Access shows the full work for every step, for $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

Best for: Help across math and science.

Watch out for: Mathway’s terms say fees are non-refundable unless the law or app store terms require a refund.

Google Lens

Google Lens in the Google app offers step-by-step homework help. Google says it finds explainers, videos and web results for math, physics and other subjects.

Free vs paid: The Google app it lives in is free to download.

Best for: A quick explanation or video when you’re stuck on one problem.

Watch out for: It leans on web results, so quality varies. Check the steps against your class notes.

C tier: not an AI tutor, but worth having

Desmos

Desmos is a free graphing calculator rather than an AI tutor. Desmos Studio says over 75 million people use its free tools each year, and it partners with most US state tests and digital college entrance exams, so it’s worth learning before test day.

Free vs paid: Free.

Best for: Checking an answer by graphing it.

Watch out for: It graphs what you type. It won’t explain the steps or set up the problem for you.

Skip: no public solver anymore

Microsoft Math Solver

Microsoft Math Solver’s website, math.microsoft.com, no longer has a solver. It now points to Math Assistant in OneNote, which Microsoft says needs a Microsoft 365 subscription for Enterprise or Education. If your school provides one, Math Assistant can show step-by-step instructions.

Free vs paid: what’s worth paying for

Most students don’t need to pay. ChatGPT’s study mode, Gemini’s Guided Learning, Photomath’s steps, the GeoGebra solver, Desmos and Google Lens are all free. Paying makes sense when:

• You use one solver daily and want every step. Symbolab and Mathway cost about $40 a year, Wolfram|Alpha Pro $60 and Photomath Plus $69.99.
• You hit chatbot limits. Google AI Plus ($4.99 a month) and ChatGPT Go ($8) are the cheapest chatbot upgrades. Compare every plan on our AI chatbot pricing page.
• You want a tutor for a child that won’t give answers. Khanmigo is $4 a month.

Here’s how the free and paid plans compare, as of October 2026:

If you pay, start monthly and set a reminder before it renews.

Use AI to learn math, not just copy answers

A copied answer won’t help you on a test. Used well, AI is a tutor that never runs out of patience:

• Ask for a hint first. Try: “Don’t solve it. Give me a hint for the next step.” Any chatbot will do this if you ask.
• Tell it your level and where you’re stuck. OpenAI’s own example prompt asks study mode to walk through one example, then give a similar one to try yourself.
• Do the next problem alone, then have AI check it. Google suggests asking Gemini to check your calculation and explain any mistakes.
• Check the arithmetic. Chatbots write their answers and can make simple calculation mistakes, and OpenAI and Anthropic both warn their tools can be wrong. Plug your answer back in, graph it in Desmos, or run it through Wolfram|Alpha.
• Follow your class rules. OpenAI’s study mode guide says to follow your school’s or teacher’s AI policy for graded work.

Which one should you start with?

If you’re a student on a budget, start with ChatGPT’s study mode or Gemini’s Guided Learning, keep Photomath or GeoGebra on your phone for worksheet photos, and use Desmos to check your graphs. If you need exact answers, add Wolfram|Alpha. If you’re a parent, Khanmigo is the one built to make your child do the thinking.

Your next step: take one problem from tonight’s homework, open study mode or Guided Learning, and ask only for hints until you solve it yourself. Not sure which chatbot to pick? Our Gemini vs ChatGPT picker helps you choose in a minute.

Sources

• ChatGPT: study mode guide, What is ChatGPT Go?, pricing
• Gemini: plans, learning tools help, release notes, student offer
• Wolfram|Alpha: Pro pricing, Pro features, FAQ
• Photomath: home and pricing, Photomath Plus help
• GeoGebra: home and FAQ, Math Solver
• Claude: pricing, incorrect responses help article
• Khanmigo: pricing, for learners
• Symbolab: home and its in-app upgrade screen
• Mathway: home and FAQ, Premium Terms
• Google Lens: Lens
• Desmos: about
• Microsoft: math.microsoft.com, Math Assistant in OneNote

Checked against each company’s own pages on October 22, 2026. Prices and plans change often, so check the official page before you subscribe.

Related guides

• ChatGPT Student Discount (Plus Claude, Gemini and Copilot Deals)
• AI Chatbot Pricing Compared
• Claude vs ChatGPT: Which Should You Use? (Free Picker)
• Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Which Should You Use? (Free Picker)
• How to Use Claude: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (2026)