Derive vs Freenotes
The Freenotes alternative that checks every line of your working.
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.
- Bring your notes over as PDFs
- 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 or the web as well as an iPad, and want your notebooks and the checking there too
- Want 3D graphs, runnable code and practice exams marked from your own notes
On Android? There is no app yet, but Derive runs in your browser at web.derivenotes.com.
Derive and Freenotes, feature by feature.
Checked against Freenotes’ 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 Freenotes is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Costs less, with a free plan (with ads) and a lifetime purchase
- Apps for iPhone and Android phones and tablets
- Audio recording with transcription
- Notes beside a video in picture-in-picture
- Flashcards and an active recall tape tool
- 1M+ users (Freenotes’ figure)
Bring every notebook with you.
- 1
Export from Freenotes
- Export each notebook from Freenotes
- Save it as a PDF
- 2
Drop the PDF into Derive
- Drop the PDFs into Derive
- Searchable next to your Derive pages
- 3
Keep writing
- Write straight onto imported pages
- New working checked as you write
Exporting makes a copy. Nothing is removed from Freenotes, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Freenotes, answered.
Can I bring my Freenotes notebooks into Derive?
Yes. Export them from Freenotes as PDFs and drop them into Derive. Every imported page is searchable, and you can write straight onto it.
How is Derive different from the Freenotes AI Study Companion?
Freenotes has an AI assistant: it can clarify concepts, check your handwritten notes for accuracy, and answer a question from a screenshot or upload. Derive steps in live, without being asked: it checks every line of your working against the one above, flags the step where it breaks, and explains 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 a free notebook for every subject on your phone and tablet, Freenotes 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 Freenotes 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 Freenotes’ published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Freenotes, 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: Freenotes on the App Store: AU · US · CA · NZ · Freenotes on Google Play · Freenotes: developer website (App Store and Google Play only) · Goodnotes’ comparison of Goodnotes and Freenotes (Sept 2026)