Education · head to head
Flowkey vs Photomath
Flowkey
Education
Piano learning app with microphone or MIDI listening and a large licensed song catalogue
- 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: Flowkey microphone-only users, without a MIDI keyboard, still hit the same accuracy limits as Simply Piano on fast or dense passages.; 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: Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, Photomath covers Camera scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Flowkey 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 Flowkey
- Large licensed song library
- MIDI keyboard support
- Microphone listening
- Slow-down and loop tools
- Video lessons
- Progress tracking
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.
Flowkey
- An adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficultynot Photomath
- Someone with a MIDI-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alonenot Photomath
- A learner motivated by a large, varied song catalogue rather than a strict beginner curriculumnot Photomath
- A pianist wanting slow-down and loop tools to work through a specific difficult passage in a real piecenot Photomath
Photomath
- A student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrongnot Flowkey
- A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot Flowkey
- A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot Flowkey
- A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot Flowkey
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Flowkey
- Microphone-only users, without a MIDI keyboard, still hit the same accuracy limits as Simply Piano on fast or dense passages.
- Its curriculum is less structured around fundamentals than Simply Piano for a complete beginner with no prior reading ability.
- It is piano only, so a household wanting to cover guitar or other instruments needs a separate subscription elsewhere.
- The song licensing model means catalogue availability can shift over time as licences change, occasionally removing a previously available arrangement.
- Full benefit of its more precise feedback mode requires owning a MIDI-capable keyboard, which is an additional cost beyond the subscription for anyone with only an acoustic piano.
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
Flowkey
Free- FlowkeyFree
- Limited free songs and lessons
- Premium$119.99/year
- Full song library and difficulty arrangements
- MIDI keyboard support
- Progress tracking
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 Flowkey if
- You need large licensed song library.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want midi keyboard support.
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 Flowkey or Photomath better?
- Neither clearly leads. Flowkey 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, Flowkey or Photomath?
- Flowkey starts at Free and Photomath at Free.
- Does Flowkey or Photomath run on more platforms?
- Flowkey runs on iOS, Android, Web. Photomath runs on iOS, Android.
- Can I use Flowkey for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Flowkey best used for?
- Flowkey is most often used for an adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficulty, someone with a midi-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alone, a learner motivated by a large, varied song catalogue rather than a strict beginner curriculum, a pianist wanting slow-down and loop tools to work through a specific difficult passage in a real piece. Of those, an adult returning to piano who wants to work toward specific known songs at a graduated difficulty and someone with a midi-capable digital keyboard wanting more accurate feedback than microphone listening alone are not what Photomath is typically brought in for.
- What can Flowkey do that Photomath cannot?
- Flowkey covers Large licensed song library, MIDI keyboard support, Microphone listening, Slow-down and loop tools. Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Flowkey: Does Flowkey support MIDI keyboards?
Yes, connecting a MIDI keyboard gives more precise note detection than microphone listening alone.
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.
Flowkey: How is it different from Simply Piano?
Flowkey emphasises a large licensed song catalogue with graduated arrangements, while Simply Piano leans more into a structured beginner curriculum.
Photomath: Who owns Photomath now?
Google acquired Photomath in 2022. It operates as a standalone app but is owned by Google.
Flowkey: Do I need a MIDI keyboard to use it?
No, microphone listening works with any piano, but MIDI support improves accuracy if you have compatible hardware.
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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