AI Math Solver: 7 Best Free Tools That Show Steps (2026)

An AI math solver is a tool that reads a maths problem — typed, or photographed with your phone camera — and returns the answer with the working shown step by step, so you can follow the method instead of just copying a result. The best free ones show full steps without a subscription; the rest either cap your free steps per day or hide the working behind a paywall.

Key takeaways

• Best free steps overall: Photomath — its Basic plan is free and includes step-by-step explanations.
• Best web solver with a daily free allowance: HomeworkO and SolveItAi both give 5 free solutions a day, no card required.
• Biggest trap: Mathway and Symbolab give free answers, but full step-by-step working needs a paid plan (Mathway from about $9.99/month, Symbolab from about $7.99/month).
• Avoid outdated lists: Microsoft Math Solver was shut down in July 2025 — any 2026 list still recommending it as a download has not been checked.
• Last checked: October 2026. Prices and free limits below are the ones shown on the tools’ own pages and app listings at that date; always check the price on your own screen before paying.

Table of Contents

• What is the best free AI math solver?
• How do I choose an AI math solver for my subject?
• The 7 best AI math solvers, compared
• How to use an AI math solver without hurting your grades
• Worked example: one problem, three ways
• Frequently asked questions
• Bottom line

What is the best free AI math solver?

The best free AI math solver for most students is Photomath, because its free Basic plan includes step-by-step solutions rather than just an answer. You point your phone camera at a printed or handwritten problem, and it shows the working line by line, with an interactive graph when the problem involves a function. It covers arithmetic through calculus, and its Plus subscription ($9.99/month, or $69.99/year) only adds animated tutorials and textbook-specific solutions — the core steps stay free.

That single fact separates the genuinely free solvers from the free-to-try ones. Before you install anything, ask one question: does the free tier show the steps, or only the answer? If it only shows the answer, it is an answer checker, not a learning tool, and you will hit a paywall exactly when the homework gets hard.

How do I choose an AI math solver for my subject?

Choose an AI math solver by matching it to your subject and to how you input problems. For camera-scanned homework, a phone app like Photomath wins. For typed algebra and calculus on a laptop, a web solver like Symbolab or HomeworkO is faster, because you can paste equations and copy the steps into your notes. For word problems and photo uploads in a browser, HomeworkO and SolveItAi both accept typed and photographed problems with no account needed for your first solves.

Also check the daily cap before you rely on a tool the night before a deadline. A solver with 5 free solutions a day is plenty for checking one assignment, but it will run out during a full revision session — in that case pair it with a no-cap option like Photomath’s free steps or CalcMentor’s no-account solver.

The 7 best AI math solvers, compared

Here is the honest free-tier picture for each AI math solver, with what is actually free and what costs money. “Steps free” means the working is shown without paying; “answer only” means you must pay to see how the answer was reached.

1. Photomath — best free AI math solver overall

Photomath is the most famous AI math solver for a reason: it is a camera-first app that reads printed and handwritten problems and returns step-by-step explanations on its free Basic plan. It covers numbers and quantity, algebra, functions, trigonometry, geometry and calculus, from elementary school to college level, and it works offline — useful on a commute or in a classroom with restricted Wi-Fi. Where a problem involves a graph, it renders an interactive graph alongside the solution, which helps you see what the maths actually looks like instead of just reading symbols.

Its weakness is depth, not price. Textbook-specific solutions and animated step-by-step tutorials sit behind Photomath Plus ($9.99/month or $69.99/year). If your homework comes straight from a named textbook and you need that book’s exact method, the free tier may not match it. For standard homework, though, the free steps cover most needs — which is why Photomath is the first tool to try, not the last.

2. Symbolab — best for algebra and calculus working

Symbolab is the AI math solver to pick when you want every intermediate step in algebra or calculus, laid out cleanly on the web. Its free tier gives answers, but full step-by-step working is a Pro feature, from about $7.99/month (other billing options start at $2.49/week). That makes Symbolab a “try before you buy” tool: use the free answers to check your result, and pay only if you regularly burn through problems where the method matters more than the answer — which, for calculus students, is most of the time.

Symbolab’s graphing calculator is a genuine bonus. If you are studying functions, you can plot and analyse them in the same place you solve equations, instead of switching between a solver and a separate graphing app.

3. Mathway — best as a fast answer checker

Mathway is the fastest AI math solver on this list: a minimal interface, instant answers across algebra, calculus and statistics, and no fuss. The catch is the one that matters most for learning — step-by-step breakdowns require the paid subscription, from about $9.99/month (or $39.99/year). On the web you can see steps without signing up in some cases, but full worked solutions are paid.

Use Mathway for what it is good at: verifying a result in seconds when you have already worked the problem yourself. If you open Mathway before you have tried the problem, you will get an answer and learn nothing — and if you need the method, you will be asked to pay for it.

4. HomeworkO — best free web AI math solver

HomeworkO’s free AI math solver accepts typed equations and uploaded photos of handwritten problems, analyses them with GPT-4o-mini, and produces detailed step-by-step explanations. It supports all standard topics from basic arithmetic through college-level calculus, requires no signup or account, and gives 5 free math solutions per day in the browser, with unlimited access available through its mobile app.

That 5-a-day cap is the honest trade-off. For a single evening’s homework it is plenty; for exam revision, plan your solves or pair HomeworkO with Photomath’s uncapped free steps. The tool itself warns, sensibly, that AI-generated solutions should be checked against your course materials — a good habit with every solver on this list.

