Comparison

WolframAlpha vs MIT App Inventor

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

Head to head
About

WolframAlpha

This app serves as a powerful computational knowledge engine for homework and research. It offers comprehensive support across numerous academic subjects, from math and physics to biology and economics. Unlock advanced features like step-by-step solutions and photo input for a more in-depth learning experience.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step solutions with hints
  • Photo input for math problems
  • Input Assistants for various subjects
  • Thousands of covered domains
  • Homework and exam preparation
Features
Read full description

Get the WolframAlpha app, the ultimate tool for homework and research. Whether you're in high school or college, Wolfram|Alpha is the tool you need to stay ahead of the curve. You can prepare for exams; get help with homework; and learn, explore and test your skills. Famous for math and physics, Wolfram|Alpha is also a whiz at chemistry, biology, engineering, economics, astronomy, statistics and much more. Featuring: • Step-by-step solutions: With hints, intermediate steps and methods of solving • Photo input: You can now use your camera to input math problems • Input Assistants: Our most popular course, reference and professional assistants • Thousands of domains: The most extensive topic coverage available—with more continually added—to get you to answers faster Subscription Details: Become a Wolfram|Alpha Pro member to unlock step-by-step solutions, photo input, Input Assistants and more. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscription fees are $9.99 per month or up to $59.99 per year depending on your plan. You can manage your Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription by visiting the iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription. Privacy policy: https://www.wolfram.com/legal/privacy/wolfram Terms of use: https://www.wolframalpha.com/termsofuse

About

MIT App Inventor

Learn programming and build mobile applications using a visual, block-based interface. This educational tool helps users understand computational thinking and design their own projects, with built-in tutorials and over 60 components for diverse app creation.

Highlights
  • Visual block-based programming
  • Mobile app development
  • Computational thinking education
  • Built-in tutorials
  • Over 60 app components
  • Project testing and debugging
Features
Read full description

MIT App Inventor is an educational tool to learn computational thinking and computational action principles through building mobile apps. Used by over one million people worldwide every year, it is one of the premier platforms for computer science education. Use this companion app to test drive projects, debug blocks code, and show your friends and family your creations. Using a blocks based programming language, design and code your own projects, or use one of the many books and curricula to learn about coding. App Inventor also includes built-in tutorials for running student workshops. This version of App Inventor includes over 60 components, from user interface elements such as buttons and switches, to sensors, connectivity and multimedia components so your projects can interact with the world.

Screenshots

WolframAlpha4 screens
MIT App Inventor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MIT App Inventor at none against WolframAlpha's 6. MIT App Inventor also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). WolframAlpha's advantage is ratings volume (129 vs 7) and review sentiment (35% vs 20%). On price, rating, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. WolframAlpha sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. MIT App Inventor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WolframAlpha holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WolframAlpha has 129 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of WolframAlpha's written reviews are positive against 20% of MIT App Inventor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WolframAlpha ships an update every 2 months, MIT App Inventor every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
WolframAlpha versus MIT App Inventor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWolframAlphaMIT App Inventor
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (129 ratings) — better2.6 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews35.2% of reviews — better19.6% of reviews
Number of ratings129 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size366 MB49 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperWolfram Group LLCMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Customer experience

WolframAlpha

All ratings129 ratings
Positive41.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative51.9%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive35.2%
Neutral9.4%
Negative55.4%

MIT App Inventor

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews663 reviews
Positive19.6%
Neutral3.3%
Negative77.1%

User reviews

WolframAlpha

From 129 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful search engine
  • 📚 Comprehensive information
  • 🔍 Helpful for math and other subjects
  • ⭐ Essential app for students and professionals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 📵 Limited functionality in free version
  • 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive to use

MIT App Inventor

From 7 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 💡 Great for learning and creating apps
  • 👍 Useful for school and coding classes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔌 Connectivity issues, especially with iOS devices
  • 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
  • ⚠️ Unreliable and glitchy performance

Bugs and requests

WolframAlpha

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Search bar issues and crashes
  • Incorrect or incomplete results

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved handwritten math recognition
  • Better integration with Siri
  • More customization options

MIT App Inventor

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App frequently crashes or freezes
  • Connectivity problems when trying to test apps
  • Inconsistent behavior and unexpected errors

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved compatibility with modern devices and operating systems
  • More intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • Better error handling and debugging tools

In-app purchases

6 purchases

WolframAlpha

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro for Students Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro for Educators Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro for Students Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro for Educators Yearly$59.991 Year
None

MIT App Inventor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WolframAlpha free?
WolframAlpha is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MIT App Inventor free?
MIT App Inventor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WolframAlpha or MIT App Inventor?
WolframAlpha is rated higher. WolframAlpha averages 2.8 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while MIT App Inventor averages 2.6 from 7 ratings.
Do WolframAlpha or MIT App Inventor have ads?
Neither WolframAlpha nor MIT App Inventor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WolframAlpha or MIT App Inventor?
WolframAlpha ships an update every 2 months, and MIT App Inventor every 3 months. Most recently, WolframAlpha was updated on September 25, 2026 and MIT App Inventor on September 27, 2026.

Other comparisons