Education · head to head
Anki vs Photomath
Anki
Education
Free open source spaced repetition flashcard app, free everywhere except iOS where it is a paid one-time purchase
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Photomath
Education
Camera based maths solver that shows step by step working, owned by Google since 2022
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Anki the interface is functional rather than polished, and new users often find the initial setup, deck creation and add-on ecosystem confusing compared with a guided app like Memrise.; Photomath full free step by step solutions make it straightforward for a student to submit copied working without doing the reasoning themselves, which is a real concern for teachers assigning homework.
- They diverge on capability: Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Photomath covers Camera scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Anki and Photomath actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Anki
- Spaced repetition scheduling
- Cross-platform sync
- Shared deck library
- Custom card types
- Add-ons
- Open file format
Only in Photomath
- Camera scanning
- Step by step solutions
- Built-in calculator
- Word problem support
- Animated explanations
- Textbook alignment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Anki
- A medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timelinenot Photomath
- A language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study materialnot Photomath
- A self-directed learner who wants full control over the scheduling algorithm and does not want a subscriptionnot Photomath
- An iPhone-only user deciding whether the one-time AnkiMobile price is worth it versus using the free web interface insteadnot Photomath
Photomath
- A student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrongnot Anki
- A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot Anki
- A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot Anki
- A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot Anki
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Anki
- The interface is functional rather than polished, and new users often find the initial setup, deck creation and add-on ecosystem confusing compared with a guided app like Memrise.
- iOS users pay a one-time fee of around $24.99 to $29.99 for AnkiMobile while every other platform is free, which is an unusual asymmetry that surprises new users comparing app store prices before they understand it funds development.
- Anki has no content of its own; a new user gets an empty deck and either has to build cards manually or trust the quality of a community-shared deck of unknown accuracy.
- The default scheduling algorithm requires understanding concepts like ease factor and interval to tune effectively, and default settings are not optimal for every subject or workload.
- Shared decks, especially large medical school decks, can carry factual errors or become outdated, and there is no editorial review process verifying their accuracy.
Photomath
- Full free step by step solutions make it straightforward for a student to submit copied working without doing the reasoning themselves, which is a real concern for teachers assigning homework.
- Word problems, a common school assessment format, are gated behind the Plus subscription, so the free tier is weaker on exactly the problem type many students struggle with most.
- Camera recognition of messy handwriting or complex notation such as matrices or multi-line proofs is unreliable, and misreads produce confidently wrong steps.
- Since the 2022 Google acquisition, the product sits inside a company whose primary business is advertising and data, which is a relevant factor for schools with strict student data policies.
- It solves problems rather than teaching underlying concepts from scratch, so a student with no foundational understanding gets a worked answer but not necessarily comprehension.
Pricing, plan by plan
Anki
Free- AnkiFree
- Desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux are free and open source
- AnkiDroid on Android is free and open source, built by a separate volunteer team
- AnkiMobile on iOS is a one-time purchase, commonly $24.99 to $29.99, funding development
Photomath
Free- Photomath Plus$9.99/month
- Step by step solutions for most problem types free and unlimited on the base app
- Plus unlocks word problems, animated explanations and deeper steps
- Plus available at roughly $59.99 billed annually as a cheaper alternative to monthly
Which should you pick?
Choose Anki if
- You need spaced repetition scheduling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want cross-platform sync.
Choose Photomath if
- You need camera scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want step by step solutions.
Questions people ask
- Is Anki or Photomath better?
- Neither clearly leads. Anki starts at Free and Photomath at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Anki or Photomath?
- Anki starts at Free and Photomath at Free.
- Does Anki or Photomath run on more platforms?
- Anki runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web. Photomath runs on iOS, Android.
- Can I use Anki for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Anki best used for?
- Anki is most often used for a medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timeline, a language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study material, a self-directed learner who wants full control over the scheduling algorithm and does not want a subscription, an iphone-only user deciding whether the one-time ankimobile price is worth it versus using the free web interface instead. Of those, a medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timeline and a language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study material are not what Photomath is typically brought in for.
- What can Anki do that Photomath cannot?
- Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Cross-platform sync, Shared deck library, Custom card types. Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Anki: Why is the iOS app not free when everything else is?
AnkiMobile is a paid one-time purchase, commonly around $24.99 to $29.99, that the developer states directly funds ongoing development of the free desktop apps, AnkiWeb sync and infrastructure used by every platform.
Photomath: Is Photomath free?
Basic step by step solutions for most maths problem types are free and unlimited. Word problems, animated explanations and some textbook-specific solutions require Photomath Plus.
Anki: Is Anki really free on Android?
Yes. AnkiDroid, the Android app, is free and open source, built and maintained by a separate volunteer development team from the desktop project.
Photomath: Who owns Photomath now?
Google acquired Photomath in 2022. It operates as a standalone app but is owned by Google.
Anki: Do I need to pay for sync?
No. AnkiWeb, used to sync decks and review history across devices, is free.
Photomath: Does it just give the answer or show working?
It shows step by step working for the method used, not only the final answer, on both free and Plus tiers, with Plus adding more detail.
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