AI math tutor
The AI math tutor that helps you figure it out
Snap a photo of your homework: Alphi, Mathflow’s AI tutor, reads the problem and works through it with you one hint at a time, instead of handing you an answer to copy. From 6th grade to Calculus, 24/7, never any judgment.
AI for math homework, built for learning
Looking for an AI math tutor app, an app that solves math problems from a photo, or just some help getting through tonight’s homework? There’s no shortage of tools. But an answer you copy teaches you nothing, and on test day it’s just you, a pencil and the problem.
Alphi, the AI tutor inside Mathflow, is built for the opposite: helping you find the answer yourself. Alphi reads your problem, starts from what you’ve already done, gives you one hint at a time, checks your reasoning, then suggests practice so the method sticks. This guide explains how it works, how it differs from an answer app, and what AI can and can’t do in math.
How Alphi tutors you through a problem
Five steps, from the photo to practice.
- 1
Snap your problem
Frame the whole problem, flat and well lit: Alphi reads the text and the math. You can also type your question.
- 2
Show where you are
Alphi starts from your work. Type the line you’re stuck on or what you tried, and Alphi checks your reasoning instead of reciting a full solution.
- 3
One hint at a time
Alphi explains the next step with a hint, then lets you take it. Still stuck? The hint gets more specific. You move forward at your own pace.
- 4
Check it together
When you get an answer, Alphi helps you check it, for example by plugging it back in: and , so works.
- 5
Practice the same method
To make the method stick, Alphi suggests the matching series and its three levels: Explore, Explain, Solve.
AI tutor vs. answer app: what’s the difference?
An answer app, or solver, is built to give you the solution: you snap the problem and it shows the result, often with the steps. That’s handy for checking your work. But reading a solution isn’t the same as knowing how to find it, and until you’ve walked the path yourself, the method won’t hold up on the test.
An AI tutor like Alphi works the other way around: it starts from what you can already do and moves you forward. Slower on a single problem, far more useful over a school year. Weighing specific apps? See our Photomath alternative guide.
| Alphi, AI tutor | Answer app | |
|---|---|---|
| Reads a problem from a photo | ||
| What you get | Hints, step by step | The solution, often worked out |
| Starting point | What you’ve already done | The problem |
| Checking your answer | Done with you | The answer is given |
| Practice problems | The matching series, in 3 levels | Depends on the app |
| Follows your grade | 6th grade to Calculus | Depends on the app |
| Best for | Understanding and improving | Checking a result |
Can ChatGPT do math?
Yes, and it keeps getting better. Large AI models have made huge progress: in July 2025, Google DeepMind announced that an advanced version of its Gemini model scored 35 out of 42 points at the International Mathematical Olympiad, gold-medal level, writing its proofs in natural language¹.
But solving isn’t teaching, and a general-purpose assistant can still get things wrong. ChatGPT’s own interface reminds users that it can make mistakes². In math, a sign error in the middle of a nicely written solution is easy to miss when you haven’t mastered the method yet.
Since July 2025, OpenAI has also offered a study mode that guides you step by step instead of giving the answer right away. OpenAI says it was designed with college students in mind and can still behave inconsistently and make mistakes³.
So the real question isn’t “can AI do math?” but “does it help me do math?”. A tutor built for middle and high school, tied to what you’re learning and to practice problems, plays a different role than a general-purpose assistant.
What makes a good AI math tutor?
There’s no single best AI for math: it depends on what you need. To check a calculation, a calculator or an answer app will do. To actually learn, look for these:
- It explains instead of doing it for you: hints, one step at a time, and you write the solution.
- It matches what you’re learning: the topics of your grade or course, with methods your teacher will recognize.
- It makes you practice: following a solution isn’t enough, you need to solve similar problems on your own.
- It makes you check: AI can make mistakes, and so can you. Checking your answer is a habit worth building.
