# WolframAlpha vs MIT App Inventor

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | WolframAlpha | MIT App Inventor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.8 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wolframalpha/id548861535/reviews)** | [2.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mit-app-inventor/id1422709355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **129** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **35.2% of reviews** | 19.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 366 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wolfram Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/715130979) | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/353590322) |

## What reviewers say

### WolframAlpha

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wolframalpha/id548861535)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro for Students Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro for Educators Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Pro for Students Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Pro for Educators Yearly | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved handwritten math recognition
- Better integration with Siri
- More customization options


### MIT App Inventor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mit-app-inventor/id1422709355)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*