ihateDesmos vs Desmos
Desmos made graphing free for everyone and remains the standard in classrooms and on many exams. ihateDesmos is built for people who want more algebra, more accuracy guarantees and more export options next to their graphs. Here is the honest comparison.
If your exam embeds Desmos (as the digital SAT and many state tests do), practise in Desmos so the interface is familiar on the day. Desmos is also the better choice for its classroom activities and its geometry tool.
Choose ihateDesmos when you want symbolic algebra next to the graph (factoring, solving, antiderivatives with steps), certified plotting, error estimates on numerical answers, slope fields and phase portraits as built-in rows, notebooks, or exports such as PDF, TikZ, STL and video.
Feature by feature
| Feature | ihateDesmos | Desmos |
|---|---|---|
| Free, in the browser | Yes | Yes |
| 2D graphs, sliders, tables, lists | Yes | Yes |
| 3D graphing Desmos has a separate 3D calculator. | Yes | Yes |
| Regression with ~ | Yes | Yes |
| Parameter standard errors and a 95% confidence band | Yes | Not documented |
| Derivatives and definite integrals | Yes | Yes |
| Symbolic algebra: factor, solve, antiderivatives, series Desmos evaluates and graphs derivatives and integrals numerically; it does not produce symbolic results. | Yes | No |
| Step-by-step solutions: derivatives, integrals, limits, factoring, equations | Yes | No |
| Error estimates on integrals and roots | Yes | Not documented |
| Certified plotting (interval arithmetic) | Yes | Not documented |
| Slope fields and phase portraits In Desmos these are built from lists or shared template graphs rather than a built-in row type. | Yes | Partly |
| Complex numbers Desmos has a Complex Mode setting. | Yes | Yes |
| Domain colouring and conformal maps | Yes | Not documented |
| Units of measurement | Yes | Not documented |
| Image export | PNG, SVG, PDF | PNG, SVG |
| TikZ / pgfplots for LaTeX | Yes | Not documented |
| STL / OBJ export for 3D printing | Yes | Not documented |
| GIF and video export of animations | Yes | Not documented |
| Notebooks mixing text and live graphs | Yes | No |
| Python cells in notebooks | Yes | No |
| Works offline ihateDesmos works offline in the browser after one visit; Desmos’s mobile apps work offline. | Yes | Yes |
| Approved exam versions (SAT, ACT, state tests) | No | Yes |
| Classroom activities for teachers Desmos Classroom is now run by Amplify. | No | Yes |
| Geometry construction tool ihateDesmos has a 2D toolbar for points, segments, lines, circles and polygons that follow when dragged; Desmos Geometry has more construction types and transformations. | Partly | Yes |
| Account needed to save | No (saved in your browser) | Yes, to save graphs to your account |
Products change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
What is the same
Both are free, run in any browser and use the same basic language: type y = x^2 and you get a parabola, use a letter you haven’t defined and you are offered a slider, write y1 ~ m x1 + b to fit a line to a table. If you know one, you can use the other in minutes. Both treat a graph as a list of rows, both support lists, tables, points and inequalities, and both have 3D graphing.
Where ihateDesmos goes further
Algebra next to the graph. The Algebra tab factors, expands, simplifies and solves, finds antiderivatives, limits and Taylor series, and shows the rules behind a derivative. In Desmos you can graph the derivative of a function, but not see its formula.
Accuracy you can check. Integrals are computed by adaptive Gauss–Kronrod quadrature and reported with an error estimate. Roots and intersections are refined to about twelve digits. Certified mode uses interval arithmetic to draw curves such as (x² + y² − 9)² = 0, which have no sign change for a sampling plotter to find.
Science and engineering tools. Slope fields, phase portraits and 3D systems are first-class rows, with solutions computed by adaptive Runge–Kutta. Vector fields come with divergence, curl, line integrals and flux. Units work in any expression.
Getting work out. Export to PDF and SVG for documents, TikZ for LaTeX papers, STL and OBJ for 3D printing, and GIF or video for slides. Notebooks combine prose, maths and several live graphs in one document.
Where Desmos is the better choice
- Exams. The digital SAT, the ACT and many state tests build Desmos into the test. Practise with the tool you will use on the day.
- Teaching. Desmos Classroom (now part of Amplify) provides ready-made interactive lessons and a teacher dashboard. ihateDesmos does not have a classroom product.
- Geometry. Desmos has a dedicated geometry calculator with many construction types and transformations. ihateDesmos has a smaller toolbar: points, segments, lines, circles and polygons, plus functions such as midpoint and intersection.
- Familiarity. Millions of students already know Desmos, and its community has shared a vast library of graphs and art.
Moving a graph across
To bring a graph across, open the + menu and choose Import from Desmos or GeoGebra. Paste the expressions copied from Desmos’s list, or the graph state from Calc.getState(), and they are converted on your device: sliders, colours, line styles, folders, notes and tables come with them, and anything that can’t be converted is listed.
Most expressions can also be typed into either calculator unchanged: functions, equations, inequalities, sliders, lists and regressions use the same notation. Two differences to watch: in ihateDesmos, log means base 10 and ln is the natural log, as on a handheld calculator; and implied multiplication after a division is read left to right, so v/2 cos(u) means (v/2)·cos(u).
Frequently asked questions
Is ihateDesmos a Desmos clone?
Can I use it instead of Desmos on the SAT?
Can I import my Desmos graphs?
Is ihateDesmos affiliated with Desmos?
Sources
- Desmos Help Center: Complex Numbers
- Desmos Help Center: Integrals
- Desmos Help Center: Derivatives
- Desmos Help Center: Saving and Sharing Your Work
- Desmos Help Center: Getting Started with Desmos 3D
ihateDesmos is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Desmos Studio PBC. Desmos is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify that product.
Open both side by side with the same graph. It takes a few seconds, and nothing needs installing.