The short answer
Mindko (formerly College Tools) and Apex Vision AI are close competitors: both are browser extensions that work on the page inside your LMS, both read screenshots, and both cover more than maths. The real difference is what each is built around. Mindko leads on a camouflage feature and raw solving volume. Apex Vision AI leads on showing its reasoning so you can check it — and is explicit that it is not for use in proctored or closed-book assessment.
Why do students compare the two?
Because they solve the same problem in the same place. Both install as a Chrome extension, both open on the coursework page rather than in a separate tab, and both handle diagrams and multiple-choice layouts rather than plain text only. If you have shortlisted one, the other belongs on the list.
What is Mindko good at?
Credit where it is due, using their own published claims. Mindko launched in May 2023 as College Tools and says it now serves a large student base and has solved tens of millions of questions. It routes across several model providers, advertises a library of around 260 million academic articles for grounding, and ships a Chrome extension alongside an iOS app. Its feature list is broad: screenshot solving, AI chat, essay writing, code building, lecture recording, flashcards and study guides.
How do they compare?
| Dimension | Apex Vision AI | Mindko |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Chrome extension, on the page in your LMS | Chrome extension, on the page in your LMS |
| Reads diagrams & answer choices | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | iOS and Android | iOS |
| Model routing | Routed per question type | Multiple providers |
| Study tools | Flashcards, practice exams, study guides, AI tutor | Flashcards, study guides, lecture recording |
| Free tier | Start with 30 free requests, plus a refill every 12 hours. No card required. | Not published on the comparison page |
| Stance on proctored exams | Not supported; states so explicitly | Markets a camouflage feature |
What is the actual difference in approach?
This is the part worth understanding before you pick, because it is a genuine fork rather than a feature gap.
Mindko markets a camouflage mode. Apex Vision AI does not have an equivalent and does not intend to. We take the position that a study tool should make you able to explain your own work, and that anything designed around not being noticed during an assessment puts the student — not the tool — at risk. Published academic integrity guidance is consistent that where an assignment does not explicitly permit AI, the default is that it is disallowed, and no browser feature changes that.
If a camouflage feature is what you are shopping for, Mindko is the honest recommendation and we are not the right fit. If you want a tool that shows the reasoning so you can follow it, reproduce it, and defend it, that is what Apex is built for.
Which one explains better?
Both return worked steps. The difference is emphasis: Apex Vision AI routes each question to the model that suits it — a calculus problem and a philosophy essay do not need the same engine — and returns the reasoning with sources where they exist, so you can check it against what your course actually taught. On a multiple-choice item it shows why the distractors fail, which is the part that makes a concept stick for the exam.
Does Apex work on Android?
Yes. Apex Vision AI ships apps on both the App Store and Google Play, alongside the Chrome extension. Mindko's published listing covers a Chrome extension and an iOS app. If you carry an Android phone and want the mobile side as well as the browser side, that is a concrete difference rather than a marketing one.
What does each cost to try?
Start with 30 free requests, plus a refill every 12 hours. No card required. Mindko positions itself as affordable but does not publish a price on its comparison pages, so check the current figure on their site directly. Run whichever you are considering against your actual assignments — that tells you more than any table, this one included.
Which platforms does Apex support?
Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Top Hat and virtually any LMS that runs in your browser, plus the homework platforms where much of the work actually lands. Because the extension reads the rendered page rather than integrating with a specific system, it does not depend on your institution enabling anything, and it is unaffected by which version or theme your school runs.
Is either one against the rules?
That depends on your course, not the tool. Most institutions permit AI study tools for homework, practice and revision, and prohibit them in closed-book or proctored assessment. Check your assignment brief first, then your syllabus, then your institution's academic integrity policy. Apex Vision AI is designed for the permitted side of that line and we do not support using it during proctored work — a position we would rather state plainly than leave you to discover.
How do I try Apex?
Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, sign in once, and open it on a question you are already working on. No card is required for the free requests. If you are currently using Mindko, run both on the same assignments for a week — the explanations are where the difference shows up, and that is the only test that reflects your own coursework.
Mindko figures above are the company's own published claims as of August 2026 and are cited for comparison. Mindko and College Tools are trademarks of their respective owners; Apex Vision AI is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by them.
Try it on the question you are actually stuck on
Apex Vision AI is a Chrome extension and mobile app that reads the question already open on your screen — including diagrams and answer choices — and explains it step by step, without you copying anything into a separate chatbot. It works inside Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and Top Hat.
Start with 30 free requests, plus a refill every 12 hours. No card required. AI answers can be wrong — always check them against your course material.