Parents' Guide to

Mathway

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free to try Education
Mathway Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Patricia Monticello Kievlan By Patricia Monticello Kievlan , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Subscription tool gives solutions with steps; kids can copy.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Mathway App: Screenshot #1
  • Mathway App: Screenshot #2
  • Mathway App: Screenshot #3
  • Mathway App: Screenshot #4
  • Mathway App: Screenshot #5

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 6 parent reviews

JoshH373
JoshH373 Adult
October 22, 2020
age 2+

Doesn't work

If you have any problems above a middle school level you won't get the correct answer would use it there are more websites that would actually help you then this one
wikibrat
wikibrat Adult
May 2, 2019
age 18+

They change plans and then lie to you

I use to LOVE mathway now it is a waste of time. They change plans while they are in a testing time.
See all 6 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Data are not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
  • Data are collected by third-party advertising or tracking services.
  • Data are used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

MATHWAY lets users plug in math equations and instantly see their solutions; with a paid subscription, they also get step-by-step instructions on how to arrive at that solution. Once you pick a subject -- trigonometry, prealgebra, chemistry -- a menu displays useful related symbols and operations (such as an integral symbol for algebra), and users can tap or select those tools to set up their equations. After setting up a problem, users then tap "Evaluate" to see the answer. On the website, users can create a custom practice worksheet based on a particular math topic from an extensive drop-down menu and view an extensive glossary.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Even though it's a great tool for teens looking for a shortcut, this app has supportive features for guided practice that make it a worthy, flexible companion for math students across grade levels, especially with a subscription. Creating custom worksheets is one way to practice before a test, and the glossary is great because kids can browse alphabetically or by topic, and individual entries show up as highlighted, clickable text in the explanations of different problems. Unfortunately, those features are only on the website. The graphing feature also is especially good in that it's a simple, user-friendly way to neatly, precisely graph equations or illustrate geometric figures. The subscription is pricey for sure, and there will definitely be kids who will only use it to copy down solutions, so look for stark differences between homework and test performance as a possible indication of misuse; however, if used properly, the various features could help struggling kids or those who want to explore math beyond the classroom.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how they might use the custom worksheet-creation feature before a quiz or test to review. Talk more broadly about how a tool like this is a good way to check your work rather than skip it.

  • Set up a problem on Mathway, have your kid work out the problem with pencil and paper, have her explain each step she used to solve the problem, and then use Mathway to check the work. If you have the paid subscription, talk through the step-by-step solution and see how it matches up with your kid's own work.

  • Have your teen create his or her own glossary of terms from the built-in glossary on the website. What words are important to understand for his or her current math class? How are those terms related?

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
  • Subjects: Math : algebra, arithmetic, calculus, statistics, Science : chemistry
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : defining problems, problem solving, thinking critically, Self-Direction : academic development, initiative, self-assessment, work to achieve goals
  • Pricing structure: Free to try (subscription options for more features $9.99-$149.99)
  • Release date: February 5, 2015
  • Category: Education
  • Publisher: Mathway LLC
  • Version: 3.2.7
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 9.0 or later.
  • Last updated: March 13, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate