Derive vs Elara
The Elara alternative that checks every line as you write.
Write the way you already do. Derive finds the step where your working breaks, tells you why, and shows you the next move. In your own notebook, 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 one notebook for every class
- Want a personal tutor that catches your mistakes in real time, right on the line you wrote
- Study on a Mac or Windows computer as well as an iPad, with your pages synced
- 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 Elara, feature by feature.
Checked against Elara AI’s 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 as you write it
- Checks every line against the one above
- Flags the step that broke, without you asking
- 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 Elara is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Free to start, and its site says the web app is free to use
- Teaches as well as checks: lessons, video walkthroughs, flashcards
- Tracks progress by topic, adapts difficulty, shows parents where their child is stuck
- Built for school maths from grade 6 up, with a choice of how much help
Bring your working with you.
- 1
Gather your worksheets
- Homework, worksheets, problem sets
- Save them as PDFs
- 2
Drop them into Derive
- Drop the PDFs into Derive
- They sit next to the pages you write
- Everything becomes searchable
- 3
Keep writing
- Write straight onto imported pages
- New working checked as you write
Nothing is removed from Elara, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Elara, answered.
Can I bring my Elara work into Derive?
Yes. Bring the worksheets and homework you were working from as PDFs, drop them into Derive, and write straight onto them. Every imported page is searchable next to the notes you write in Derive.
How is Derive different from Elara’s Check My Work?
Check My Work is a button: write several lines, tap it, and Elara circles the step that went wrong and asks a guiding question. Derive steps in live, in any notebook: it checks every line against the one above as you write, flags the step where it breaks, and explains why with a tutor card right on your working. 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 a course, like Elara’s lessons?
No. Derive is a full handwritten notebook for the course you are already taking: your lecture notes, homework and past papers, with the checking, graphs, code and practice exams built in. If you want guided lessons and videos for school maths, Elara 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 Elara 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 Elara AI’s published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Elara AI, 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: Elara: home page, features and FAQ · Elara: Check My Work · Elara: Learn and Practice modes · Elara: canvas and worksheet import · Elara: learning profile · Elara: web app · Elara AI on the App Store: AU · US · CA · NZ