The best homework help apps of 2026: answer-first vs learn-first

The best homework help app depends on whether you need an answer or need to learn it. Answer-first apps (Photomath, Mathway, Gauth, Brainly, Studdy, Answer.AI) are fastest for checking work, especially maths from a photo. Learn-first options (Khan Academy, ChatGPT study mode, Ask Poppy) make you do the thinking, which is what helps on a test. In a 2025 high-school maths study, students given unrestricted ChatGPT did worse on the later exam, while a hint-giving version did not hurt. Use a solver to check, and a tutor to learn.

Try Ask Poppy free

Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help for kids around 7 to 10, and teens and adults too: it asks what you have tried and gives one hint at a time, so you learn how to find the answer. Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store) · iPhone, iPad, Mac

Disclosure: this page is written by the Ask Poppy team, and Ask Poppy is one of the options. Competitor facts come from each company's own pages or its US App Store listing (checked Oct 2026) and are linked so you can verify them. We haven't run a controlled test of any of these tools, ours included.

9 homework help apps compared

	Type	What you get first	Subjects	App Store (US)	Price (US)
Photomath	Answer-first	Solution with step-by-step explanation from a photo	Maths	4+; 4.8 (733k ratings)	Free; Plus via subscription
Mathway	Answer-first	Answer; steps with a subscription	Maths, some sciences	4+; 4.9 (425k ratings)	Free; Premium via subscription
Gauth	Answer-first	Solved problem from a photo, explained; voice Live Tutor	Maths, science, more	4+; 4.8 (1.53M ratings)	Free; Plus $11.99/month
Brainly	Answer-first	Community and AI answers	Most school subjects	12+; 4.7 (284k ratings)	Free; Plus via subscription
Studdy	Answer-first, with explanation	Step-by-step explanation of a scanned problem; video, 1:1 lessons	Maths, science	4+; 4.8 (12.8k ratings)	Free download; in-app purchases
Answer.AI	Answer-first, with explanation	Step-by-step breakdowns	Most subjects	4+; 4.7 (166k ratings)	Free download; Pro plan
Khan Academy	Learn-first	Lessons, videos and practice; Khanmigo tutor on the web ($4/month, US)	Maths, science, humanities	12+; 4.6 (113k ratings)	Free
ChatGPT study mode	Learn-first (when on)	Questions, hints and quizzes; can be toggled off	Anything	12+ (terms 13+); 4.8 (11.6M ratings)	Free
Ask Poppy	Learn-first	Asks what you've tried, then one hint at a time, by voice	Anything; curriculum goals for 7 countries	4+; 5.0 (4 ratings); new	Free 30 messages a day; $3.99/week or $9.99/month

Ratings are US App Store averages and counts on 26 Oct 2026, rounded. "Answer-first" describes what the app shows first per its own listing, not its quality; most also explain steps. Paid plan prices vary; check the listing.

What reviewers complain about

We classified 791 critical (1–3★) public App Store reviews of seven homework and study apps. Wrong answers were the top complaint, then paywalls and usage limits, then photo-scanning problems. Counts, method and a CSV are in Homework app reviews 2026: what 791 complaints say. Whatever app you use, check important answers.

How to use a homework app without losing the learning

Try first, for ten honest minutes.
Use a hint, not the answer: our free hint ladder works with any AI.
Check the answer with a second method: 2-minute AI answer check.
Explain it back without the screen, then do one more similar problem.

For children around 7 to 10

Most apps above are built for teens and adults, and ChatGPT requires users to be 13. At this age, the parent is usually part of homework help. Start with how to help without giving the answer, read whether an 8 or 9-year-old should use ChatGPT, and use the two-minute homework check whatever app you choose. Weighing paid help? See AI tutor vs human tutor.

Who should pick which

Pick Photomath, Mathway or Gauth if

you need to check a maths answer quickly, and you'll then redo the problem yourself.

Pick Khan Academy if

you want free, structured lessons to fill a gap.

Pick ChatGPT study mode if

you're 13+ and want a free tutor for any subject; keep study mode on.

Pick Ask Poppy if

you'd rather talk through homework out loud and want hints to be the only mode, on Apple devices. You can turn a school plan, photo, PDF or link into tasks.

More: Photomath alternatives that teach the method · Ask Poppy vs Brainly · Is ChatGPT study mode good for homework?

Want help that leaves the thinking to you? Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help, built first for kids around 7 to 10 and their parents. Your child talks the question through, and Poppy asks what they've tried and gives one hint at a time instead of handing over the answer, so they learn how to find it. Parents set up each child's profile and can see their conversations, and memory can be turned off per child. Teens and adults use it too. A one-button, screen-free Poppy device is in development.

Free, 30 messages a day on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional subscription. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)

Try Ask Poppy free See the screen-free device

Questions

What is the best homework help app in 2026?

For checking a maths answer fast, Photomath, Mathway or Gauth. For understanding how to do it yourself, ChatGPT study mode or Gemini Guided Learning (free), Khan Academy (free courses) or Ask Poppy (voice, guides with questions). Answer-first apps are fast; learn-first apps help more on the test.

Which homework app is best for maths?

Photomath and Mathway are the established maths solvers, and Gauth and Studdy explain from a photo. If you want to be able to do the next problem alone, use a solver only to check, or use a tutor that gives hints.

Is using a homework help app cheating?

Checking your answer or learning a method usually isn't. Copying an answer you couldn't produce yourself, or using AI where a teacher said no, is. See our parent's guide to AI and cheating.

Which homework apps can explain the reasoning behind an answer?

Most can show steps: Photomath, Mathway, Gauth and Brainly explain a worked solution, usually after showing the answer. Tools that ask the learner to do the reasoning, such as ChatGPT study mode, Gemini Guided Learning, Khanmigo and Ask Poppy, ask questions and give hints first. If you want your child to be able to explain the method, pick the second kind and ask them to explain it back to you.

Which chatbots are best for answering homework questions?

For learners 13 and over, ChatGPT (with study mode on) and Gemini (with Guided Learning) are free and capable; Claude requires users to be 18. General chatbots are not built for younger children, and ChatGPT requires users to be 13, so for a 7 to 10 year old use one side by side with a parent, or a tool made for children with parent visibility. Whichever you use, check important answers: wrong answers were the top complaint in our review analysis.

What do users complain about in homework apps?

In our analysis of 791 critical (1 to 3 star) App Store reviews of Photomath, Brainly, Gauth, Khan Academy, Quizlet, ChatGPT and a third-party Socratic AI app, wrong answers were the top complaint, followed by paywalls and usage limits, then photo-scanning problems. The aggregate counts and method are published on our homework app reviews page.

Related comparisons

By Simon Dreyer, founder of Ask Poppy · Last updated 12 November 2026 · How we write these pages