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Education · head to head

Codecademy vs Photomath

Codecademy logo

Codecademy

Education

Learn to code interactively for free

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Photomath logo

Photomath

Education

Camera based maths solver that shows step by step working, owned by Google since 2022

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Codecademy free plan has limited access to quizzes and projects; 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: Codecademy covers Interactive coding, Photomath covers Camera scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Codecademy and Photomath actually diverge.

Attributes where Codecademy and Photomath differ
AttributeCodecademyPhotomath
Pricing modelfreemiumFree with a Plus subscription
PlatformsWebiOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

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 Codecademy

  • Interactive coding
  • Instant feedback
  • Projects
  • Quizzes
  • Career paths
  • Mobile app
  • Offline practice
  • Community forums

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.

Codecademy

  • Learn to codenot Photomath
  • Career transitionnot Photomath
  • Skill buildingnot Photomath
  • Portfolio projectsnot Photomath

Photomath

  • A student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrongnot Codecademy
  • A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot Codecademy
  • A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot Codecademy
  • A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot Codecademy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Codecademy

  • Free plan has limited access to quizzes and projects
  • Pro pricing at $15.99/month is among the higher options for coding education platforms

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

Codecademy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic courses
    • Interactive lessons
    • Community
  • Plus$17.49/month
    • All courses
    • Projects
    • Quizzes
  • Pro$29.99/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Interview prep
    • Real-world projects

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 Codecademy if

  • You need interactive coding.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want instant feedback.
Codecademy review

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.
Photomath review

Questions people ask

Is Codecademy or Photomath better?
Neither clearly leads. Codecademy 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, Codecademy or Photomath?
Codecademy starts at Free and Photomath at Free.
Does Codecademy or Photomath run on more platforms?
Codecademy runs on Web. Photomath runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Codecademy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Codecademy best used for?
Codecademy is most often used for learn to code, career transition, skill building, portfolio projects. Of those, learn to code and career transition are not what Photomath is typically brought in for.
What can Codecademy do that Photomath cannot?
Codecademy covers Interactive coding, Instant feedback, Projects, Quizzes. Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Codecademy: Does Codecademy have a free plan?

Yes. Codecademy offers a permanent free plan with access to basic courses and introductory content. Advanced features like quizzes, projects, and career paths require Pro with a 7-day free trial.

Source
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.

Codecademy: What is Codecademy Pro pricing?

Codecademy Pro costs $15.99/month when billed annually. Student pricing is available at a discount.

Source
Photomath: Who owns Photomath now?

Google acquired Photomath in 2022. It operates as a standalone app but is owned by Google.

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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