5. SolveItAi — best for understanding why each step works

SolveItAi takes a different angle from most AI math solver tools: every solve comes with the steps, the reasoning behind each step, and practice problems built from the same idea. Your first solve needs no account — no email, no card — and after that you get 5 free solves a day, forever. It also remembers problems you got wrong and brings them back before the exam, instead of after it.

That “why” layer is what makes SolveItAi worth trying even if you already use Photomath. Photomath shows you the steps; SolveItAi explains why the chain rule applies here, or why you factor first — the kind of explanation that lets you solve the next ten problems on your own. Its worked example is a good test: for y = sin(3x²), it spots the composition, differentiates the outer function, then multiplies by the inner derivative to reach 6x·cos(3x²), with a reason at each stage.

6. CalcMentor — best no-sign-up calculus solver

CalcMentor is a free calculus-focused AI math solver that requires no account, no sign-up and no email — you open the page and solve immediately. Its own comparison is blunt: paid tools like Mathway charge about $19.99/month for full steps in its telling, while CalcMentor shows full step-by-step solutions for free, cross-checked with three computation engines. It covers derivatives, integrals, limits and more, and it is aligned with courses including AP Calculus, SAT and ACT maths, A-Level and GCSE.

Treat the “three engines” claim as the site’s own claim, not an independent test — but the practical point stands: for calculus specifically, CalcMentor is the easiest free solver to try, because there is no account wall between you and your first solution. If your subject is calculus, try it before paying for anything.

7. WolframAlpha — best for advanced problems (but steps are paid)

WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge engine, not just an AI math solver, and it handles problems the other tools cannot — advanced calculus, statistics, science and engineering maths. The free tier answers questions, but step-by-step solutions are a Pro feature, from about $9.99/month (or $59.99/year).

That makes WolframAlpha the right last resort, not the first stop. If Photomath, Symbolab or HomeworkO cannot handle your problem, WolframAlpha probably can — but for everyday homework, paying for steps you can get free elsewhere makes little sense. Use it when the problem is genuinely advanced, and use a free solver for everything else.

How to use an AI math solver without hurting your grades?

Use an AI math solver as a tutor, not a shortcut, and the method is simple: try the problem yourself first, then use the solver to check your working. The winning routine is scan, study the method, close the app, and reproduce the solution from memory. If you cannot reproduce it without the app, you have not learned it yet — you have only watched it.

Three habits keep a solver helpful. First, read every step, not just the final answer, and ask why each step follows from the last. Second, redo the problem on paper after closing the tool, and compare. Third, never submit solver output as your own homework without understanding it — teachers can spot it, and exam questions will not come with a camera button. Used this way, an AI math solver is one of the fastest ways to improve at maths; used as a copying machine, it is one of the fastest ways to fall behind.

If you want the same approach for other subjects, our guides to AI homework help and AI study tools cover tutors, quiz makers and citation tools, and the AI quiz generator guide shows how to turn solved problems into practice tests.

Worked example: one problem, three ways

Take a simple quadratic: solve x² + 5x + 6 = 0. A good AI math solver should show the same method a teacher would: factor the equation into (x + 2)(x + 3) = 0, set each factor to zero, and get x = −2 and x = −3, then verify by substitution — (−2)² + 5(−2) + 6 = 4 − 10 + 6 = 0. Photomath shows this free, HomeworkO shows it within its daily cap, and Mathway gives the answer free but asks you to pay for the full working. Same problem, three very different free experiences — which is exactly why the free tier, not the headline, is what you should compare.

Try a second problem yourself before trusting any tool: differentiate f(x) = 3x³ − 2x² + 5. The power rule gives f′(x) = 9x² − 4x, because the derivative of a constant is zero. If a solver cannot show that reasoning clearly, it is not teaching you — it is just calculating.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a completely free AI math solver?

Yes. Photomath’s free Basic plan includes step-by-step solutions, and CalcMentor offers full steps with no account at all. HomeworkO and SolveItAi are also free within a 5-solution daily cap. Completely free here means the steps are free — some tools are free only for answers, with steps behind a subscription.

Which AI math solver is best for calculus?

For calculus, CalcMentor is the easiest free starting point because it needs no sign-up and focuses on derivatives, integrals and limits. Symbolab is the strongest paid option for calculus working, with a graphing calculator included, while Photomath covers calculus steps free on its Basic plan.

Can an AI math solver solve word problems?

Most modern AI math solver tools handle typed word problems, and several accept photos of printed or handwritten problems. HomeworkO, SolveItAi and Photomath all accept typed or scanned input, but word problems with unusual phrasing can still be misread — always check that the tool understood the problem before trusting its answer.

Is Microsoft Math Solver still available?

No. Microsoft Math Solver was shut down in July 2025 and is no longer in the app stores. Lists that still recommend it as a current download are out of date; use Photomath, HomeworkO or CalcMentor instead.

Do AI math solvers work for exams?

They help you practise, but they do not replace learning. Exams are supervised and camera-free, so the skill that matters is reproducing a method from memory. Use a solver to study the method, then practise without it — that is the only preparation that transfers to exam day.

How accurate are AI math solvers?

For standard algebra, calculus and arithmetic, the leading solvers are highly accurate, but they can misread handwriting or misinterpret a word problem. Always verify a surprising answer by substituting it back into the original problem, and cross-check anything that looks wrong with a second tool.

Bottom line

Start with Photomath for free camera-based steps, keep HomeworkO or SolveItAi in your pocket for typed web problems within their 5-a-day free caps, and only pay — for Symbolab or Mathway — when you regularly need full working that the free tools cannot give you. And skip any list still pushing Microsoft Math Solver: it shut down in July 2025.

Last checked: October 2026. Free limits and prices change — verify the current terms in the app or on the tool’s own site before subscribing. For more study help, see our free tools library.