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Education · head to head

Flip vs Photomath

F

Flip

Education

Empower student voice with video discussions

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: Flip the Internet Archive's capture of Flip's homepage on 28 June 2022 stated 'Flip is a free video discussion app', confirming the Microsoft-owned product (rebranded from Flipgrid) carries no subscription fee.; 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: Flip covers Video responses, Photomath covers Camera scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flip and Photomath actually diverge.

Attributes where Flip and Photomath differ
AttributeFlipPhotomath
Pricing modelfreeFree with a Plus subscription
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android
Founded1975Unknown

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 Flip

  • Video responses
  • Topics
  • Camera effects
  • Stickers
  • Text responses
  • Moderation
  • Mixtapes
  • AR camera

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.

Flip

  • Video discussionsnot Photomath
  • Student portfoliosnot Photomath
  • Book talksnot Photomath
  • Language practicenot Photomath

Photomath

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flip

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Flip's homepage on 28 June 2022 stated 'Flip is a free video discussion app', confirming the Microsoft-owned product (rebranded from Flipgrid) carries no subscription fee.

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

Flip

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited groups
    • Unlimited topics
    • Video responses

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 Flip if

  • You need video responses.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want topics.
Flip 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 Flip or Photomath better?
Neither clearly leads. Flip 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, Flip or Photomath?
Flip starts at Free and Photomath at Free.
Does Flip or Photomath run on more platforms?
Flip runs on Web, IOS, Android. Photomath runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Flip for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flip best used for?
Flip is most often used for video discussions, student portfolios, book talks, language practice. Of those, video discussions and student portfolios are not what Photomath is typically brought in for.
What can Flip do that Photomath cannot?
Flip covers Video responses, Topics, Camera effects, Stickers. Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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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