Derive vs Noteshelf
The Noteshelf 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 across 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
- Want your notebook in the browser as well as on iPad, Mac and Windows, with the checking everywhere
- 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 Noteshelf, feature by feature.
Checked against Noteshelf’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, 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 Noteshelf is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Costs less, with a free plan
- Premium can be a one-off purchase
- Native Android app, plus iPhone and Apple Watch
- Records audio as you write
- Handwriting to text in 65 languages
- 200+ templates, diaries, covers and stickers
Bring every notebook with you.
- 1
Export from Noteshelf
- Export your notebooks from Noteshelf
- Save them as PDFs
- 2
Drop them into Derive
- Drop the PDFs into Derive
- Every page comes across
- Ready to write on
- 3
Keep writing
- Write straight onto imported pages
- New working checked as you write
Exporting makes a copy. Nothing is removed from Noteshelf, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Noteshelf, answered.
Can I bring my Noteshelf notebooks into Derive?
Yes. Export them from Noteshelf as PDFs and drop them into Derive. Every page comes across and you can write straight onto it.
How is Derive different from Noteshelf AI?
Noteshelf AI is a general assistant: tap it, or lasso something, and it can generate notes, summarise, explain or translate, using monthly AI credits. Derive steps in live while you write maths: 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 planners and journals, Noteshelf 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 Noteshelf 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 Noteshelf’s published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Noteshelf, 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: Noteshelf: Introducing AI for Noteshelf 3 · Noteshelf: Introducing AI for Noteshelf on Android · Noteshelf: Introducing Noteshelf AI · Noteshelf: plans and features (free plan, AI credits) · Noteshelf: home page · Noteshelf on Windows · Noteshelf 3 on the App Store: AU · US · CA · NZ