# MathPapa vs SymCalc+

The clearest difference is price: MathPapa at Free against SymCalc+'s $9.99. MathPapa also leads on ratings volume (17K vs 91). SymCalc+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

MathPapa is free to download; SymCalc+ costs $9.99 up front. MathPapa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SymCalc+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for MathPapa against 4.7 for SymCalc+. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MathPapa has 17K ratings behind it against 91, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of MathPapa's written reviews are positive against 74% of SymCalc+'s.

MathPapa ships an update every 3 weeks, SymCalc+ every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MathPapa | SymCalc+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathpapa-algebra-calculator/id1024251561/reviews) | [4.7 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symcalc-plus/id1275900301/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 91 |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 73.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 5 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MathPapa, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1116770141) | [Voxeloid Kft.](https://appshunter.io/developer/307013528) |

## What reviewers say

### MathPapa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathpapa-algebra-calculator/id1024251561)

This app provides step-by-step solutions to algebra problems, helping users understand how to solve equations and inequalities. It can also graph equations, factor expressions, and evaluate mathematical expressions.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step equation solving, Linear and quadratic equation solver, Linear and quadratic inequality solver, Equation graphing, Quadratic expression factoring, Order of operations, Expression evaluation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MathPapa Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| MathPapa Pro Upgrade | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solves any expression or equation
- 👍 Provides step-by-step solutions
- 👍 Graphs functions
- 👍 Helpful for homework and understanding concepts
- 🚀 Saves time on homework

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription required for step-by-step solutions
- 💰 Expensive subscription at $10/month
- 👎 Limited number of step-by-step solutions in free version
- 👎 Subscription is not affordable for some students
- 👎 Subscription model is disappointing compared to previous free version

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't always recognize certain input formats
- Step-by-step solutions not always available even with subscription

**Requested features**

- Add history/log of past calculations
- Support for more math functions like differentiation and integration
- Ability to input expressions with exponents as expressions
- Option to display answers in different formats (decimal, fraction, mixed number)
- Ability to take a photo of a problem and have it solved


### SymCalc+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symcalc-plus/id1275900301)

This app provides advanced mathematical calculations, from basic arithmetic to university-level topics. It combines the functionality of a scientific graphing calculator with the ease of a mobile application, offering symbolic computation and detailed feature explanations.

**Highlights:** Exact arithmetic and numerical modes, Symbolic algebra and calculus operations, Matrix operations and linear algebra, Equation and differential equation solvers, Complex number arithmetic, Interactive graphing, Session management and PDF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MathPapa free?

MathPapa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SymCalc+ free?

SymCalc+ costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MathPapa or SymCalc+?

MathPapa and SymCalc+ are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 17K and 91 ratings respectively.

### Do MathPapa or SymCalc+ have ads?

Neither MathPapa nor SymCalc+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MathPapa or SymCalc+?

MathPapa ships an update every 3 weeks, and SymCalc+ every 5 weeks. Most recently, MathPapa was updated on October 2, 2026 and SymCalc+ on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*