Education · head to head
Photomath vs PictureThis
Photomath
Education
Camera based maths solver that shows step by step working, owned by Google since 2022
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
PictureThis
Education
Commercial plant identification app with a short free trial that converts to an annual subscription
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Photomath has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; PictureThis the free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
- They diverge on capability: Photomath covers Camera scanning, PictureThis covers Plant identification.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Photomath and PictureThis actually diverge.
| Attribute | Photomath | PictureThis |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Free with a Plus subscription | Per year, sold via a short free trial that auto-renews |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
Identical on both: platforms (iOS, Android), 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 Photomath
- Camera scanning
- Step by step solutions
- Built-in calculator
- Word problem support
- Animated explanations
- Textbook alignment
Only in PictureThis
- Plant identification
- Disease diagnosis
- Care reminders
- Plant care library
- Toxicity warnings
- My Garden tracking
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Photomath
- A student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrongnot PictureThis
- A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot PictureThis
- A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot PictureThis
- A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot PictureThis
PictureThis
- A gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identificationnot Photomath
- Someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternativesnot Photomath
- A plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and childrennot Photomath
- A buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it convertsnot Photomath
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
PictureThis
- The free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
- Cancellation has to be done through App Store or Play Store account settings, not by deleting the app, which catches users off guard.
- It solves the same core identification problem that Seek, PlantNet and Merlin solve for free, so the paid tier is competing against genuinely free options for the same task.
- Care guidance for uncommon or exotic species is criticised as generic rather than specific.
- Being a commercial product from a company that publishes near-identical identification apps for other categories, its plant-specific depth is not obviously deeper than a dedicated botanical tool.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
PictureThis
On request- PictureThis Annual$39.99/year
- Unlimited plant identifications
- Disease diagnosis
- Care reminders and guides
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose PictureThis if
- You need plant identification.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want disease diagnosis.
Questions people ask
- Is Photomath or PictureThis better?
- Neither clearly leads. Photomath starts at Free and PictureThis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Photomath or PictureThis?
- Photomath has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Photomath and On request for PictureThis.
- Does Photomath or PictureThis run on more platforms?
- Both run on iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Photomath for free?
- Yes. Photomath has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PictureThis starts at On request.
- What is Photomath best used for?
- Photomath is most often used for a student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrong, a parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answer, a student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the plus subscription, a school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solution. Of those, a student checking their own worked answer against the app steps to find where a method went wrong and a parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answer are not what PictureThis is typically brought in for.
- What can Photomath do that PictureThis cannot?
- Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support. PictureThis covers Plant identification, Disease diagnosis, Care reminders, Plant care library.
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.
PictureThis: Is there a free version?
A limited free tier exists with restricted identifications and ads; full use requires the paid subscription.
Photomath: Who owns Photomath now?
Google acquired Photomath in 2022. It operates as a standalone app but is owned by Google.
PictureThis: How long is the free trial and does it auto-renew?
The trial is typically about seven days and auto-renews into the annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand through your App Store or Play Store settings.
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.
PictureThis: Is PictureThis the same as PlantNet or Seek?
No. PlantNet and Seek are free nonprofit identification tools; PictureThis is a commercial subscription product with more built-in care features.
Related pages
More on PictureThis
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