📝 Study and homework tools · ➗ Math apps and platforms
Mathway
By Chegg. Visit Mathway
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A math problem solver from Chegg. A student types a problem or snaps a photo, picks a subject from basic math through calculus, statistics, chemistry or physics, and gets the answer. The free version gives answers and some steps; a subscription unlocks the full worked steps for every problem. There are also dozens of free calculators and a graphing tool. In practice it is mostly used to check or finish homework.
Our take: Fine for an older student checking work they have already tried, but a poor fit for younger kids or anyone likely to copy answers; families wanting explanations should look at tools built to teach.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 2 out of 5 | Programmatic ads and Taboola sponsored links (leading to sites like usa-viral.com and topsseek.com) loaded, and a full-screen internships.com ad covered the solver on the first screen. |
|---|---|
| Data: 1 out of 5 | The first visit contacted 18 ad networks and data brokers / ID-sync services (id5, LiveRamp/rlcdn, Tapad, liadm) plus Facebook, Snapchat and LinkedIn trackers, and set 112 cookies before any consent. |
| Ease: 2 out of 5 | The math keypad is there, but an app-download bar, a full-screen ad and a privacy pop-up stack on top of it on a phone. |
| Cost honesty: 3 out of 5 | Says free step-by-step solutions, but pushes the app and paid features; payment services (Recurly, Amazon Pay) loaded. |
What we found
- Contacted 69 outside sites; 18 were known ad networks and 13 trackers.
- Set 112 cookies, with third-party cookies from 29 domains, before any consent.
- Data brokers / ID-sync services fired: id5-sync, rlcdn (LiveRamp), tapad, liadm.
- The screenshot shows a full-screen internships.com ad and an opt-out notice over the problem box.
- Taboola sponsored links led to sites including usa-viral.com, topsseek.com and tsttrk1.com.
From the test: A homework answer machine for teens that is wrapped in heavy ad tracking and clickbait links; not a site to hand a child.
| Ages it suits | about 12-18 and college |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Chegg's terms, which cover Mathway, say the services are for ages 13 and up; anyone between 13 and adulthood must review the terms with a parent. The same terms say Chegg's AI features are only for users 18 or older. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free answers; full steps need a subscription. In the iPhone app, Steps costs $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with some listed tiers up to $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year (USD, Oct 2026). Subscriptions renew automatically. |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | Mathway calls itself AI-powered: it reads photos of problems and computes step-by-step solutions. |
What's good
- Covers arithmetic through calculus, chemistry and physics
- Photo input reads printed and handwritten problems
- Free calculators and graphing
- Basic use needs no account
Watch for
- Easy to copy answers without learning the method
- Full steps sit behind an auto-renewing subscription
- Ads on Android and cross-app tracking on iPhone
- Chegg's terms put AI features at 18+ while the app store rates it 4+
Data and privacy
Chegg's privacy policy blocked automated reading, so it was not checked. Chegg's terms say anything typed into its AI-assisted features may be used to train Chegg's AI, and the iPhone listing says contact info, identifiers and usage data may be used to track users across other companies' apps. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found. The maker says it has solved more than 5 billion problems.
In the Big Index
- On the list 16 AI math helpers: the ones that teach and the ones that just answer
- The maker in the who's who: Chegg
Alternatives to Mathway
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
99math
99math (Estonia) · ages about 5-14 (grades K-8)
A low-effort, free way for teachers to make fact practice lively; parents of kids who dislike timed competition may want a calmer tool.
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ABCmouse
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages about 2-6 (preschool to kindergarten)
A full preschool program for families who want one paid app; cancel carefully and watch the reward loop.
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ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
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Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
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ALEKS
McGraw Hill (ALEKS Corporation) · ages school-age students through college (K-12 and higher ed courses)
A rigorous, mastery-based option for motivated older students or homeschoolers; younger or easily bored kids may prefer something more playful.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
AoPS Online
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS Incorporated) · ages grades 5-12 (about 10-18)
A strong fit for a child who loves hard math and wants contest prep; a child who is behind in math needs something gentler.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.mathway.com/
- https://www.chegg.com/en-US/termsofuse
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mathway-math-problem-solver/id467329677
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bagatrix.mathway.android&hl=en_US
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.