Derive vs Math Notes
The Apple Math Notes alternative that checks your working, not just the answer.
Write the way you already do. Derive finds the step where your working breaks, tells you why, and shows you the next move. On iPad, Mac, Windows and the web.
- Write straight onto any PDF
- 7-day trial, cancel in the app
- 30-day refund
The short answer
Choose Derive if you…
- Study maths, physics, engineering or computer science and want every line of working checked
- Want a personal tutor that catches your mistakes in real time, right on the line you wrote
- Study on Windows, the web or an Android tablet as well as an iPad, and want the checking there too
- Want 3D graphs, runnable code and practice exams inside your notebook
On Android? There is no app yet, but Derive runs in your browser at web.derivenotes.com.
Derive and Math Notes, feature by feature.
Checked against Apple Math Notes’ published information on 9 October 2026. Sources are listed at the foot of the page.
With a catch, named underneathDerive pricing
7 days free with a card, then billed unless you cancel. Cancel in the app any time. 30-day refund.
Where Derive pulls ahead.
01
It finds the step, not just the answer
- Checks every line against the one above
- Flags the exact step that broke
- Tutor card: why, and what to try next
- Live as you write, on iPad, Mac, Windows and web
02
Graphs and code, right in the notebook
- Lasso an equation, graph it in 2D or 3D
- Drop in a code cell and run it
- Working, graph and code on one page
03
Practice exams from your own notes
- Turns your pages into a practice test
- Marks your handwritten answers
- Built from your course, not a question bank
Where Apple Math Notes is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Free and already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Nothing to install or sign up for
- Works in both Notes and Calculator
- Change a variable, every result and graph updates
- Converts units and currencies as you write
- Share a note and edit it together live
Bring your notes with you.
- 1
Export from Notes
- Open a note, tap Share, then Markup
- Save it as a PDF
- On a Mac: File, Export To, PDF
- 2
Drop the PDF into Derive
- Drop the PDF into Derive
- Searchable next to your Derive pages
- 3
Keep writing
- Write straight onto the PDF
- New working checked as you write
Exporting makes a copy. Nothing is removed from Notes, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Math Notes, answered.
Can I bring my Apple Notes into Derive?
Yes. Export a note from Notes as a PDF and drop it into Derive. Every imported page is searchable, and you can write straight onto it.
How is Derive different from Apple Math Notes?
Math Notes is a calculator inside your notes: write an expression and an equal sign, and it shows the result, with variables and graphs. It marks maths it cannot read or solve. Derive checks your working: every line against the one above, flagging the step where it breaks and explaining why with a tutor card. It does that on iPad, Mac, Windows and the web.
Does Derive work on Windows and Android?
Derive has apps for iPad, Mac and Windows, and runs in the browser at web.derivenotes.com. There is no Android app yet, so on an Android tablet or Chromebook use the browser version: same notebooks, same checking, synced with your other devices.
Is Derive good for subjects other than STEM?
It is a full handwritten notebook, so you can take any notes in it. The checking, graphs, code and practice exams are built for maths, physics, engineering and computer science. If you mainly want quick sums, budgets and unit conversions, Math Notes is the better fit.
Can I turn the AI off?
Yes. Recognition and the tutor run only with your consent, and you can switch them off at any time in settings. With them off, your content is not sent to our AI providers.
How do I try it?
Start a 7-day trial. You add a card, but nothing is charged for 7 days, we email you before it ends, and cancelling is self-serve in the app. If you pay and it is not for you, email us within 30 days for a full refund.
Try it on your next problem set.
Bring your Math Notes notebooks with you, write the way you already do, and see what Derive catches.
Start your 7-day trial7 days free with a card, then billed unless you cancel. Cancel in the app any time. 30-day refund.
Comparison checked on 9 October 2026 against Apple Math Notes’ published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Apple Math Notes, and the other product names on this page, are trademarks of their respective owners. Derive Notes Pty Ltd is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them; the names are used only to identify the products being compared.
Sources: Apple: Enter formulas and equations in Notes on iPad · Apple: Solve math with Math Notes in Calculator on iPad · Apple: Work with graphs in Math Notes on iPad · Apple: Enter formulas and equations in Notes on iPhone · Apple: Solve math in Notes on Mac · Apple: How to handle errors in Math Notes · Apple: Use Notes on iCloud.com · Apple: Share notes and collaborate on iPad · Apple: Export or print notes on iPad · Apple: Import, export, and print notes on Mac