Socratic by Google
Google / socratic.org
AI-powered homework help app from Google using AI and search to help K-12 and college students understand questions through visual explanations, videos, and step-by-step solutions.
Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Category
Education
Platforms
2
Free plan
Yes
API access
No
Open source
No
Platforms
2
What is Socratic by Google?
Socratic, acquired by Google in 2018, lets students photograph or type a question and the app uses AI to identify the topic, find relevant educational resources, and provide step-by-step explanations, videos, and visual aids. Available for iOS and Android, covering maths, science, history, social studies, and other subjects. The free, ad-free experience makes it accessible to students regardless of budget.
How Socratic by Google works
Socratic by Google runs as llm assistant software built around text and image workflows. Users typically start with a prompt, upload, or connected data source, and the underlying model handles the heavy lifting before returning a result you can refine or export. It's available on ios and android.
Watch Socratic by Google in action
Recent YouTube videos cached from the backend so this page stays fast and fresh.
What makes it worth shortlisting
The capabilities that matter most for teams evaluating Socratic by Google.
Photo question recognition
Identifies academic questions from photographs and provides relevant explanations, videos, and resources for understanding.
Step-by-step explanations
Breaks down solutions to show the reasoning process rather than only providing final answers.
Multi-subject coverage
Provides explanations across maths, science, history, social studies, and other K-12 and college subjects.
Best use cases
Who should use it
Pros
- Completely free with no subscription required
- Photo question recognition makes homework help fast and easy
- Ad-free experience respects the learning environment
- Strong coverage across multiple academic subjects
Cons
- Intended to help understanding, not provide answers for copying
- Coverage and explanation depth varies by subject and question type
- Not a replacement for teacher explanation or human tutoring
Is it worth the price?
Completely free. No subscription. No Google account required.
Model
Free
Starting price
Free
Free trial
No
Tools like Socratic by Google
Photomath focuses specifically on mathematics. Khan Academy Khanmigo provides curriculum-integrated AI tutoring. Chegg provides more comprehensive paid homework help.
Socratic by Google vs Photomath
A side-by-side look at the closest alternative in this category.
Socratic by Google
Photomath
Photomath
Completely free. No subscription. No Google account required.
Free plan with basic step-by-step solutions. Plus $9.99/month or $69.99/year with detailed explanations and animated tutorial steps.
Google privacy policy applies. Parental consent recommended for users under 13.
Review Photomath privacy policy. Problem images processed on Photomath servers. Parental consent recommended for users under 13.
Review Google privacy policy. Socratic uses Google AI and search infrastructure.
Review Photomath data handling policy. Problem images uploaded for solving are processed on Photomath infrastructure.
- Completely free with no subscription required
- Photo question recognition makes homework help fast and easy
- Ad-free experience respects the learning environment
- Strong coverage across multiple academic subjects
- 220 million+ downloads make it the most adopted maths solver app
- Camera recognition of handwritten problems is fast and accurate
- Step-by-step solutions help students understand rather than just find answers
- Covers arithmetic through calculus in a single app
- Intended to help understanding, not provide answers for copying
- Coverage and explanation depth varies by subject and question type
- Not a replacement for teacher explanation or human tutoring
- Free plan provides solutions but limited explanations
- Students should use to understand concepts, not just copy answers
- Plus plan adds cost for individual students
Technical & deployment info
Key facts about model providers, platforms, and team support.
Model Provider
Platforms
iOS, Android
Deployment
Free
Integrations
Google Search, YouTube, Khan Academy resources
Team Collaboration
No
Launch Year
2018
Security & privacy
Compliance signals and data-handling notes as reported by the vendor.
Google privacy policy applies. Parental consent recommended for users under 13.
Review Google privacy policy. Socratic uses Google AI and search infrastructure.
What users are saying
Verified reviews from signed-in users, stored in the backend and averaged into this tool's rating.
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Common questions about Socratic by Google
Editorial Verdict
Should you use Socratic by Google?
Socratic is the best free AI homework help app for K-12 and college students who want quick explanations and learning resources. Use it to understand concepts rather than to copy answers.
Last verified July 24, 2026.