Derive vs Chiron
The Project Chiron alternative that checks your whole notebook.
Write the way you already do, across your whole course. 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…
- Want your lecture notes, homework and past papers in one notebook, with every line of working checked
- Want a personal tutor that catches your mistakes in real time, right on the line you wrote
- Study on a Mac, Windows or the web 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 Chiron, feature by feature.
Checked against Project Chiron’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, in every page you write
- Checks every line against the one above
- Flags the exact step that broke
- Tutor card: why, and what to try next
- Any notebook, 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 Chiron is better
Worth knowing before you choose.
- Free to download, no in-app purchases on its App Store listing
- Runs on iPhone as well as iPad
- Ask questions out loud, talk a problem through by voice
- Snap a problem with the camera and start straight away
- Small hints that nudge without giving the answer away
Bring your working with you.
- 1
Export from Chiron
- Open the work you want to keep
- Export it as a PDF
- 2
Drop the PDF into Derive
- Add the PDF to a Derive notebook
- Every page becomes searchable
- Sits next to the pages you write
- 3
Keep writing
- Write straight onto imported pages
- New working checked as you write
Exporting makes a copy. Nothing is removed from Chiron, so you can keep both while you decide.
Questions
Switching from Chiron, answered.
Can I bring my work from Chiron into Derive?
Yes. Export it from Chiron as a PDF and drop the PDF into Derive. Every imported page is searchable, and you can write straight onto it.
How is Derive different from Chiron’s checking?
Both read your handwritten working and check it with a symbolic engine. Chiron works from a problem you snap or notes you upload, on iPhone and iPad, and gives the smallest hint it can. Derive works in any notebook, across your whole course: it checks every line 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, next to 3D graphs, code cells and practice exams.
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 only for maths?
No. It is a full handwritten notebook for maths, science and engineering, so your lecture notes and your working live in the same place. The checking, graphs, code and practice exams are built for maths, physics, engineering and computer science.
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 Chiron 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 Project Chiron’s published information. Products change; if something here is out of date, email matt@derivenotes.com and we will correct it. Project Chiron, 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: Project Chiron on the App Store: AU · US · CA · NZ · Chiron on Y Combinator · Launch YC: Chiron · Chiron website