Background. The concept of fractal is one of the main paradigms of modern theoretical and experimental physics, radiophysics and radar, and fractional calculus is the mathematical basis of fractal physics, geothermal energy and space electrodynamics. We investigate the solvability of the Cauchy problem for linear and nonlinear inhomogeneous pseudodifferential diffusion equations. The equation contains a fractional derivative of a Riemann–Liouville time variable defined by Caputo and a pseudodifferential operator that acts on spatial variables and is constructed in a homogeneous, non-negative homogeneous order, a non-smooth character at the origin, smooth enough outside. The heterogeneity of the equation depends on the temporal and spatial variables and permits the Laplace transform of the temporal variable. The initial condition contains a restricted function. Objective. To show that the homotopy perturbation transform method (HPTM) is easily applied to linear and nonlinear inhomogeneous pseudodifferential diffusion equations. To prove the solvability and obtain the solution formula for the Cauchy problem series for the given linear and nonlinear diffusion equations. Methods. The problem is solved by the NPTM method, which combines a Laplace transform with a time variable and a homotopy perturbation method (HPM). After the Laplace transform, we obtain an integral equation which is solved as a series by degrees of the entered parameter with unknown coefficients. Substituting the input formula for the solution into the integral equation, we equate the expressions to equal parameter degrees and obtain formulas for unknown coefficients. When solving the nonlinear equation, we use a special polynomial which is included in the decomposition coefficients of the nonlinear function and allows the homotopy perturbation method to be applied as well for nonlinear non-uniform pseudodifferential diffusion equation. Results. The result is a solution of the Cauchy problem for the investigated diffusion equation, which is represented as a series of terms whose functions are found from the parametric series. Conclusions. In this paper we first prove the solvability and obtain the formula for solving the Cauchy problem as a series for linear and nonlinear inhomogeneous pseudodifferential equations.