An algebra app helps you practise or check algebra on your phone, from one-step equations to quadratics. Some make you rearrange the equation yourself with drag-and-drop moves or game levels, while others solve the problem you type in and show the steps. If you're aiming to pass a test, the first kind builds the skill. Ten apps follow, in no particular order.
Algebra isn't only for teenagers. One app on this list quotes a 48-year-old who'd wanted to learn algebra her whole life and finally got it, and another is written for adults changing careers, going back to college or studying for the GED.
I've listed the ten apps alphabetically, using each App Store listing for the details. If you're helping a child who's falling behind, my guide on choosing the right tutor for your child covers when an app isn't enough.
Algebra apps compared side by side
I checked the free plan column against each App Store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means a free download. Trial only means the listing says you need a subscription after a free trial, and the one app marked that way is part of a family subscription for children. A free download can still carry a premium tier, so look at the listing before you hand the phone over.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algebra for adults | Adult refresher lessons | Relearning algebra after school | Yes |
| Algebra for beginners | Levelled beginner lessons | Isolating variables and solving quadratics | Yes |
| Algebra Handbook | Offline reference with solvers | Looking up rules with proofs and graphs | Yes |
| Algebra Learner | Drag-and-drop puzzle worlds | Learning the rules through play | Yes |
| Algebra Quest | Question generator with walkthroughs | Endless fresh practice questions | Yes |
| Algebra Touch | Hands-on equation activities | Rearranging equations by hand | Yes |
| Kahoot! Algebra by DragonBox | Algebra game for young children | Equation basics from age five | Trial only |
| Math Monster Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 adventure game | Algebra 1 skills one trail at a time | Yes |
| Math Problems 1st - 12th Grade | Mixed maths problem practice | Daily arithmetic and maths practice | Yes |
| MathPapa | Algebra calculator with steps | Checking homework working | Yes |
Ten algebra apps for learners of any age
Algebra for adults
Best for: Adults going back to college, studying for the GED or changing careers, with 5 to 10 minute lessons and a placement check to find their level.
Algebra for beginners
Best for: First-timers who want levels that move from eliminating terms and handling negative signs to solving quadratics, with instant feedback on each answer.
Algebra Handbook
Best for: Reference lovers who want 159 offline articles, 39 live graphs and 20 step-by-step solvers that show where a mistake happened.
Algebra Learner
Best for: Puzzle fans who'd like to merge terms, cancel fractions and factorise by dragging pieces, where the only thing you can't do is break a maths rule.
Algebra Quest
Best for: Exam practisers who want freshly generated questions from missing numbers to simultaneous equations and quadratics, with progress badges and a statistics page.
Algebra Touch
Best for: Hands-on learners who want to move terms with a finger, with a custom activity for each topic and a challenge mode at the end of each module.
Kahoot! Algebra by DragonBox
Best for: Parents of children aged five and up, who learn the basics of solving equations in a card game without realising it's algebra.
Math Monster Algebra 1
Best for: Algebra 1 students who like collecting things, taming monsters across seven skill trails from one-step equations to slope-intercept graphing.
Math Problems 1st - 12th Grade
Best for: Younger learners and adults who want daily problems with step-by-step answers, levels and rewards, with every question free to access.
MathPapa
Best for: Homework checkers who want to type a problem and see the working, covering linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, factoring and systems of two equations.
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Doing the algebra versus being given the answer
Algebra apps fall into two groups. Calculator apps take your equation and return the answer with steps. MathPapa, for example, shows you how to solve 3x+5=17 line by line, which is a great way to check homework you've already done.
The other group makes you do it. Algebra Touch lets you play with the terms directly and makes mistakes impossible, so you learn by poking around and seeing what happens. Math Monster Algebra 1 has no timers and no game overs, and Algebra Quest shows a step-by-step walkthrough whenever you get one wrong, with no lives or timers either.
If the aim is to pass a test, the second group builds the skill and the first only checks it. In the exam hall there's no box to type the equation into, so the moves have to be yours.
Which kind of algebra app suits which learner
- Age five and up: a card game that teaches the steps of solving an equation before the child knows it's algebra.
- Algebra 1 students: game-style practice with skill trails, streaks and clues, one skill at a time.
- Exam revision: generated questions up to simultaneous equations and quadratics, with a walkthrough for every miss.
- Adults: short lessons written for grown-ups, with a placement check so you don't start from scratch.
- Anyone checking homework: a calculator that shows its working, used after you've tried the problem yourself.
Do you make algebra or maths learning apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice on picking an algebra app
Do the problem first, then check it. Use a practice or game app most days and keep a calculator app for confirming answers you've already worked out, because the working is the part your teacher marks and the exam tests.
Most of these are free to download, so let a learner try two and keep the one they'll open without nagging. For younger children who learn best through play, my guide to puzzle games that help children learn maths has more ideas.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best algebra app?
It depends on whether you want to learn or check. Practice and game apps build the skill, while calculator apps show worked answers to problems you type in.
Is there a free algebra app?
Yes. Nine of the ten apps here show a free download on the App Store, as of Oct 2026. One children's game needs a family subscription after a free trial.
Is there an algebra app for adults?
Yes. One app here is written for grown-ups, whether you never got algebra at school or you've simply forgotten it, and it works out where to start you.
Can an algebra app show its working?
Yes. Calculator apps here solve linear and quadratic equations step by step, and an offline handbook includes solvers that take your own numbers and show each step.
