S
Symbolab
Same product, same outcome.
YES
why this verdict
Cancel it — switch to ChatGPT
ChatGPT and Wolfram Alpha now cover the same core job on a free tier, so the $7/mo is optional.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Free step-by-step maths reasoning. OpenAI, September 12, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers all of it editorial call
- The whole core job — the thing the subscription was actually for.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: ChatGPT and Wolfram Alpha.
- What the call is worth $84/yr
- $7/mo at the entry paid tier — $84 a year per seat.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- September 12, 2024
- List price
- $7/mo
- Per year
- $84
The backstory
Symbolab is a step-by-step maths solver with a subscription for full solutions. It sits in the same position as Mathway — both are now owned by Course Hero's parent — and faces the same problem: the steps are free everywhere, and models handle the conceptual questions students actually get stuck on.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $84/yr C
ChatGPT Free tier covers the core job.
chatgpt.com open_in_new W
Wolfram Alpha Free computation.
wolframalpha.com open_in_new2 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.