- Graphing calculator apps compared
- Ten graphing calculator apps to try
- Which app for which job
- What the key stage 4 curriculum asks for
- Hardware-style apps versus touch-first graphing
- Check the exam rules before you rely on an app
- Six graphs worth plotting to learn the ropes
- My plain advice on graphing calculator apps
- Frequently asked questions
A graphing calculator app plots equations and data on a phone, tablet or laptop, finding intercepts, turning points and lines of best fit without a handheld device. Some copy the layout of classic hardware calculators, while others use sliders and touch to explore graphs. Ten options follow, in no particular order, with a note on exams.
Handheld graphing calculators have barely changed in years, and many students only meet one in a maths lesson. Apps have quietly overtaken them for everyday learning, with bigger screens, touch controls and graphs you can drag around.
The apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and each description comes from the provider's own website or app store listing, read this week. For a more playful way into maths, my list of puzzle games for learning mathematics is a good place to start.
Graphing calculator apps compared
I checked the free plan column on each provider's own website or app store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names the app, an account, a plan or a version of it as free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start or a store download button, so check the provider's own page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate84 | Graphing calculator app for iPhone | A familiar handheld feel on iPhone | Not stated |
| Desmos | Graphing calculator app and website | Sliders, tables and animated graphs | Yes |
| GeoGebra Graphing Calculator | Graphing calculator app | Regression and special points | Not stated |
| GraphFree | Graph maker for worksheets | Teachers making worksheet graphs | Yes |
| Graphing Calculator X84 | Graphing calculator app | Replacing a heavy hardware calculator | Yes |
| Mathlab | Scientific and graphing calculator app | One app for fractions and matrices | Not stated |
| Numeris | Scientific calculator with 3D graphs | Functions in three dimensions | Yes |
| NumWorks | Graphing calculator maker's app | Practising on the calculator you'll use | Yes |
| Symbolab Graphing Calculator | Graphing calculator app | Seeing intercepts and asymptotes at once | Yes |
| Taculator 84 | Graphing calculator app | Stat plots and distributions | Not stated |
Ten graphing calculator apps to try
Calculate84
Best for: Anyone used to a handheld graphing calculator who want the same experience on iPhone with touch-friendly graph controls.
Desmos
Best for: Pupils and teachers who want to plot anything from lines to Fourier series, add sliders and animate graphs, with a free browser version.
GeoGebra Graphing Calculator
Best for: Learners who want to find special points of functions, run best-fit lines and save or share results from a popular maths platform.
GraphFree
Best for: Maths teachers who want clean, professional graphs for high school worksheets and lessons, starting free.
Graphing Calculator X84
Best for: Pupils who want a free alternative to a heavy hardware calculator for basic to complex maths on their phone.
Mathlab
Best for: College students who want scientific, graphing, fraction and matrix calculators together in one app for school and university.
Numeris
Best for: Learners who want basic, scientific and graphing modes in one app, with 3D plots and live formula previews.
NumWorks
Best for: Owners of a NumWorks calculator, or pupils about to buy one, who want the same calculator on their iPhone or iPad.
Symbolab Graphing Calculator
Best for: Algebra and precalculus learners who want graphs of functions, conics and inequalities that show extreme points, intercepts and asymptotes instantly.
Taculator 84
Best for: High school and college students who want lists, statistics, distributions and stat plots in a familiar graphing calculator layout.
Which app for which job
- Exploring graphs with sliders: Desmos.
- Making graphs for worksheets: GraphFree.
- Statistics and stat plots: Taculator 84.
- Plotting in three dimensions: Numeris.
- Fractions and matrices too: Mathlab.
What the key stage 4 curriculum asks for
The Department for Education's key stage 4 mathematics programme of study says pupils should be taught to plot and interpret graphs, including reciprocal and exponential graphs, and graphs of non-standard functions in real contexts, to find approximate solutions to problems.
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A graphing app makes the plotting quick, so the time saved can go on interpreting what the graph is telling you. Ask what the intercept means in the real situation, or why the curve levels off, rather than stopping once the line appears.
Hardware-style apps versus touch-first graphing
Hardware-style apps copy the menus and keys of classic handheld calculators. They suit students who'll use a handheld in class or exams and want to practise the same keystrokes at home.
Touch-first apps let you type an equation and drag sliders to see how the graph changes. They're better for building understanding, especially of transformations, but the skills don't always transfer straight to a handheld.
Check the exam rules before you rely on an app
- Phones aren't allowed in most exam halls. Practise with whatever you'll use on the day.
- Exam boards set calculator rules. Check your board's current guidance.
- Some exams build in a calculator. Practise with that one if so.
- Ask your teacher. They'll know what's permitted for each paper.
If you need the working shown rather than a plot, apps that explain each step are compared in a roundup of math solver apps.
Six graphs worth plotting to learn the ropes
- A straight line, then change its gradient.
- A quadratic, and find its turning point.
- A reciprocal graph, and spot the asymptotes.
- An exponential graph for growth over time.
- A sine curve, then stretch it.
- A scatter plot with a line of best fit.
Do you make graphing calculators or maths tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on graphing calculator apps
For learning, a touch-first app with sliders builds understanding fastest. For exam practice, use whatever you'll be allowed on the day, which often means an app that mirrors your handheld calculator.
Teachers and older students who like to automate their revision can go further with AI too. My collection of copy-and-paste ChatGPT prompts for students includes prompts for generating practice questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free graphing calculator app?
Several apps on this list name free use or a free version on their own page, so check the free plan column.
Can I use a graphing calculator app in an exam?
Usually not on a phone, so check your exam board's rules and practise with the calculator you'll be allowed.
Which graphing calculator app is like a handheld?
Several apps here copy the layout of classic handheld graphing calculators, which helps with practice.
Can graphing apps plot in 3D?
Some can, and at least one app here describes 3D function plots.
Do graphing calculator apps do statistics?
Several handle lists, distributions, regression and lines of best fit.
Are graphing apps good for teachers?
Yes, some are designed for making clean graphs for worksheets and lessons.
