The Best Gauth Alternative for Your Homework in 2026

Disclosure: Socratic Solve is our app; we note where other apps are stronger. Claims about other apps come from their own sites and App Store listings. Prices are US prices as of September 2026 and may vary by region.

What Gauth does well

Gauth (its website is gauthmath.com, so many people also search for a Gauthmath alternative) is hugely popular, rated 4.8 from about 1.5 million ratings on the US App Store. According to Gauth's own site, you take a photo of a printed or handwritten question and get a step-by-step solution. Its App Store listing adds:

• All subjects: math, biology, physics, chemistry and others.
• AI Live Tutor: an AI tutor with voice and a virtual whiteboard (AI, not a person).
• Expert support: "24/7 expert academic support" from a network of subject matter experts.
• Study tools: a converter that turns notes into quizzes and flashcards, plus an AI writing assistant.

Why people look for a Gauth alternative

• The price of Plus. Gauth's listing says Plus unlocks "unlimited access to detailed explanations" and priority expert guidance, for $11.99 a month, $31.99 a quarter or $99.99 a year. Gauth's official pages don't state what the free version includes.
• Wanting a simpler app. Some students just want to scan, read the steps and find the problem again later.
• Wanting free learning. A free lesson library may teach a topic better than one solved question.
• Wanting a specialist. Math-only apps go deeper on math, and some services center on human tutors.

Gauth alternatives compared

For the full breakdown of nine apps, see our best homework helper apps comparison.

1. Socratic Solve: best for steps in every subject with a saved history

Best for: all subjects in a simpler scan, read and review app.

Socratic Solve scans printed or handwritten questions with your camera, or you can type a question or upload a photo. You get a step-by-step solution with rendered math notation, in math (algebra through calculus), physics, chemistry, biology, history and more. Every solve is saved to a searchable history tagged by subject. It works in 20+ languages on iPhone, iPad (iOS 16+) and Android.

Limitations: it's a newer app with an App Store rating of 4.8 from only 5 ratings, so there's far less public feedback. Free credits get you started, but regular use needs a subscription (App Store in-app purchases: $6.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $49.99 a year). There are no human tutors or experts. Socratic Solve is independent and not affiliated with Google or the former Socratic by Google app.

2. Photomath: best free step-by-step math

Best for: mostly math homework.

Photomath, made by Google, scans handwritten, printed or on-screen math, including word problems, and explains the steps. Google's help center says core features with step-by-step solutions to symbolic math "will always remain free of cost." Photomath Plus ($9.99 a month or $69.99 a year) adds animated tutorials and deeper explanations.

Limitations: math only, and some deeper explanations are paid. Our Photomath alternatives guide covers its tradeoffs.

3. Brainly: best for live human tutors

Best for: K-12 families who want a real person.

Brainly's App Store listing now leads with "Real human tutors. Smart AI." You snap or type a question for step-by-step explanations across math, science, history, English and more. Brainly is free with limited features. In-app, Plus costs $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and live human tutors come with Brainly Tutor at $29.99 a month or $95.99 a year.

Limitations: human tutors need the higher Tutor plan, and the Google Play listing shows "Contains ads."

4. Chegg Study: best for textbook solutions and expert answers

Best for: students working from assigned textbooks.

Chegg Study covers 80 subjects with a large library of step-by-step textbook solutions. You can send a photo of a question to Chegg experts for an answer "in as little as 30 minutes." The App Store lists it at $15.99, without a billing period shown.

Limitations: no free tier found, and expert answers aren't instant: Chegg's own footnote gives an average response time of 46 minutes.

5. Symbolab: best for advanced math and calculators

Best for: calculus and college math.

Symbolab solves typed or snapped math, from pre-algebra to calculus, with free basic steps. It has more than 500 calculators, on iOS, Android and the web. A subscription unlocks advanced steps, with in-app prices from $7.99 a month or $34.99 a year.

Limitations: math only, advanced steps are paid, and ad removal is a paid in-app purchase.

6. Khan Academy: best free way to learn the topic

Best for: learning the lesson, not one answer.

Khan Academy, a nonprofit, offers free videos and exercises with step-by-step hints across math, science, humanities and computing. Its AI tutor, Khanmigo, costs $4 a month or $44 a year for learners and parents.

Limitations: no photo scan, so it won't solve your exact worksheet question.

7. Google Lens: best free lookup in any subject

Best for: a free search when you're stuck.

Google Lens lets you photograph a question to "find explainers, videos, and results from the web" for math, history, chemistry, biology, physics and more. It's free in the Google app on iPhone, on Android and in Chrome.

Limitations: a general camera search, not a homework app: no subject history, and web results vary in quality.

How to compare two homework apps on the same question

Feature lists won't tell you whether an app's explanations work for you. A quick test will. Pick a question from your homework that you already know the answer to (ideally one with a common trap), run it through Gauth and the alternative, and score each on five points:

1. Does it name the rule? "Use the mole ratio from the balanced equation" teaches; a bare line of numbers doesn't.
2. Does it carry units? Units at every step catch mistakes early.
3. Does it show a check? Good solutions confirm the answer makes sense.
4. Does it round to the right significant figures?
5. Does it avoid the trap? Weak explanations fall apart here.

Example: a chemistry word problem

Question: How many grams of water form when 4.0 g of hydrogen gas burns completely in oxygen?

A strong answer looks like this:

1. Balance the equation: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O.
2. Convert grams to moles: H₂ has a molar mass of 2.016 g/mol, so 4.0 g ÷ 2.016 g/mol = 1.98 mol H₂.
3. Use the mole ratio: 2 mol H₂ gives 2 mol H₂O, a 1:1 ratio, so 1.98 mol H₂O forms.
4. Convert moles to grams: 1.98 mol × 18.02 g/mol = 35.7 g of water.
5. Round: 4.0 g has two significant figures, so the answer is 36 g.

Check (conservation of mass): the reaction uses half as many moles of O₂ as H₂: 0.99 mol × 32.00 g/mol = 31.7 g. Reactants total 4.0 g + 31.7 g = 35.7 g, matching the water.

The trap: using a 1:2 ratio (1 mol H₂ giving 2 mol H₂O) gives 3.96 mol × 18.02 g/mol = 71.4 g. That's more than the 35.7 g of reactants, which is impossible, so the check catches it. An app that shows this check is teaching you.

For a math version, our Photomath guide tests a quadratic solved two ways.

Which Gauth alternative should you choose?

• You want all subjects in a simpler app: Socratic Solve, especially if a searchable history or studying in a language other than English matters.
• Your homework is mostly math and you want it free: Photomath, or Symbolab if you're in calculus and want calculators.
• You want a real person: Brainly Tutor for live tutoring, or Chegg Study for expert answers.
• You want to understand the topic, for free: Khan Academy, paired with any scan app.
• You need something free right now: Google Lens.
• You rely on Gauth's expert support: stay with Gauth.

Whatever you pick, redo the problem on paper after reading the steps, and follow your school's academic integrity policy.

Try Socratic Solve free

Scan a question in any subject and get a step-by-step explanation. Free credits to start on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Gauth alternative FAQ