Ask Poppy vs Photomath
Two ways to get help without being handed the answer. Here's what each actually does, what it costs, who it's for, and where Photomath is the better choice. (Disclosure: we make Ask Poppy. Facts about Photomath come from Google's own pages, as checked 18 Oct 2026, and are linked so you can verify them.)
Ask Poppy, the AI tutor that asks instead of tells. Free, 30 messages a day · iPhone, iPad, Mac
At a glance
| Photomath | Ask Poppy | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Google (seller on the App Store: Google LLC) | Poppy Labs AS (Oslo), a small, new team |
| What it is | A maths app: scan a problem with your camera and get the solution with step-by-step explanations (photomath.com) | An AI tutor and mentor app you talk to (hold to talk, it speaks back) or type to |
| Answers by default? | Yes. "A solution will pop up for your exact problem", with steps you can open to understand it (photomath.com) | No. It asks what you know and gives hints instead of handing over answers. That is the whole design, not a mode |
| Subjects | Maths only, elementary through college, including word problems | Any topic you bring. It can look up curriculum goals for supported subjects and countries, but has no course library of exercises or videos |
| Voice | Animated tutorials have voice-over (Plus) (Photomath help). No spoken conversation | Yes, voice in and out |
| Parents | Unknown (not covered on the pages we checked) | Up to three child profiles; parents can see their children's conversations |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad (App Store) and Android | iPhone, iPad and Mac (Apple silicon). No Android or web app |
| Free option | Yes. Basic step-by-step explanations are free | Yes, 30 messages a day |
| Paid (US) | Photomath Plus from $9.99/month on the US App Store; monthly, 6-month and yearly plans exist (App Store, help) | $9.99/month or $99.99/year |
| Age | Terms say 13+ ("intended solely for persons who are 13 years of age or older"), though the App Store rates it 4+ (terms) | Rated 4+ on the App Store |
| Source | photomath.com | App Store listing |
"Unknown" means we couldn't confirm it on an official page. Prices are US prices and can differ by country and platform.
Where Photomath is better
- Maths, fast. Point your camera at a problem, even handwritten or a word problem, and see a worked solution in seconds.
- Multiple methods and animated steps for the same problem, written by maths teachers.
- Checking your own work. If you have already solved it, Photomath shows exactly which step went differently.
- Mature and widely used, with an Editors' Choice badge on the App Store, and works on Android.
Where Ask Poppy is different
- Ask Poppy doesn't show the solution first. It asks what you have tried and gives one hint at a time, so you produce the steps.
- Not just maths. History, science, languages, a book, a TOK title, or anything you're curious about.
- You talk it through out loud, rather than scanning and reading.
- Photomath is far better at maths specifically. Ask Poppy has no camera solver and no animated maths tutorials.
Does it give you the answer?
Photomath is a solver: you scan a problem and "a solution will pop up", then you can open each step to understand it (photomath.com). That's great for checking and for seeing methods, and risky if the steps get copied without trying first. Ask Poppy works the other way round: it asks what you have tried and gives hints, and does not lead with the solution.
Who should pick which
Pick Photomath if
you need to check maths homework you have already attempted, want to see several solution methods, or want animated walk-throughs. Cover the steps and try each one first.
Pick Ask Poppy if
you want to be asked questions until you can do it yourself, across any subject, by talking it through.
Use both if
you study maths: attempt it, get hints from a tutor, then check with Photomath at the end.
Try it yourself: a 15-minute side-by-side test
Don't take our word for it (or theirs). Pick one problem you're genuinely stuck on and run it through both:
- Type or say: "I'm stuck on this. Help me, but I want to learn it." Don't ask for the answer.
- Notice: did it ask what you already know, or start explaining?
- After two hints, say "just tell me the answer". Does it hold its ground kindly, or give in?
- Close the app and explain the idea back in your own words. Our free Explain it back check helps.
- Tomorrow, try a similar problem from memory. The tool that left you able to do that is the one that worked for you.
We don't claim either tool improves grades or is safer; we haven't measured that. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it and update the date.
Want to try the Ask Poppy side of this test? Ask Poppy is an AI tutor you talk or type to. It asks questions and gives one hint at a time instead of handing you the answer, and it remembers where you left off so you can pick it up again tomorrow.
Free, 30 messages a day on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional subscription. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)
Questions
Does Photomath give you the answer?
Yes. Photomath shows the solution to the scanned problem, with step-by-step explanations you can open.
Is Photomath free?
The basic app, including step-by-step explanations, is free. Photomath Plus adds animated tutorials, deeper explanations and textbook solutions.
How old do you need to be to use Photomath?
Photomath's terms say the service is intended only for people aged 13 or older, even though the App Store rates the app 4+.