Learning math can be a challenge, and there is nothing more frustrating than getting stuck on a problem and not knowing how to solve it.
You might think that you have no choice but to spend hours sitting at your desk trying to figure out the solution. But with the right tools, that doesn’t have to be the case.
There are many math-solving apps out there that can help you get through your homework faster and with less frustration.
Mathway and Photomath are two of the most popular. Both are used by millions of users worldwide to easily solve all kinds of math problems, including algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and statistics.
But which one is better?
In this blog post, I will go over what each app is like and how they stack up against one another to help you decide which one works best for your needs.
Let’s dive right in!
Mathway vs Photomath: Introduction
What is Mathway?
Mathway is a simple tool that helps you solve math problems, from grade school to post-graduate levels. It can be used to find the solution to any algebraic equation, find the value of a function at a given point, simplify algebraic expressions, and more.
Mathway allows you to perform all these operations without having to install any software on your computer as it is a web-based application.
The software figures out what kind of problem you’re solving based on the input you give it – whether it’s written or visual. It will then solve for the unknowns in your equation and give you the answer in just a few seconds.
What is Photomath?
Photomath is a nifty app that uses your phone’s camera to recognize handwritten math problems and then solve them for you. It has millions of users and has been downloaded more than 100 million times.
Photomath can solve single or multiple-step equations, perform unit conversions and trigonometry functions, and simplify fractions among many other things.
It provides multiple solving options and step-by-step instructions on each one of them.
Plus, each step comes with animated tutorials, which allow users to see exactly where they went wrong or how they can be more efficient in solving other similar problems.
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Mathway vs Photomath: Sign Up
Mathway
While you can use Mathway without registering, signing up is a good idea if you want to access all of its core features and save your history. The process is simple and doesn’t take more than a minute.
To create an account:
- Head over to Mathway.com
- Click on the person icon at the top right corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select “Sign Up.”
- Next, fill out the form with your email address and password. You can also sign up with your Google, Apple, or Facebook account.
- Once you’re done, hit the green “Sign Up” button.
- That’s it! You can now start typing in your math problems.
Photomath
Unlike Mathway, signing up for Photomath is mandatory if you want to use the app. However, the process is also very simple and automatic.
To create an account:
- Navigate to Photomath.com and install the app on your tablet or mobile device. You can also download it directly from the Play Store or the Apple Store.
- Launch the app. After a few seconds, the signup process will start automatically.
- You will first need to indicate your age. Once that’s done, click “Next.”
- Next, you will get three options: “Student”, “Parent”, and “Teacher”. Choose the one that describes you best and hit “Next”.
- That’s it! Now, simply allow Photomath to take pictures and record videos, and start solving your math problems.
Mathway vs Photomath: User Interface & Ease of Use
Mathway
Mathway’s site is easy to use and has a full-featured user interface that makes it simple to find the right equation, plug in the numbers, and solve.
The UI is not aesthetically pleasing, but it’s very easy to navigate. The navigation panel is now placed at the top left corner of the screen so that users can easily choose the type of math problems they want to solve without having to explore too deeply into the application.
The menu button at the top right corner allows you to access your account settings so that you can change your profile information or email preferences. You can also check all of Mathway’s calculators, learn more about the site, or see some examples of how to use the app.
The layout of the screen is fairly clean and well organized, with a large white area in the middle of the screen where you can type in equations or functions, and a “Enter your problem” field at the bottom.
Clicking on this will bring up an online calculator that lets you input mathematical equations in a variety of forms: one-variable, two variables, polar, complex numbers, etc.
Photomath
Like Mathway, Photomath’s user interface is smooth and sleek.
The first thing you will notice about the app is that there is no login required. That means you don’t have to remember any username or password in order to get started – you just go right into where you need to be without any hassle.
As far as ease of use goes, Photomath has managed to streamline its interface so that it’s simple but not too simplistic.
It still does have more advanced features hidden in its drop-down menus if you are looking for something more specific, but it makes it easy to start out with basic instructions before diving into more complex concepts.
The app has two main parts: a camera window and an online calculator. From the camera window, you can take pictures of your math problems, access your device’s photos, and check your history and bookmarks.
The online calculator allows you to type in your problem easily, whether it’s a simple arithmetic equation or a more complex algebraic one.
Mathway vs Photomath: Problem-Solving Calculator
Mathway
Mathway’s problem-solving tool is very interactive and user-friendly. You can enter your own equation and see step-by-step how to solve it, or you can have Mathway walk you through the solution.
This can be great for students who need more than just a formulaic approach to tackling their math homework.
