Derive vs Mathway
The Mathway alternative that checks your own working, line by line.
Write the problem out yourself. 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 to learn from your own working, not just see a solution
- Want a personal tutor that catches your mistakes in real time, right on the line you wrote
- Want your notes, homework and past papers in one handwritten notebook on iPad, Mac, Windows and the web
- 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 Mathway, feature by feature.
Checked against Mathway’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 your 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 Mathway is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Free with no sign-up, and a cheaper yearly plan
- Quick for one problem: type or snap, see the steps
- Android app and dozens of calculators
- Solver also covers chemistry and physics
- 5B+ problems solved (Mathway’s figure)
Bring your notes, keep your method.
- 1
Gather your notes
- Export your notebooks as PDFs
- Or bring Goodnotes, Notability, OneNote, Samsung Notes files
- 2
Drop them into Derive
- Drop the PDFs or files into Derive
- Searchable next to the pages you write
- 3
Write straight onto them
- Write straight onto imported pages
- New working checked as you write
Nothing changes in Mathway, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Mathway, answered.
Can I bring my notes into Derive?
Yes. Mathway is a problem solver rather than a notebook, so there is nothing to move out of it. Import your notes from Goodnotes, Notability, OneNote or Samsung Notes, or drop in any PDF. Every imported page is searchable and can be written on.
How is Derive different from Mathway’s step-by-step solutions?
Mathway solves the problem you type in or photograph and shows its own steps, with the full work for every step on an optional subscription. Derive works on your own handwriting, in your notebook: 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 for quick homework answers?
Derive is built around your own working: you write the solution, and it checks each step and explains the one that broke. If you mainly want a fast answer to a single typed or photographed problem, Mathway is built for that.
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 Mathway 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 Mathway’s published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Mathway, 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: Mathway: home page and FAQ · Mathway: graphing calculator · Mathway on the App Store: AU · US · CA · NZ · Mathway on Google Play