Comparison
ChatGPT vs Photomath
ChatGPT: The world's most popular AI chatbot, built by OpenAI. Photomath: Photograph a maths problem and get it solved step by step.
| ChatGPT | Photomath | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Price | Freemium Plus plan from $20/month. Free plan available. | Freemium Free with unlimited basic steps and no account needed. Photomath Plus $9.99/month or $69.99/year (animated explanations and textbooks). |
| Free plan | ||
| API available | ||
| Open source | ||
| In Spanish | ||
| No watermark | — | — |
| Platforms | Web · Windows · Mac · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android |
ChatGPT or Photomath?
Photomath solves one very specific problem and does it better: point the camera at the exercise — printed or handwritten — and it breaks it down step by step, free and without an account. ChatGPT also solves maths and much more, but you have to type the problem in and it makes more arithmetic mistakes than a specialised tool.
Choose ChatGPT if…
You need help across several subjects or want it to also explain the underlying theory.
Choose Photomath if…
It is only for maths and you want to photograph the exercise instead of typing it.
ChatGPT
- The most complete ecosystem: voice, images, file analysis
- Excellent in Spanish
- Apps for every platform
- The free plan has strict usage limits
- It can make up facts (hallucinations)
Photomath
- Solves from a photo, even handwritten
- Basic steps free, unlimited and with no account required
- Works in several languages, Spanish included
- Animated and textbook-specific explanations require Plus
- Limited to maths: it does not cover other subjects
The differences that actually matter
Maths specialist versus general assistant
Photomath solves maths problems with its own engine and shows the procedure step by step, consistently. ChatGPT reasons, and in maths reasoning without calculating leads to arithmetic errors that sound convincing. For operations and equations, the specialist is more reliable.
Photographing the problem
Photomath is built around pointing the camera at the exercise in the book. ChatGPT also reads images, but the experience of scanning a page full of exercises and working through them one by one is far more polished in the specialist.
What happens when the problem is not calculation
For a problem with a long wording, context and several possible readings, ChatGPT understands better what is being asked. Photomath shines at the mechanical and gets lost in the interpretive. Many students end up using both depending on the exercise type.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT get maths wrong?
Less than it used to, but yes, especially in long calculations and intermediate arithmetic steps. The problem is that the error comes wrapped in reasoning that looks correct. If the result matters, check the operations or ask it to verify them separately.
Is Photomath for learning or just copying?
It shows the full procedure, so it works for understanding a method you are stuck on. Whether it gets used for copying depends on the student, not the app. The warning sign is using it without having attempted the exercise first.