# My Study Mate vs PhotoSolve

The clearest difference is monetization model: My Study Mate at free with in-app purchases against PhotoSolve's subscription. My Study Mate also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). PhotoSolve's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 385). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. My Study Mate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PhotoSolve sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

My Study Mate holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 385 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of My Study Mate's written reviews are positive against 72% of PhotoSolve's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

My Study Mate ships an update every 3 days, PhotoSolve monthly. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Study Mate | PhotoSolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (385 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-study-mate/id6445838759/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photosolve-answer-pic-solver/id6446626229/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 385 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **72.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 90 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OAK Computing](https://appshunter.io/developer/359159501) | [ZipoApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671444635) |

## What reviewers say

### My Study Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-study-mate/id6445838759)

Snap a photo of any homework assignment, problem, or question to receive a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how to solve it. This app provides instant assistance for a wide range of academic challenges.

**Highlights:** Photo homework solver, Step-by-step solutions, Problem explanation, Question solver, Instant academic assistance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| monthly-ios | $9.99 | per month |
| yearly plan | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate answers
- 👍 Clear explanations
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for studying
- 👍 Solves tough problems

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Camera misunderstands pictures
- 🐛 Random words/signs in output
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Sometimes doesn't answer
- 🐛 Incorrect answers on obvious questions

**Reported bugs**

- Camera doesn't fully understand picture
- App sits and loads forever
- Came up with its own answer
- Does not detect the question correctly
- Can't open the app on a new phone

**Requested features**

- Enhance camera understanding
- Improve question detection
- Fix slow loading
- Ensure consistent answering
- More upgrades to enhance features


### PhotoSolve

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photosolve-answer-pic-solver/id6446626229)

Instantly solve homework and academic questions by simply taking a photo. Get correct answers with detailed explanations to help you learn and understand any subject. This app acts as a comprehensive learning companion for all your academic queries.

**Highlights:** Scan and solve any query, Detailed explanations for learning, Homework and assignment assistance, Instant solutions for any topic, Learn from detailed answers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Homework Helper Unlock Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Homework Helper Unlock Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Homework Help: Monthly Access | $3.99 | per month |
| PhotoSolve Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PhotoSolve Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Homework Help: Monthly Access | $6.99 | per month |
| Unlock Pic solver Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlock Yearly Homework Solver | $14.99 | per year |
| Unlock Yearly Homework Solver | $24.99 | per year |
| Unlock Yearly Homework Solver | $34.99 | per year |
| Access SolveNow Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| PhotoSolve Lifetime Premium | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for homework and tests
- 👍 Reliable and accurate answers
- 💡 Useful for when you forget homework
- 🚀 Provides great explanations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with inputting full problems
- 🔋 Too many ads
- 💰 Limited free usage, need to pay for full access

**Reported bugs**

- App stops working or glitches
- Inaccurate scanning and problem-solving

**Requested features**

- Allow inputting full problems
- Reduce ads or offer ad-free version
- Expand free usage limits


## Frequently asked questions

### Is My Study Mate free?

My Study Mate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PhotoSolve free?

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

### Which has better reviews, My Study Mate or PhotoSolve?

My Study Mate is rated higher. My Study Mate averages 4.7 out of 5 from 385 ratings, while PhotoSolve averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do My Study Mate or PhotoSolve have ads?

Both My Study Mate and PhotoSolve show ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Study Mate or PhotoSolve?

My Study Mate ships an update every 3 days, and PhotoSolve monthly. Most recently, My Study Mate was updated on July 5, 2026 and PhotoSolve on September 22, 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.*