Report updated May 7, 2026
Mathway: Math Problem Solver
For students, parents, and teachers requiring on-demand math assistance and homework support.
Mathway: Math Problem Solver is a struggling education app that is available. With a 4.9/5 rating from 424.8K reviews, it struggles with user retention. Users particularly appreciate step by step equation breakdown helps students grasp difficult mathematical concepts independently, though persistent cookie consent overlay blocks critical answer visibility on mobile screens remains a common concern.
What is Mathway: Math Problem Solver?
Mathway is a multi-subject math calculator for students and teachers, providing camera-based problem solving and step-by-step explanations on iOS.
Users hire Mathway to bridge the gap between getting a final answer and understanding the underlying mathematical concept, reducing the friction of homework completion.
Current Momentum
v5.14 · 3w ago
Maintenance- Added physics subject support.
- Optimized snap-and-solve camera feature.
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Snap a photo of a math problem to receive an instant solution via optical character recognition
Provides detailed breakdowns of the solution process rather than just the final answer
Specialized calculators for algebra, graphing, calculus, and physics
Interface and content available in 15 languages including Spanish, French, Chinese, and Arabic
How much does it cost?
- Free tier with ad support
- Premium subscription for unlimited access to step-by-step breakdowns
Freemium model uses step-by-step explanations as the primary value gate to convert free users to paid subscribers.
Who Built It?
Chegg
Providing students with on-demand academic support and step-by-step problem solving for STEM and core subjects.
Portfolio
3
Apps
What other apps does Chegg make?
Explore the full Chegg report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Chegg.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · 50 reviews analyzed · Based on 50 reviews. Signal may be noisy.
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a upset sentiment. Users appreciate step by step equation breakdown helps students grasp difficult mathematical concepts independently and snap and solve camera feature provides quick homework assistance for complex equations, but report persistent cookie consent overlay blocks critical answer visibility on mobile screens and frequent forced sign in cycles disrupt homework flow and user retention.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Mathway: Math Problem Solver?
How's The Education Market?
How does it evolve in the Education market?
Mathway holds the #98 Grossing position in its US category. The gap between its high user rating and recent sentiment collapse signals that technical regressions are actively suppressing its monetization potential.
Rank progression
43 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
The primary direct competitor offering identical camera-based math solving and step-by-step explanations with a massive user base.
Differentiators
- Google-backed AI integration
- High-frequency release cadence
Head to head
Mathway must pivot from a static solver to an interactive AI tutor to counter Photomath's rapid feature velocity. Prioritize conversational AI feedback loops to match the 'chat-first' UX trend currently winning over Gen-Z students.
Contenders(3)
Mathpresso
A leading global competitor that uses OCR technology to solve math problems and connect students with tutors.
Differentiators
- Instant tutor connectivity
- Strong regional market penetration
Brainly sp. z o. o.
Combines a massive community Q&A platform with automated math solving tools to support student homework.
Differentiators
- Peer-to-peer community verification
- Large-scale crowdsourced knowledge base
Google LLC
AI-driven homework assistant that uses camera input to provide explanations for math and other subjects.
Differentiators
- Cross-subject support beyond math
- Google Search integration
Same space(4)
Course Hero, Inc.
A broader academic support platform that competes with Mathway's parent company (Chegg) for student subscriptions.
Differentiators
- Document-based study resources
- Broad academic subject coverage
GeoGebra
An interactive geometry, algebra, and calculus tool used widely in educational settings.
Differentiators
- Advanced geometry construction tools
- Open-source educational ecosystem
Khan Academy
Provides the foundational educational content and practice that Mathway users seek to understand.
Differentiators
- Comprehensive curriculum-aligned content
- Non-profit educational mission
Desmos
The go-to tool for graphing and visual math, serving the same student demographic as Mathway.
Differentiators
- Industry-standard graphing engine
- High academic integrity/classroom adoption
Compare Mathway: Math Problem Solver against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Mathway: Math Problem Solver
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Multi-subject calculator suite provides utility across the entire academic curriculum
- Established brand trust in the dedicated math-solver niche
Critical Frictions
- Persistent cookie banner blocks primary value delivery
- Forced logout loops disrupt active study sessions
- Premium tier lacks conversational AI feedback
Growth Levers
- Integrate conversational AI tutors to match Gen-Z preference
- Expand B2B partnerships using the existing 15-language content library
Market Threats
- Google’s AI-first integration in Photomath and Socratic
- Rapid growth of LLM-based solvers like Question.AI
- Inconsistent accuracy leads to user distrust
What are the next best moves?
Remove persistent cookie banner because it blocks the primary answer-delivery mechanism → restore conversion rates
Top complaint theme in sentiment analysis
Trade-off: Pause the physics calculator UI polish — cookie banner has 5x the impact on revenue.
Audit authentication flow because forced logout loops are driving churn among subscribers → stabilize retention
High-frequency complaint in user reviews
Trade-off: Delay the multi-language expansion for minor languages — authentication stability is a critical retention blocker.
A counter-intuitive read
Mathway's #98 Grossing rank is a hidden risk, as maintenance-mode at the top of the category makes it more vulnerable to a single AI-first rival than a smaller app climbing the chart.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Conversational AI tutoring (available in Question.AI but absent here)
- Cross-subject AI assistance (available in Socratic but absent here)
Key Takeaways
Mathway retains a strong pedagogical foundation through step-by-step explanations, but the current UI regressions and lack of conversational AI leave it vulnerable to Google-backed rivals, so the PM must prioritize technical stability and AI-tutor integration to defend market share.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
The homework-help market is shifting toward conversational AI interfaces that provide immediate, context-aware assistance. Mathway's static pedagogical model and recent technical instability leave it exposed to faster-moving competitors, so the PM must pivot to conversational feedback loops to prevent further share loss.
Persistent UI obstructions in the latest update block answer visibility, which directly triggers user churn and negative rating spikes.
Forced logout loops during study sessions disrupt the core homework-help utility, eroding the trust required for long-term subscription retention.