# Brainly vs Symbolab

The clearest difference is ads: Symbolab at none against Brainly's shown. Symbolab also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Brainly's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (284K vs 26K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brainly sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Symbolab sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 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 — 4.7 for Brainly against 4.6 for Symbolab. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainly has 284K ratings behind it against 26K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Brainly's written reviews are positive against 60% of Symbolab's.

Brainly ships an update weekly, Symbolab monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brainly | Symbolab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (284K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainly-your-personal-tutor/id745089947/reviews)** | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbolab-ai-math-solver-app/id876942533/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **284K** | 26K |
| Positive reviews | 55.1% of reviews | **60.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#109** | — |
| Size | 207 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brainly sp. z o o](https://appshunter.io/developer/585621527) | [Symbolab](https://appshunter.io/developer/876942536) |

## What reviewers say

### Brainly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainly-your-personal-tutor/id745089947)

**Currently charting:** #109 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app provides 24/7 on-demand tutoring for K-12 students in subjects like math, science, and English. It combines human tutors with AI support to offer step-by-step explanations for homework and test preparation, aiming for guaranteed grade improvement.

**Highlights:** 24/7 on-demand tutoring, Human tutors and AI support, Step-by-step explanations, Homework help, Test preparation, Math, science, English support, K-12 coverage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brainly Plus, Monthly | $2.00 | per month |
| Brainly Plus, Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Brainly Plus, Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Brainly Plus, Semi-annual | $13.49 | per 6 months |
| Brainly Plus, Annual | $15.00 | per year |
| Brainly Plus, Annual | $16.99 | per year |
| Brainly Tutor, Monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Brainly Plus, Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Brainly Tutor, Annual | $95.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for homework and understanding concepts
- 👍 Detailed step-by-step explanations
- 👍 Responsive community of users
- 👍 Useful for various subjects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs in the app
- 💰 Paywall for full access and tutoring
- 🤖 Inaccurate or irrelevant answers from some users
- 🤖 Moderation issues with inappropriate content
- 🤖 Difficulty canceling subscriptions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or freezing
- Issues with login and account management
- Problems with uploading images and scanning questions
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to delete or edit questions and answers
- Option to sort questions by grade level
- Improved notification system
- Better integration between app and website
- More effective moderation and content control


### Symbolab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbolab-ai-math-solver-app/id876942533)

Solve any math problem by typing it in or taking a photo. Get step-by-step solutions for subjects from pre-algebra to calculus. This AI-powered tool offers personalized learning and insights for over 300 million users.

**Highlights:** Photo math solver, Step-by-step solutions, Calculus calculator, Graphing calculator, Trigonometry solver, AI-powered learning

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Universal Weekly Subscription | $2.49 | per 7 days |
| Universal Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Universal Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Universal ½-Year Subscription | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Universal ½-Year Subscription | $32.99 | per 6 months |
| Universal Yearly Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Universal Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| All features with no ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful step-by-step solutions
- 🚀 Accurate calculations
- 👍 Saves time on homework and studying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🐛 Camera feature issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Difficulty canceling subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Calculation errors
- Frequent crashes
- Connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Add more math topics and problem types
- Improve keyboard and input functionality
- Provide more free features without subscription
- Optimize app for larger screens (iPad)
- Add ability to save and review past calculations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brainly free?

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

### Is Symbolab free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Brainly or Symbolab?

Brainly is rated higher. Brainly averages 4.7 out of 5 from 284K ratings, while Symbolab averages 4.6 from 26K ratings.

### Do Brainly or Symbolab have ads?

Brainly shows ads; Symbolab does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brainly or Symbolab?

Brainly ships an update weekly, and Symbolab monthly. Most recently, Brainly was updated on October 27, 2026 and Symbolab on October 26, 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.*