- It respects your privacy: your questions shouldn’t be read by anyone else.
- It’s there when you need it: Sunday night or the night before the test.
These are the principles behind Alphi. Use them to judge any tool, ours included. Comparing apps? See our guide to the best math apps.
The honest limits of AI in math
Double-check what the photo read
If the photo is blurry or cut off, a number can be misread. Make sure Alphi read your problem correctly before moving on.
Redo the problem on your own
Understanding an explanation isn’t the same as being able to do it. Once you’re done, practice with the suggested series.
Method over answer
What counts on a test is how you got there. Ask Alphi why a step works, not just how.
Your teacher has the final word
Alphi is there between classes. For what’s expected in class, like how to show your work or which method to use, your teacher has the final say.
For parents: what to expect
Homework help that makes your child think, and progress tracking that respects their trust.
Private chats
Your child’s conversations with Alphi are never shared with you, and your child knows what you can see.
Their week in parent mode
Time spent, series completed, stars and streak: you see the effort without looking over their shoulder.
Alerts when something’s stuck
Three days without activity, or repeated struggles on a concept: Mathflow lets you know.
Help that doesn’t do the work
Alphi gives hints and makes your child check their answer: the goal is to solve it again in class, without help.
The Family plan covers up to 5 children plus 1 parent account. More on parent mode and pricing.
Built in France, with Inria
Mathflow is made by Mathflow AI, a French company founded in 2022. The app was built with Inria and is backed by Bpifrance, La French Tech, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and EuraTechnologies.
More than 50,000 learners have signed up, and the app is rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store (France, 159 ratings). Alphi is connected to everything else in the app: your grade’s path, three-level series and Chapter Challenges, from 6th grade through Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and Calculus.
- 6th grade
- 7th grade
- 8th grade
- Algebra I
- Geometry
- Algebra II
- Pre-Calculus
- Calculus
- interactive series
- 950+
- missions
- 9,500+
- Chapter Challenges
- 90
US catalog, October 2026
Built with and backed by
Free to get started
In Mathflow, your path, the series and Alphi run on energy, so you can try Alphi on your real homework without paying.
Premium unlocks unlimited energy, every series in the order you choose, all mini-games and Premium avatars, with no ads: $24.99 a month with no commitment, or $99.99 a year (that’s $8.33 a month) with a 7-day free trial. The Family plan, at $149.99 a year, covers up to 5 children and 1 parent account. You subscribe in the app and can cancel anytime. See pricing
Mathflow works on iPhone, iPad and Android. To see the rest of the app: the three-level method and activities you can try right now.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI math tutor?
To check a calculation, an answer app is enough. To learn, pick an AI tutor that explains step by step instead of giving the answer, matches what you’re learning, and makes you practice. That’s what Alphi does in Mathflow, from 6th grade to Calculus.
Is there an AI that solves math problems from a photo?
Yes, several apps read a problem from a photo. Alphi does too, but instead of showing the solution, Alphi works through the problem with you step by step, with hints, so you can solve the next one on your own.
Is ChatGPT good at math?
General-purpose AI models have improved a lot in math, but they can still make mistakes, as ChatGPT’s own interface points out. For learning, what matters most is the explanation and checking your work, not just the answer.
Is using AI for math homework cheating?
It depends on how you use it. Copying a generated answer means turning in work that isn’t yours, and it won’t help you on the test. Getting a method explained, like you would with a tutor, is learning. Alphi is built for that second use.
Is there a free AI math tutor app?
Mathflow is free to download and to start: Alphi runs on energy. Premium makes energy unlimited for $24.99 a month, or $99.99 a year with a 7-day free trial.
Can parents see my chats with Alphi?
No. In parent mode, parents see your week (time spent, series, stars, streak) and get useful alerts, but your conversations with Alphi stay private.
What grades does Mathflow cover?
6th, 7th and 8th grade, then Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and Calculus, on iPhone, iPad and Android.
