Photomath
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Get the free app if you're a student or parent who wants fast answers and occasional step help.
Comparison
Photomath vs WolframAlpha
Photomath lands on Depends, and WolframAlpha lands on Worth it.
WolframAlpha
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Buy it: the free tier answers most math, science, and finance queries, and students get Pro at $5.00/mo for worked steps.
| Compare | Photomath | WolframAlpha |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Worth it |
| Best for | Middle/high school homework checks | STEM students |
| Who it's not for | Students who need to learn, not just finish homework | Anyone needing sourced, citable research answers |
| Privacy | No public CVEs in scanned app versions; third-party data-privacy grade is D.⁸ | Active disclosure program; one reported XSS and infostealer logs tied to the domain; no confirmed product breach found. |
| Support quality | No usable evidence found | No support evidence in sources |
| Public sentiment | Students rate it highly for fast homework help, but many teachers call it a shortcut and some longtime users say quality declined.² | Students and engineers treat it as a go-to for math and physics, but many grumble about paywalled step-by-step solutions and hunt free workarounds. |
| Biggest gotcha | Collects personal data per policy; independent privacy grade is D⁸ | Free tier hides worked solutions; showing steps is Pro-only |
Pick Photomath when
- Middle/high school homework checks
- Parents re-learning school math
- Quick algebra-to-calculus answers
- Handwritten problem scanning
When Photomath is not a fit
- Students who need to learn, not just finish homework
- Advanced physics/engineering . Wolfram fits better
- Privacy-strict users (Grade D data grade)
- Simple arithmetic . your calculator already does it
Pick WolframAlpha when
- STEM students
- Engineers doing quick checks
- Developers needing a computation API
- Educators and classrooms
When WolframAlpha is not a fit
- Anyone needing sourced, citable research answers
- Users unwilling to pay for step-by-step work
- Overkill for simple arithmetic or unit conversions
- People wanting a general web search engine
Sources
- Photomath - Ratings & Reviews - App Storeapps.apple.comreview
- Photomath is a scourge - r/Teachersreddit.comreview
review
- Photomath Review 2026: Free Tier, Pricing and Offeringsmyengineeringbuddy.comreview
- Photomath - Apps on Google Playplay.google.comofficial
- Photomath official sitephotomath.comofficial
- Photomath CVE vulnerabilities scanscout.appaloosa.iosecurity
- Is Photomath safe with your data? Grade Dverifywise.aisecurity
- Photomath secures $23M Series Bprnewswire.comnews
news
news
- Photomath App Update Solves Handwritten Math Problemscampustechnology.comnews
- Wolfram|Alpha Pro Pricing Planswolframalpha.comofficial
- Wolfram|Alpha Pro for Students Pricingwolframalpha.comofficial
- Wolfram|Alpha FAQswolframalpha.comofficial
- Wolfram|Alpha Enterprise Applianceproducts.wolframalpha.comofficial