Wolfram|Alpha review

Wolfram|Alpha is a computational knowledge engine, and its student plans are aimed at homework, exams and STEM coursework. The free Basic account gives answers and customizable preferences, but Wolfram states it does not include step-by-step solutions. Those come with Pro for Students, which also adds practice problems with hints, guided calculators for calculus and algebra, 2X extended computation time, 2MB file uploads with instant analysis and photo input in the iOS and Android apps. Pro Premium for Students raises that to 3X computation time and 5MB uploads, with priority support. Plans can be billed annually, by semester or monthly, which suits a single course term. The pricing page showed prices in GBP from our location, so we could not record a USD price. The trade-off is the input style: typing a clean query works far better than pasting a messy word problem. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

college and advanced high school students in calculus and STEM courses

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Step-by-step solutions on Pro for Students
• Practice problems with hints and step-by-step solutions
• Guided calculators for calculus, algebra and more
• 2X extended computation time and 2MB file uploads on Pro; 3X and 5MB on Pro Premium
• Photo input in the iOS and Android apps

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Basic account is free with sign-in
• Strength: Student plans can be billed annually, by semester or monthly
• Strength: Pro Premium adds 3X computation time and 5MB uploads
• Weakness: Free Basic account does not include step-by-step solutions
• Weakness: Pricing page showed GBP, not USD, from our location
• Weakness: Input syntax takes some learning compared with a camera app

Key facts

• Free plan: Basic, free with sign-in (no step-by-step)
• Student plans: Pro and Pro Premium
• Billing options: Annual, semester or monthly
• Upload limit: 2MB on Pro, 5MB on Pro Premium

Where it ranks

Wolfram|Alpha is No. 2 in our Best AI Math Solvers verdict.