# Mathway vs Socratic AI

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Mathway at 425K against Socratic AI's 6.2K. Mathway also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 40%). Socratic AI's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mathway sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Socratic AI sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Mathway against 4.8 for Socratic AI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mathway has 425K ratings behind it against 6.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of Mathway's written reviews are positive against 40% of Socratic AI's.

Mathway ships an update every 4 weeks, Socratic AI every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mathway | Socratic AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (425K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathway-math-problem-solver/id467329677/reviews)** | [4.8 (6.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socratic-ai-homework-helper/id1605965391/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **425K** | 6.2K |
| Positive reviews | **50.6% of reviews** | 40.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #110 | **#48** |
| Size | 82 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chegg, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/385758166) | [BEFUN AI TECH. PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746851897) |

## What reviewers say

### Mathway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathway-math-problem-solver/id467329677)

**Currently charting:** #110 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Solve math problems instantly by taking a photo or typing your question. Get step-by-step solutions for algebra, graphing, calculus, and more. Understand complex math concepts with unlimited access to answers.

**Highlights:** Math problem solver, Homework scanner, Step-by-step solutions, Algebra solver, Graphing calculator, Calculus solver

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Steps (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Steps (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Steps (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Steps (Monthly) | $19.99 | per month |
| Steps (Annual) | $39.99 | per year |
| Steps (Annual) | $39.99 | per year |
| Steps (Annual) | $39.99 | per year |
| Steps (Annual) | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable and accurate
- 👍 Helpful for math homework and studying
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Explains step-by-step solutions
- 👍 Supports wide range of math topics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription required for full features
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance, crashes
- 🔍 Difficulty cropping/uploading photos
- 🔍 Limited free features, paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Camera issues, unable to focus on problems
- Subscription issues, unable to access paid features

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to copy/paste equations
- Improved free version with step-by-step solutions


### Socratic AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socratic-ai-homework-helper/id1605965391)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Grossing · Education, #180 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This AI-powered app helps students with homework across various subjects. Simply scan a problem, and receive step-by-step solutions and detailed explanations from multiple study resources.

**Highlights:** Photo math problem scanner, Step-by-step AI solutions, All-in-one learning resources, Support for multiple subjects, Instant answers, Algebra and word problem solver

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly Discount | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly Discount | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly Discount | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Scan Math Plus Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan Math Plus Monthly | $16.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗣️ The best thing since sliced cheese
- 👍 Very user friendly
- 💡 Couldn't complete school without it!
- 🚀 Helped me pass my classes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Gives wrong answers
- 🐛 Doesn't read questions properly
- 🔒 Requires subscription to fully use
- 🐛 Switches between cameras constantly
- 🐛 Frequently shows 'unknown error occurred'

**Reported bugs**

- Grey screen on launch
- Can't cancel subscription
- Inconsistent performance across question types

**Requested features**

- Allow free version without AI
- Add feature to rotate camera
- Improve explanation of solutions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mathway free?

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

### Is Socratic AI free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mathway or Socratic AI?

Mathway is rated higher. Mathway averages 4.9 out of 5 from 425K ratings, while Socratic AI averages 4.8 from 6.2K ratings.

### Do Mathway or Socratic AI have ads?

Both Mathway and Socratic AI show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mathway or Socratic AI?

Mathway ships an update every 4 weeks, and Socratic AI every 2 weeks. Most recently, Mathway was updated on September 25, 2026 and Socratic AI on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Mathway or Socratic AI?

Mathway currently peaks at #110 in the App Store charts, and Socratic AI at #48. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*