Free AI math solver that shows every step
Type a problem, paste one, or photograph it. You get the answer and the working that produced it, from a rule-based engine that runs on your own device. No account, no paywall on the steps, and no limit on how many problems you work through.
Covers algebra, equations, word problems, calculus, geometry, statistics, matrices and vectors across 17 dedicated tools.
Most of them are not doing what the name suggests
The phrase covers two quite different things, and the difference decides whether you can trust the answer.
The first kind is a language model asked to do arithmetic. It predicts what a solution looks like, token by token, and it is impressive at explaining and unreliable at computing. It can hand you a fluent, well-formatted, confidently wrong answer, and nothing in its output signals which one you got. That failure mode is the reason teachers distrust the category.
The second kind is a rule-based engine: code that parses your expression into a structure and applies the same algebraic rules you were taught, in order. It cannot be creative, and it cannot be wrong about 2x + 5 = 15 either. Given the same input twice it returns the same answer twice, which a language model does not guarantee.
SolveStep is the second kind. Every solution here comes from deterministic code that runs in your browser, which is why it can show you exactly which move it made at each step, and why it says "not supported" instead of inventing something when a problem falls outside what it handles.
Deterministic
Same input, same answer, every time
The engine applies fixed rules. There is no sampling, no temperature, and no run-to-run variation.
Shows its working
Every move, in order
Each step names what was done and to which side, so you can compare it against your own line by line.
Says when it cannot
"Not supported yet"
A refusal you can see beats a plausible-looking guess you cannot check.
Runs on your device
Nothing is uploaded
The maths executes in your browser. No account, no server, no record of what you typed.
From what you type to what you see, in five steps
The text becomes a structured expression tree, the same way a spreadsheet interprets a formula. 2x + 5 = 15 becomes a coefficient, a variable, an operator and two constants, arranged by order of operations rather than left to right.
An equals sign with x to the first power routes to the linear solver. A squared term routes to the quadratic engine. An inequality sign routes elsewhere again. A sentence in words goes to the word problem translator first.
Reduce brackets, combine like terms, isolate the variable, or apply the power rule, exactly as a person would. Nothing is skipped because nothing is guessed.
The steps you read are not a reconstruction written after the fact. They are a record of the operations the engine actually performed, which is why they always match the answer.
A solved equation gets the answer substituted back in. A factorable quadratic gets its roots verified. That check appears as its own step, so you can see it was run.
Seventeen tools, all free, all showing their work
Algebra and equations
2x + 5 = 15- Linear equations, inequalities and equations with brackets or fractions, through the algebra solver.
- Quadratics with the discriminant, the factored form and a substitution check, through the quadratic solver.
- Two equations in two unknowns by elimination, in the system of equations solver.
- Factoring with the pattern named, in the factoring calculator.
Calculus
d/dx(sin(3x + 1))- Derivatives with the chain, product and quotient rules, each named as it is used, in the derivative calculator.
- Polynomial integration with the constant of integration, in the integral calculator.
- Limits by substitution, by cancelling a 0/0 factor, and at infinity, in the limit calculator.
- Vertical, horizontal and oblique asymptotes, with holes told apart, in the asymptote calculator.
Everything else
⟨1,2,3⟩ × ⟨4,5,6⟩- Geometry, statistics, matrices and vectors, each with its own dedicated engine rather than one stretched thin.
- Word problems translated into algebra in front of you, so you see the equation before it is solved.
- Percentages, fractions, slopes, GPA, trigonometry and square roots in exact form.
- A graphing calculator and a printable worksheet generator with answer keys.
The difference between checking and copying
A step-by-step solver is only worth anything if you attempt the problem first. Work it through, then compare line by line and find the first row where your version and the engine's diverge. That row is your actual mistake; everything after it is just that mistake travelling.
Copying the answer teaches you nothing and is obvious to anyone marking the work, because the reasoning will not survive a follow-up question. The practice mode exists for the other half of the loop: once you have found and fixed the error, do another problem of the same type immediately, while the correction is still fresh.
What it will not do
Multi-unknown word problems involving mixtures, interest or work rates. Integration by substitution or by parts. Logarithmic differentiation. Multivariable calculus. Formal proofs.
In each case the tool says so by name rather than returning something plausible. That matters more for a maths tool than for most software: a wrong answer that looks right is worse than no answer, because you will act on it. If the engine cannot do your problem, you want to find that out in one second rather than after you have handed the work in.
AI math solver FAQ
Is this AI math solver free?
Yes, completely. Every tool shows its full step-by-step working with no paid tier, no account, and no limit on how many problems you solve. There is no separate version that unlocks the steps, because the steps are the product.
Is an AI math solver accurate?
It depends entirely on how it is built. A solver based on a language model predicts what a solution looks like and can be confidently wrong. A rule-based engine applies fixed algebraic rules and returns the same answer every time. SolveStep is rule-based, which is why it can show exactly which move it made at each step.
Can it solve math from a photo?
Yes. Tap the camera button, take or upload a photo of a typed or handwritten problem, and the text is read and solved. The image is processed entirely inside your browser and is never uploaded anywhere.
Does it solve word problems?
Yes, for single-unknown sentences: sums and differences, multiples, consecutive integers, rate-time-distance and two-person age problems. It shows the equation it built and what x stands for before solving, because translating the sentence is the hard part. Mixture, interest and work-rate problems are not supported yet.
Do I need to create an account or install an app?
Neither. It is a website that opens in any browser on any device, which matters on a school-managed laptop or a shared computer where installing apps is not allowed. Nothing you type is sent to a server or stored.
What maths topics does it cover?
Algebra, equations and inequalities, quadratics, systems of equations, factoring, fractions, percentages, slopes, word problems, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, matrices, vectors, limits, derivatives, integrals and asymptotes, plus a graphing calculator and a printable worksheet generator.
How is this different from ChatGPT for maths?
A general language model is better at explaining an unfamiliar concept in whatever words suit you. A rule-based solver is better at computing, because it cannot make an arithmetic slip and cannot vary between runs. Many people use both: the model for the concept, the solver for the numbers.
Does it show the steps or just the answer?
Every step, always. The steps are a record of the operations the engine actually performed rather than an explanation written afterwards, which is why they always match the answer. Turning on "Explain each step" adds the reasoning behind each move as well.
Where to go next
Algebra Solver
Isolate x and solve linear equations step by step.
Word Problem Solver
Turns a sentence into an equation in front of you.
Derivative Calculator
Power, product, quotient and chain rules, each named.
Limit Calculator
Limits at a point and at infinity, with the case named.
Practice Mode
Unlimited fresh problems with instant checking.
How It Works
Exactly what happens between typing and seeing the answer.