The short version: Photomath shows you a worked solution to a problem you scan. OLAR AI is an interactive whiteboard where you write your own work by hand, see it marked directly on your handwriting, and have the exact mistake erased and redrawn correctly.

They do different jobs: Photomath starts from the problem, while OLAR AI starts from the work you wrote.

At a glance

Feature	OLAR AI	Photomath
Main input	Your handwriting on an interactive whiteboard	Photo or typed problem
Where feedback lands	Marked on your own handwriting	On a separate worked solution
Erases and redraws the mistake in your own ink
Math
Physics
Scan or upload a problem
Best for	Finding and fixing your own mistakes	Looking up a worked solution

This table describes the primary workflows advertised by the products, not an exhaustive list of every feature. Product information reviewed October 26, 2026.

The real difference: seeing a solution versus fixing your own work

Suppose a student is solving 3(x − 2) = 15. They distribute the 3 incorrectly and write 3x − 2 = 15. The final answer they get will be wrong, but the important question is where the mistake began.

With Photomath, a student can scan the original equation and review the correct steps. Photomath offers step-by-step explanations and, for some problems, multiple solution methods. That is useful for seeing a method, but the student still has to compare it with their own page to find where they went wrong.

OLAR AI starts from the student’s attempt instead. You write each step by hand on an interactive whiteboard and submit it. OLAR marks your own handwriting directly, with green for supported work and red where something needs attention, and explains the issue. The feedback lives on the work you wrote, not on a separate answer screen.

That distinction matters when a student understands the general method but repeatedly makes small mistakes in distribution, signs, variables, units, or algebraic manipulation.

What Photomath is good at

Photomath offers a streamlined scan-to-explanation workflow with camera scanning, a smart calculator and worked solutions from elementary math through college-level topics. It is a convenient way to see a reference solution for a printed problem.

It works well when you want a quick worked example on your phone. It is built around studying a finished solution.

Importantly, Photomath is not simply an answer generator; its explanations are central to the product. It is a tool for reading a solution. OLAR AI is a workspace for doing the work.

Why OLAR AI is different

OLAR AI is built around an interactive whiteboard. Your handwritten steps are not disposable input; they are the work OLAR reads, marks and corrects, right on the board.

The loop is simple: bring in a problem, write a step by hand, submit it, see your handwriting annotated with targeted feedback, and revise. You can ask follow-up questions in the same workspace instead of switching between a notebook, an answer screen and a separate chat.

On a tablet and stylus, it feels like a tutor working through the problem on your page, not a finished answer you have to work backward from.

Important limitation: Handwriting recognition and AI feedback can be wrong. Any important answer should still be checked using the original problem, a reliable method, or an instructor.

Mistake found, mistake fixed: Correct My Work

With Photomath, the next action often involves comparing your attempted solution with a worked explanation. In OLAR, the step you wrote is what gets reviewed. After you submit it, OLAR color-marks the relevant handwriting and explains the suspected error.

Then use Correct My Work. When OLAR can reliably match the marked writing to a corrected version, it animates erasing the mistaken strokes and redraws the correct working right on your whiteboard, as one undoable edit. If the match is uncertain, it leaves your ink untouched and shows the correction in a separate card, so your work is never overwritten by a guess. See the OLAR AI walkthrough.

Which should you choose?

Photomath fits if…

• You only need to read a worked solution for a problem you scan.

• You want an example of a method you have not learned yet.

• You prefer a mobile-first math reference.

Choose OLAR AI if…

• You want to solve the problem yourself, by hand, before seeing a solution.

• You keep making small errors in one line of algebra or one symbol and want them marked on your own handwriting.

• You want to write, submit, see your work annotated, fix it and continue in one interactive workspace.

• You also work on introductory physics problems, where showing your reasoning matters.

Can you use both?

Yes. A practical workflow is to solve in OLAR AI, let it mark and correct the issue on your own work, and then compare your finished approach with a worked example in Photomath if you want a second method.

Frequently asked questions

Is OLAR AI the same as Photomath?

No. Photomath is best known for scanning problems and explaining solutions. OLAR AI is an interactive whiteboard that reads your handwritten steps, annotates them directly and can erase and redraw a mistake correctly.

Does Photomath show solving steps?

Yes. Photomath explicitly offers step-by-step explanations, with additional visual aids and explanations in some paid experiences.

Can OLAR AI guarantee that every handwritten symbol will be recognized?

No. Handwriting recognition is imperfect, and students should review feedback for transcription errors.

Is it better to see the answer first or work it yourself?

Worked solutions help with unfamiliar methods. To build independent problem-solving, attempting each step yourself and getting feedback on it is a stronger fit, and that is what OLAR AI is built for.

Try solving, not just scanning

Bring an algebra or physics problem into OLAR AI and see how feedback fits into your own work. Get started with OLAR AI.

Sources and disclosures: This comparison is published by the OLAR AI team and is not an independent laboratory test. It is based on the companies’ publicly described workflows, reviewed October 26, 2026. For current Photomath features and pricing, visit Photomath.