xFormula vs DeTeXt
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
xFormula
Create and edit mathematical equations with a visual interface. Export your work as images, LaTeX, MathML, or UnicodeMath for use in documents and presentations. Features include image recognition, formula libraries, and custom keyboards.
- Visual equation editing
- Export to image, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath
- Image recognition for formulas
- Organized formula libraries
- Customizable keyboard for symbols
- Keyboard extension for other apps
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This is a math equation editor which could export the result as picture, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath(Word). Include variables, binary operators, arrows, relations, brackets, underline, overline, accents, fraction, radical, large operator... Just download and have a try. ----- Functions: 1. Mathematical formula editing. 2. Import & Export - LaTeX (Pages, Keynote) - MathML (Pages, Keynote) - UnicodeMath (Word) - Image - SVG: If the .svg file is exported by xFormula, then it could be imported and edit again. 3. Image recognition - Setup large model API to recognize the math formula in the image. - The recognition of mathematical formulas in large models is getting better and better, but due to the large number of LaTeX commands for mathematical formulas, there may be some situations where the same symbol is different for different commands. xFormula cannot support all LaTeX commands yet, so there may be some exceptions. However, we will continue to optimize and be compatible with more commands in future versions 4. Mathematical formula library: - You can create several formula libraries at the same time, and each formula library can be exported and imported separately; - Under each formula library, there can be many categories, and under each category, there can be many groups. Under each group, formulas can be created and edited - Example 1: High School Mathematics Formula Library > Classification 1: Set, Classification 2: Geometry, Classification 3: Algebra - Example 2: Junior High School Mathematics Formula Library>Classification 1: Rational Numbers, Classification 2: Trigonometric Functions, Classification 3: Geometry 5. Mathematical style: - Due to font limitations, the mathematical formulas currently provided may have some pixel spacing flaws, and each style may also have several mathematical characters that are not supported. Please use them as appropriate. - We will continue to optimize mathematical styles, which is what we are concerned about. 6. Custom keyboard: -The frequency of mathematical symbols used varies at each stage, from elementary school, middle school, high school to university; The frequency of symbols used for sets, limits, matrices, functions, and each knowledge range is also different. So if you use it for a long time or frequently, it is strongly recommended to create a suitable input symbol keyboard for yourself, which is more efficient and saves more time than a universal keyboard. 7. Keyboard Extension - Could be directly used in the form of a keyboard in other text editing software - Due to the system's restrictions on keyboard Extension, there may be some abnormal situations. After installing the keyboard, if it cannot appear in the keyboard list, please restart the device and try again - Although currently compatible with iOS 15, it is recommended to use new devices as old devices may experience loading failures due to memory limitations and other issues 8. Help Document ----- Purchase: 1. This is a paid software and is provided for free download in the hope that users will know what features this software has and whether it is useful before purchasing. 2. As the payment methods for iOS and macOS were not unified when this software was first released, xFormula (iOS) and xFormula (macOS) need to be paid separately. The advantage of separate payment is pricing splitting, which means that if you only have a mobile device and don't have a Mac, you can save on the purchase cost of the Mac. If merged, the pricing will also be the sum of the current two pricing. 3. If you plan to use this software for a long time and consider upgrading more features in the future, it is recommended to purchase the Professional Edition. Terms of Service : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: http://guizhenjiaoyu.com/xformula/en/privacy.html
DeTeXt
Easily find LaTeX commands for symbols by drawing them or searching a comprehensive database. Get the exact command you need for your documents without memorization.
- Draw symbols to find LaTeX commands
- Neural image classification for symbol recognition
- Searchable database of 1098 symbols
- Supports Apple Pencil on iPad
- Copy commands, symbols, or Unicode codepoints
- Offline symbol database
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Finding the symbol you want to use in LaTeX can be hard since you can't memorize all the commands and packages for every symbol. DeTeXt tries to solve this problem by giving you two ways to find the command you want: - Draw the symbol you want and DeTeXt's neural image classification engine will identify what it thinks are the 20 most likely LaTeX commands that will generate a symbol closest to the one you drew. DeTeXt supports Apple Pencil drawings on the iPad. - Search the entire symbol set of 1098 symbols from packages like tipa, amsmath, amssymb, textcomp and more, in addition to the default mathematical symbols. - Copy the symbol, or the character itself, or its Unicode codepoint to the system clipboard, to paste anywhere else. DeTeXt's neural engine processes your drawn symbol and finds the best matches in its symbol database, all on your device without requiring you to be online. All the symbols are stored within the app as well.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DeTeXt at 4.9 against xFormula's 3.9. DeTeXt also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and device support (4 vs 2). xFormula's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. xFormula sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. DeTeXt asks for nothing beyond the download.
DeTeXt holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55 and 40 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of xFormula's written reviews are positive against 92% of DeTeXt's.
xFormula ships an update every 3 weeks, DeTeXt every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | xFormula | DeTeXt |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (55 ratings) | 4.9 (40 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.7% of reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 55 — better | 40 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 煦 张 | Venkata Subrahmanyan Govindarajan |
Customer experience
xFormula
DeTeXt
In-app purchases
xFormula
- Pro 1 Month (Auto-Renewable)$1.991 Month
- Advanced (Lifetime)$9.99
- Basic (Lifetime)$11.99
- Pro (Lifetime)$18.99
DeTeXt
No in-app purchases









