I have tried a lot of note-taking apps over the years: Goodnotes, OneNote, Miro, and a bunch of others. When you spend your tutoring sessions writing equations on a tablet, you notice the small things. How the pen feels, how the page is laid out, and how much time you spend switching between tools all make a difference.
For the past few weeks, I have been using Derive Notes in all of my tutoring sessions. For the way I teach maths, it has been better than the other tools I have used.
The handwriting feels good, I like the page formatting, and the app brings two particularly useful tools into my notes: AI feedback on maths working and interactive graphs drawn from handwritten equations.
A note-taking app that feels good to write in
The first thing I like about Derive Notes is also the simplest: the pen writes really nicely.
That matters when most of your session involves handwriting. I want to write out an equation, add a sketch, and keep working through the problem without thinking about the app itself. I also like the way the pages are formatted. Together, those details make it a comfortable place to work through maths with a student.
There are plenty of good note-taking apps. My preference here comes from using one for tutoring, where the page needs to hold a clear explanation as well as the calculations.
AI maths checking while you work through a problem
Derive's AI mode can check your working as you solve a maths problem. Instead of waiting until you have filled a page and checking only the final answer, it can flag the step where something has gone wrong.
That is useful for the mistakes I see all the time in tutoring: dropping a negative sign, moving a term incorrectly, or rearranging an equation in a way that changes what it means.
For example, suppose you start with 3x − 5 = 10. The next line should be 3x = 15. If you write 3x = 5, the mistake happened when you moved the negative five, before you even started dividing. Catching that step early saves you from building the rest of the solution on it.
This is the part of an AI note-taking app that interests me most as a tutor. Students still need to understand and explain their steps, but getting feedback while they practise can help them find the point they need to revisit. Treat a flag as a reason to check the algebra, rather than assuming any automated tool is always right.
Write an equation, highlight it, and graph it in your notes
The graphing feature has changed my tutoring workflow.
I used to keep Desmos open in a separate tab. When I wanted a graph in my notes, I would enter the equation there, take a screenshot, and bring the image back into the page. It worked, but there were several steps between writing an equation and discussing its graph.
In Derive Notes, I can write the equation with my pen, highlight it, and click Graph. The graph appears in the notes alongside the working.
- Write the function by hand in your notes.
- Highlight the equation and choose Graph.
- Move and format the interactive graph where you want it on the page.
The graphs are interactive, rather than just screenshots. I can move them around and adjust the layout as we work. For my tutoring sessions, that means I no longer need the separate Desmos-and-screenshot routine for these examples.
It is a useful setup for discussing functions in pre-calculus and calculus: the equation, the working, and the graph can stay together. Desmos still has its own uses, but bringing graphing into my notes removes a step I used to repeat throughout a session.
Watch my Derive Notes demo
Here is my Instagram demonstration so you can see the app in use.
Watch the demo on Instagram if the embedded post does not load.
How I would use Derive Notes as a student
If you already write your maths notes on a tablet, I would try Derive with a topic you are currently studying. You do not need to move all your notes at once to find out whether the writing experience suits you.
- Work through questions yourself. Write out the steps instead of using the app only to collect finished answers.
- Pause when a step is flagged. Go back to the previous line and explain what you changed. That is where the learning happens.
- Keep a graph beside the algebra. When you study functions, use the picture to help interpret what the symbols mean.
- Try a similar question afterwards. Check whether you can apply the method again without relying on feedback for every step.
A better notebook can make studying easier to organise. You still need practice questions and time spent thinking through them. If you need somewhere to find those questions, our calculus resources guide is a useful starting point.
Why it works well as a tutoring tool
For tutors, the biggest benefit is keeping more of the explanation in one place. I can write the maths, show the graph, and continue the discussion without switching back and forth between tabs to make screenshots.
The AI checking is useful, but it is not the only reason I have stuck with Derive. The pen and page layout matter just as much during a session. A feature can sound impressive on a website and still be something you rarely use. These are features I have been using in my actual teaching.
I would not call this a complete comparison of every note-taking app. I have tried Goodnotes, OneNote, Miro, and others, and Derive is currently my favourite for the handwritten maths work I do with students.
Try Derive Notes with a maths problem you are working on
If you are a tutor looking for a better place to write during sessions, or a student looking for a maths note-taking app with feedback and graphing, Derive Notes is worth a look. The combination of handwriting, work checking, and graphs in the same notebook is what has made it my go-to tool.
Check Derive's website for current pricing, supported devices, and availability in your region.