Mathway has been a popular calculator-style math solver for over a decade. It is owned by Chegg and shares the same business model: solve for free, pay for steps. AI-Math is a free, web-first alternative built specifically around the principle that step-by-step explanations should never be paywalled.
What Mathway does well
Mathway covers a huge range — basic math through linear algebra, finite math, statistics, and even chemistry. The interface is calculator-clean: type or pick from templates, get an answer instantly. The mobile apps are polished, and integration into Chegg's broader study ecosystem is convenient if you're already a Chegg subscriber.
Where Mathway falls short
The friction is identical to Symbolab's: answers are free, step-by-step explanations require Mathway Premium / Chegg subscription. For students learning the method — not just looking up a number — that's a significant paywall.
The natural-language explanations also tend to read as terse symbolic steps rather than the kind of "first we factor because the discriminant is a perfect square" reasoning that helps you internalise the method.
What AI-Math does differently
AI-Math is completely free with a generous daily quota for guests, and step-by-step explanations are never gated. The AI writes them in plain English, with reasoning that explains why a method was chosen, not just what was done.
You can paste a problem, type with our formula keyboard, or upload a photo. We dynamically generate worked-example pages for any specific equation, plus we publish free formula cheat sheets, a glossary, and in-depth blog guides — material Mathway intentionally does not compete with.
Side-by-side honest comparison
We're transparent that Mathway has broader topic coverage today (chemistry, finite math, graphing) — it's been around since 2002. AI-Math is closing the gap on math topics, and we explicitly say so when a problem isn't supported, rather than producing a guess.
Verdict
Use AI-Math if you want free, clear, step-by-step explanations for learning math. Stick with Mathway if you need chemistry / finite math coverage and you already pay for Chegg.
Try AI-Math's free solver — no signup, no app install, no paywall on steps.
At a glance
| Feature | AI-Math | Mathway |
|---|---|---|
| Step-by-step explanations | Free, unlimited | Behind Premium / Chegg paywall |
| Daily question quota (free) | Generous | Free for answers, limited features |
| AI plain-English reasoning | Yes | Symbolic / terse |
| Photo / image OCR | Yes | Yes (mobile-first) |
| Coverage of chemistry / finite math | No (math-focused) | Yes |
| Companion content (blog / cheat sheets / glossary) | Yes — free reference library | Limited |
| Signup required | No (guest mode) | For full features |
Use AI-Math for free unlimited step-by-step math help. Stick with Mathway if you need chemistry / finite math coverage and don't mind the Chegg paywall.