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Head-to-head · Calculators

Qalculate! vs Mathway

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Qalculate! #1 in Calculators 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Qalculate!
Mathway #6 in Calculators 8.7/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Mathway

Qalculate! leads on 0 checks, Mathway on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreQalculate! · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Mathway
  • Most featuresQalculate! · 6 of 6

Qalculate! scores higher on our rubric for calculators: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

Qalculate! is the better fit for desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator. Mathway is the better fit for students needing broad math problem solving and steps.

  • Qalculate! fits best

    Desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator

  • Mathway fits best

    Students needing broad math problem solving and steps

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Side by side

Feature Qalculate! 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Mathway 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #1 in Calculators #6 in Calculators
Best for Desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator Students needing broad math problem solving and steps
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $39.99/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 7 days
Deployment Desktop Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Windows, Linux, macOS Web, Windows, iOS, Android
Features Qalculate! 6/6 · Mathway 0/6
Scientific functions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Graphing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Equation solver ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Financial functions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Offline mode ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Calculation history ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Evaluates expressions with variables, units, and functions
  • Combines symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing
  • Offers over 400 functions plus searchable calculation history
  • Accepts typed problems and photos of handwritten or printed work
  • Covers subjects from basic math through calculus, statistics, chemistry and physics
  • Offers graphing, equation, derivative, integral and statistics calculators
Cons
  • Desktop software only, with no mobile platform listed
  • Support channels are limited to documentation
  • Its broad feature set may be more than basic calculations require
  • Full step-by-step work requires a paid subscription
  • The free plan includes advertisements
  • It focuses on solving math problems rather than general-purpose calculations
Our verdict

Qalculate! is a free, open-source desktop calculator for people who need more than basic arithmetic. Its graphical GTK and Qt interfaces and command-line interface are available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It handles expressions with…

Read the review →

Mathway is a web and mobile math problem solver for students, parents and teachers. Users can type a problem or upload a photo of handwritten or printed work, select a subject, and receive a solution with the method shown step by step. Its…

Read the review →
  1. Qalculate!Calculators 9.3Free plan
  2. MathwayCalculators 8.7Free plan · 7-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Qalculate! — where it wins

    • Evaluates expressions with variables, units, and functions
    • Combines symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing
    • Offers over 400 functions plus searchable calculation history

    Where it doesn't

    • Desktop software only, with no mobile platform listed
    • Support channels are limited to documentation
    • Its broad feature set may be more than basic calculations require

  • Mathway — where it wins

    • Accepts typed problems and photos of handwritten or printed work
    • Covers subjects from basic math through calculus, statistics, chemistry and physics
    • Offers graphing, equation, derivative, integral and statistics calculators

    Where it doesn't

    • Full step-by-step work requires a paid subscription
    • The free plan includes advertisements
    • It focuses on solving math problems rather than general-purpose calculations
  • Qalculate!9.3/10 · Free plan

    A free desktop calculator for expressions, symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing.

    Visit Qalculate!Full verdict →
  • Mathway8.7/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

    A broad math solver for students who want answers and worked steps from typed or photographed problems.

    Visit MathwayFull verdict →

More comparisons

All calculators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update