You can also upload a photo of your math problem and it will try to parse it for you. It’s not exactly perfect – sometimes it gets confused by numbers in the text or by drawings superimposed over the image, but most of the time, it does a pretty good job of working out what you’re trying to accomplish.
The great thing about Mathway’s problem-solving tool is that the answers are very specific: they don’t just give you an answer of x=2, they explain how they came up with that answer and what steps they took to get there.
Once you enter your function, the app will ask you whether you want to simplify it, add a value, evaluate the equation, multiply, factor, combine like terms, write it in standard form, or get a graph.
The graphing feature is especially useful for visual learners who may need help grasping an unfamiliar concept. I especially liked how easy it was to move around on the graph to see how different x and y values affected my parameters.
Plus, while the website’s main focus is on algebra, it also features a wide variety of other math functions such as calculus, geometry, trigonometry, and data analysis.
In addition, there is no limit on how many problems you work on, and you can save your progress as you go along.
Photomath
Thanks to a combination of natural language processing and optical character recognition (OCR), Photomath’s problem-solving calculators can recognize text within an image taken from your phone’s camera, and then convert that text into math equations.
From there, Photomath will provide you with the right solution. There are also several different solving methods available, so you can choose which method to follow depending on what kind of question you’re working on.
And if you are not sure what any of the methods mean or how to use them, there are step-by-step animated tutorials explaining each.
For example, if you enter the “x + 2x” equation, Photomath will show you how to solve it by isolating x or by separating the variables. It then will provide a detailed breakdown of how each method works and why one may be better suited than another for each scenario.
The whole process takes seconds and makes working through the problem a breeze!
Besides, while with Mathway taking a picture of the math problem can sometimes be challenging, Photomath has made this as seamless as possible. I have found that even if I take a bad picture or angle, the app still manages to figure out what I’m trying to solve.
Additionally, the tool has an extensive library of formulas that includes everything from basic arithmetic to trigonometry and algebra and supports four different languages.
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Mathway vs Photomath: Mobile Application
Mathway
Mathway has a mobile app available on iOS and Android phones and tablets, so you can use it anywhere! That gives you access to help whenever and wherever you want it – in class or at home, in your room, or even on the bus ride home from school.
However, the app is a bit clunky and hard to use. Unlike Mathway’s “chat-like” desktop version, whenever you solve a problem in the mobile app, it takes you to a different screen.
If you are in the middle of an operation and you have to switch, it’s not a huge deal; but if you are just checking off problems for practice or review, it can be annoying to have to go back and forth.
This can be especially frustrating for those who are trying to work through a problem that asks them to use multiple steps in order to solve it because they will have to go into each step and then go back out every time they want to check their work.
In addition, if you try to click back to edit something, it doesn’t save your progress as it does on the web version. You have to start from scratch again.
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Photomath
Photomath is only available as a mobile application. You can download it for free from the App Store and Google Play Store, and it is compatible with devices that run on either iOS or Android operating systems.
It doesn’t take up much space on your phone, and it can be used at any time as it doesn’t require an internet connection once the program has been downloaded onto your device.
Mathway vs Photomath: Pricing
Mathway
While you can use Mathway for free, the app offers a paid version that includes extra features like being able to solve equations in any language or having access to step-by-step solutions without ads or limits.
To upgrade your account, you can either pay 9.99€ (approx. $10.65) per month or 39.99€ (approx. $42.62) per year.
However, these prices are subject to changes. Mathway doesn’t currently have a dedicated pricing page, but you can check out the latest pricing information in your account settings.
To do it, log into your account and click on the three dots at the top right corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select “Upgrade”.
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Photomath
Like Mathway, Photomath has a free version and a paid one, called Photomath Plus.
While the free tier is more than enough to start solving math problems, it comes with limited features and ads.
The premium version, on the other hand, gets rid of the ads and gives you access to unlimited math topics, detailed and interactive explanations, a math dictionary, and tailored solutions for your textbooks.
Its pricing model is based on subscriptions (monthly or annually), so if you purchase Photomath Plus, you will need to either pay 10.99€ (approx. $11.71) every month or 64.99€ (approx. $69.26) every year.
These prices may vary, so make sure to check out Photomath’s pricing page to get the latest updates. You can also check them directly through the app: just tap on the menu button at the top left corner and select “Photomath Plus”.
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Mathway vs Photomath: Help Center
Mathway
Mathway has a well-organized and comprehensive Help Center for its users. It’s easy to navigate both on the web and on mobile devices.
The home screen provides an extensive list of support resources including tutorials and frequently asked questions (FAQs) that answer basic questions regarding your account and the app’s features.
