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Education · head to head

Photomath vs Pl@ntNet

Photomath logo

Photomath

Education

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pl@ntNet logo

Pl@ntNet

Education

Free plant identification app run by a consortium of French public research institutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Pl@ntNet it offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • They diverge on capability: Photomath covers Camera scanning, Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Photomath and Pl@ntNet actually diverge.

Attributes where Photomath and Pl@ntNet differ
AttributePhotomathPl@ntNet
Pricing modelFree with a Plus subscriptionFree, no ads and no in-app purchases
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web

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 Photomath

  • Camera scanning
  • Step by step solutions
  • Built-in calculator
  • Word problem support
  • Animated explanations
  • Textbook alignment

Only in Pl@ntNet

  • Photo identification
  • Large species coverage
  • Multi-language support
  • Community-sourced database
  • Regional flora filtering
  • Contribution to research

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 Pl@ntNet
  • A parent who cannot help with unfamiliar high school maths and needs a worked explanation rather than just an answernot Pl@ntNet
  • A student working through word problems in a subject not covered by the free tier who needs the Plus subscriptionnot Pl@ntNet
  • A school evaluating whether to recommend or restrict the app given the ease of copying a full worked solutionnot Pl@ntNet

Pl@ntNet

  • A gardener or hiker who wants free plant identification without a subscriptionnot Photomath
  • A student or researcher wanting a citation-friendly, institutionally-run identification toolnot Photomath
  • Someone identifying plants outside English-speaking regions who needs one of its 50-plus languagesnot Photomath
  • A forager wanting a second opinion on a plant before relying solely on one sourcenot 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.

Pl@ntNet

  • It offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • Identification accuracy varies by region depending on how well local flora is represented in the community-submitted training data.
  • The interface is more utilitarian than a commercial app, reflecting its research origins rather than consumer product design.
  • It should never be relied on alone to determine whether a wild plant or fungus is safe to eat, and the project itself does not claim otherwise.
  • Because it is run by a nonprofit research consortium rather than a company, feature development and interface updates move more slowly than a funded commercial competitor.

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

Pl@ntNet

Free
  • Pl@ntNetFree
    • Full identification for over 80,000 species
    • Available in over 50 languages
    • No account required for basic identification

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.
Photomath review

Choose Pl@ntNet if

  • You need photo identification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want large species coverage.
Pl@ntNet review

Questions people ask

Is Photomath or Pl@ntNet better?
Neither clearly leads. Photomath starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Photomath or Pl@ntNet?
Photomath starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free.
Does Photomath or Pl@ntNet run on more platforms?
Photomath runs on iOS, Android. Pl@ntNet runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Photomath for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Pl@ntNet is typically brought in for.
What can Photomath do that Pl@ntNet cannot?
Photomath covers Camera scanning, Step by step solutions, Built-in calculator, Word problem support. Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification, Large species coverage, Multi-language support, Community-sourced database.

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.

Pl@ntNet: Is Pl@ntNet free?

Yes, entirely free with no ads or in-app purchases, run by a consortium of French public research institutes.

Photomath: Who owns Photomath now?

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

Pl@ntNet: How accurate is it?

Accuracy varies by region and species depending on how much community-submitted photo data exists for that flora, but it is generally strong for well-represented regions.

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.

Pl@ntNet: Can I use it to check if a plant is safe to eat?

No. It is an identification aid, not a safety tool, and should not be relied on alone for foraging decisions.

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