Comparison

Desmos Test Mode vs MathPapa

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

Head to head
About

Desmos Test Mode

This app provides restricted versions of graphing and scientific calculators designed to meet exam requirements. It allows users to practice for specific state or national assessments by selecting the appropriate test mode. Full, unrestricted calculator features are available in separate applications.

Highlights
  • Exam-compliant calculator modes
  • Graphing capabilities
  • Scientific calculator functions
  • Data tables and statistics
  • Interactive sliders
  • Points of interest on graphs
Read full description

** These are restricted versions of the Desmos Calculators that comply with exam requirements. To prepare for specific state or national assessments, select the corresponding test from the menu in the app. Find out whether Desmos is used for your test at www.desmos.com/testing. If you’d like to use full, unrestricted versions of the calculators, download the Scientific or Graphing Calculator apps or visit www.desmos.com. ** At Desmos, we imagine a world of universal math literacy where math is accessible and enjoyable for all students. To that end, we’ve built simple yet powerful calculators. They’re intuitive, beautiful, and completely free. - - - Graphing Calculator Features: Graphing: Plot polar, Cartesian, and parametric graphs. There’s no limit to how many expressions you can graph at one time—and you don’t even need to enter expressions in y= form! Sliders: Adjust values interactively to build intuition, or animate any parameter to visualize its effect on the graph. Tables: Input and plot data, or create an input-output table for any function. Statistics: Use regressions to find the lines (or other curves!) that best fit your data. Zooming: Scale the axes independently or at the same time with the pinch of two fingers, or edit the window size manually to get the perfect view of your graph. Points of Interest: Touch a curve to show its maximum and minimum values, intercepts, and points of intersection with other curves. Tap any of these points of interest to see their coordinates. Hold and drag along a curve to see the coordinates change under your finger as you trace. - - - Scientific Calculator Features: Variables: Assign values to variables that you can use in other expressions. Since all of your work is held in the expressions list, you can compute a value once and use it in many places simultaneously. Take advantage of the “ans” key, which always stores the value of the previous expression. Arithmetic: Beyond the four basic operations, the scientific calculator also supports exponentiation, radicals, absolute value, logarithms, rounding, and percentages. Trigonometry: Evaluate the fundamental trigonometric functions and their inverses using either radians or degrees for angle measure. Statistics: Compute the mean and standard deviation (sample or population) of a list of data. Combinatorics: Count combinations and permutations and calculate factorials. - - - Four-Function Calculator Features: Simple and Beautiful: Just the basics done right. Add, subtract, multiply, divide, and take square roots. Multiple Expressions: Unlike many four-function calculators, all of your previous work remains visible on the screen. The special “ans” key always holds the value of the previous computation (and updates automatically!), so you never have to remember or copy a result.

About

MathPapa

This app provides step-by-step solutions to algebra problems, helping users understand how to solve equations and inequalities. It can also graph equations, factor expressions, and evaluate mathematical expressions.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step equation solving
  • Linear and quadratic equation solver
  • Linear and quadratic inequality solver
  • Equation graphing
  • Quadratic expression factoring
  • Order of operations
  • Expression evaluation
Features
Read full description

SOLVE your algebra problems step-by-step with MathPapa! MathPapa can solve your equations (and show the work!) and help you when you're stuck on your math homework. FEATURES: • Solves linear equations and quadratic equations. • Solves linear and quadratic inequalities. • Graphs equations. • Factors quadratic expressions. • Order of operations step-by-step. • Evaluates expressions. • Solves systems of two equations. STEP-BY-STEP SOLUTIONS: MathPapa's goal is to help you learn algebra step-by-step. Get help on your algebra problems with the MathPapa Algebra Calculator! HOW TO USE THE CALCULATOR: Just type your problem into the text box. For example, enter 3x+5=17 into the text box to get a step-by-step explanation of how to solve 3x+5=17. MATH SYMBOLS: Here are some symbols that the calculator understands: + (Addition) - (Subtraction) * (Multiplication) / (Division) ^ (Exponent: "raised to the power") √ (Square Root) |x| (Absolute Value of x) MATHPAPA PREMIUM PRICING AND TERMS: For MathPapa Premium, there is a Monthly subscription for $9.99. This price is for U.S. customers. Pricing in other countries may vary. Subscriptions will be charged via your iTunes account at the end of the free trial. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled in Account Settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Unused portion of Free Trial, if offered, is forfeited after purchase. For more information, read our Terms and Privacy Policy: Terms of Service: https://www.mathpapa.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://www.mathpapa.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Desmos Test Mode4 screens
MathPapa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MathPapa at 78% against Desmos Test Mode's 17%. MathPapa also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.6) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Desmos Test Mode's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads and 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

Both are free to download. MathPapa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Desmos Test Mode asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MathPapa holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MathPapa has 17K ratings behind it against 368, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Desmos Test Mode's written reviews are positive against 78% of MathPapa's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Desmos Test Mode ships an update every 4 months, MathPapa every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Desmos Test Mode versus MathPapa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesmos Test ModeMathPapa
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.6 (368 ratings)4.7 (17K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.5% of reviews77.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36817K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDesmosMathPapa, Inc.

Customer experience

Desmos Test Mode

All ratings368 ratings
Positive14.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative83.2%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive16.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative78.4%

MathPapa

All ratings17,045 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.5%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews189 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral7.4%
Negative14.8%

User reviews

Desmos Test Mode

From 368 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Useful app for tests
  • 🔒 Secure calculator mode
  • 👍 Free alternative to expensive calculators

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🔒 Overly restrictive app lock
  • 👎 Poor user interface and usability

MathPapa

From 17K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Solves any expression or equation
  • 👍 Provides step-by-step solutions
  • 👍 Graphs functions
  • 👍 Helpful for homework and understanding concepts
  • 🚀 Saves time on homework

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription required for step-by-step solutions
  • 💰 Expensive subscription at $10/month
  • 👎 Limited number of step-by-step solutions in free version
  • 👎 Subscription is not affordable for some students
  • 👎 Subscription model is disappointing compared to previous free version

Bugs and requests

Desmos Test Mode

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and freezes during use
  • Unexpected phone behavior and lockouts
  • Compatibility issues across different devices and OS versions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add customization options for the calculator interface
  • Improve compatibility with older devices
  • Provide more flexible calculator modes during tests

MathPapa

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Doesn't always recognize certain input formats
  • Step-by-step solutions not always available even with subscription

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add history/log of past calculations
  • Support for more math functions like differentiation and integration
  • Ability to input expressions with exponents as expressions
  • Option to display answers in different formats (decimal, fraction, mixed number)
  • Ability to take a photo of a problem and have it solved

In-app purchases

None

Desmos Test Mode

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MathPapa

Subscriptions1
  • MathPapa Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
One-time1
  • MathPapa Pro Upgrade$49.99

Questions

Is Desmos Test Mode free?
Desmos Test Mode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MathPapa free?
MathPapa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Desmos Test Mode or MathPapa?
MathPapa is rated higher. Desmos Test Mode averages 1.6 out of 5 from 368 ratings, while MathPapa averages 4.7 from 17K ratings.
Do Desmos Test Mode or MathPapa have ads?
Neither Desmos Test Mode nor MathPapa shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Desmos Test Mode or MathPapa?
Desmos Test Mode ships an update every 4 months, and MathPapa every 3 weeks. Most recently, Desmos Test Mode was updated on September 10, 2026 and MathPapa on September 23, 2026.

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