The Help Center also includes step-by-step examples of how to solve basic math problems, algebra, statistics, calculus, physics, trigonometry, chemistry, and precalculus.
Each example includes a detailed description of the problem and its solution, followed by an explanation of why the solution is correct. When appropriate, there are video walkthroughs that demonstrate how to perform each step in the problem-solving process.
Photomath
Like Mathway, Photomath has a solid Help Center that’s simple, easy to navigate, and has a lot of information about the app.
It includes several tutorials that walk you through how to use Photomath with different kinds of math functions, what to do if you have a problem with your account or with a specific feature, and how to fix a technical issue.
Photomath’s Help Center also does a good job of using graphics to illustrate concepts and make them easier to understand.
For example, when you want to learn how to use a function on the site or how to enter equations into the graphing calculator, you will find articles with text instructions but also images that show you exactly which button or slider in the interface you should use.
There are short video tutorials as well. These are clear and concise, and they serve as a great resource for those who are unsure of how to use the site or want a refresher on any of the topics covered.
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Mathway vs Photomath: Customer Support
Mathway
Mathway has great customer service. Their customer representatives are very knowledgeable and they respond quickly to emails (within 24 hours).
However, they do not have phone support. You can only contact them via email, which can be an inconvenience for some customers who prefer talking to a live person rather than sending an email message.
Photomath
Like Mathway, Photomath does not have live chat or phone customer service. Instead, you can either contact them via email or submit a ticket through the app.
To do it, you have to launch the app and click on the menu button at the top left corner of the screen. After that, select “About Us” and choose between sending them a message or a question.
Now, Photomath customer support is only available during business hours, Monday through Friday. If you submit a request outside of those hours, it will be processed on the next business day.
They usually get back to me within a few hours (usually under an hour). When they do respond, it is thorough and clear, telling you exactly how to fix the issue or what to do next.
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Mathway vs Photomath: Pros & Cons
Mathway
Pros
- It has a free version.
- It is easy to navigate and has a simple user interface.
- It can solve most types of equations and math problems.
- It is available both as a desktop and a mobile version.
- You can use it as an online calculator or upload handwritten math problems to solve them fast.
- Its pricing is reasonable for what it offers.
- It has an extensive Help Center.
- Its customer support is responsive.
Cons
- The mobile application is clunky and hard to use.
- Customer support is only available via email.
- The camera feature doesn’t work with all types of images.
- The web version UI looks like it hasn’t been optimized for all device sizes.
- The free version is pretty limited, and it doesn’t give you access to step-by-step explanations.
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Photomath
Pros
- It includes a free tier.
- It is easy to use and has a modern user interface design.
- It can solve any kind of math problem, from algebra to calculus, pre-calculus, physics, chemistry, trigonometry, and more.
- It includes a graphing feature that lets you see how the solution changes depending on the solving method you choose.
- Its step-by-step explanations include interactive tutorials.
- Its camera feature recognizes any handwritten equations and functions, even if the quality of the picture is not perfect.
- It allows you to use it also as an advanced calculator.
- It has a comprehensive Help Center.
- Its customer support is friendly and responsive.
Cons
- It is only available as a mobile application.
- You can only contact customer service via email or by submitting a request.
- Its Help Center is not as detailed as Mathway’s.
- The Photomath Plus pricing is slightly expensive.
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Similarities & Differences
| Mathway | Photomath | |
| Free tier | ✔ Very limited | ✔ |
| Cover all math levels | ✔ | ✔ |
| Easy to use | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mobile application | ✔ Hard to navigate | ✔ |
| Handwritten recognition | ✔ Doesn’t always work | ✔ |
| Step-by-step explanations | ✔ Only with premium plan | ✔ |
| Multiple solving methods | X | ✔ |
| Help Center | ✔ | ✔ Not extensive |
| Responsive customer suppor | ✔ | ✔ |
Conclusion
Mathway and Pathway are both great apps to practice your math skills or learn new ones. Both can be used on the go, and are capable of solving a wide range of equations, from simple arithmetic to complex calculus problems.
However, Photomath is the clear winner. Photomath’s competitive advantage over Mathway lies in its outstanding features for calculation.
The app has an advanced step-by-step solution system with animated tutorials that allow users to find the correct answer in record time.
Its calculator also shows exactly how the answer was derived, which makes it a powerful educational tool that helps build a solid understanding of mathematical concepts.
It is also faster than Mathway. It comes with top-notch camera functions, a large library of video tutorials, and easy-to-follow sample problems that explain complex concepts in simple terms.
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