Comparison

Mathway vs A Little Calculus

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mathway

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
Read full description

Mathway is the world’s smartest math calculator for algebra, graphing, calculus and more! Mathway gives you unlimited access to math solutions that can help you understand complex concepts. Simply point your camera and snap a photo or type your math homework question for step-by-step answers. If a premium subscription option is selected: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the same monthly or annual rate selected at the beginning of the subscription • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Terms of Use: https://www.mathway.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.mathway.com/privacy

About

A Little Calculus

Explore over 70 interactive calculus topics with this educational app. It aids in teaching and learning fundamental calculus concepts through graphical and numerical verification of problems. Ideal as a supplement to textbooks for students and teachers.

Highlights
  • Interactive calculus topics
  • Graphical and numerical verification
  • Precalculus review
  • Differential and integral calculus
  • Sequences and series
  • Customizable topic settings
  • Interactive graphs
Features
Read full description

A LITTLE CALCULUS is a collection of more than 70 interactive topics from a first year calculus course. To be used by both teachers and students, this app is designed to aid in the teaching and learning of calculus and should serve as a nice supplement to any introductory calculus textbook. Can be used to numerically and/or graphically verify computations for a wide variety of problems. Ultimately, the purpose of this app is to interact with and to gain a conceptual understanding of the fundamental topics of calculus. TOPICS: • Graph functions of one variable, as well as parametric and polar curves. • Investigate precalculus topics such as the equation of a line, graphing polynomials, Pythagorean Theorem, trigonometric functions, etc. • Understand the fundamental notion of a limit from a formal or informal point of view. • Study rates of change using the ideas from differential calculus (e.g., secant and tangent lines, derivatives, Mean Value Theorem, Newton's method, etc.) • Calculate the area of a region or surface, length of a curve, and volume of a solid using the techniques of integral calculus. • Interact with parametric and polar curves (e.g., slopes, areas, arc lengths, etc.) • Learn about sequences and series (geometric, harmonic, alternating, etc.) and approximate functions using Taylor polynomials. • Future releases to include more features, topics, and background information on each topic. FEATURES: • Customize each topic by changing any function, variable, and/or interval and by selecting from a variety of options. • Save current settings for each topic under the Options menu for easy retrieval. • Interact with every graph (drag to change the value of a variable or to move/rotate the graph, pinch to zoom, etc.) • Universal App (requires iOS 10 or later running on iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.) • Fully functional, built-in calculator. • No internet required, except for initial download and updates. • No in-app purchases or advertising.

Screenshots

Mathway4 screens
A Little Calculus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mathway at Free against A Little Calculus's $0.99. Mathway also leads on ratings volume (425K vs 15) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months). A Little Calculus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Mathway is free to download; A Little Calculus costs $0.99 up front. Mathway sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. A Little Calculus asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mathway holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mathway has 425K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of Mathway's written reviews are positive against 75% of A Little Calculus's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mathway ships an update every 4 weeks, A Little Calculus every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Mathway versus A Little Calculus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMathwayA Little Calculus
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.9 (425K ratings) — better4.6 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews50.6% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings425K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#114 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChegg, Inc.David Little

Customer experience

Mathway

All ratings424,600 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews540 reviews
Positive50.6%
Neutral5.6%
Negative43.9%

A Little Calculus

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

Mathway

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

A Little Calculus

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Mathway

Subscriptions8
  • Steps (Monthly)3 variants$9.991 Month
  • Steps (Monthly)3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Steps (Monthly)7 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Steps (Monthly)$19.991 Month
  • Steps (Annual)$39.991 Year
  • Steps (Annual)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Steps (Annual)7 Days trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Steps (Annual)$79.991 Year
None

A Little Calculus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mathway free?
Mathway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is A Little Calculus free?
A Little Calculus costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mathway or A Little Calculus?
Mathway is rated higher. Mathway averages 4.9 out of 5 from 425K ratings, while A Little Calculus averages 4.6 from 15 ratings.
Do Mathway or A Little Calculus have ads?
Mathway shows ads; A Little Calculus does not.
Which is updated more often, Mathway or A Little Calculus?
Mathway ships an update every 4 weeks, and A Little Calculus every 4 months. Most recently, Mathway was updated on September 25, 2026 and A Little Calculus on August 15, 2026.

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