Comparison

Studley vs Derive

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Studley

This AI-powered study tool transforms your notes, lectures, and videos into interactive study sets. It generates flashcards, quizzes, and provides step-by-step explanations for homework problems, helping you master material efficiently.

Highlights
  • AI note taker and tutor
  • Convert any content into study sets
  • Generate flashcards, quizzes, and tests
  • AI-powered homework problem solver
  • Progress tracking with active recall
  • Spaced repetition for long-term retention
Read full description

Study smarter with AI. Turn lectures, PDFs, notes, recordings, and videos into personalized study tools in seconds with Studley AI. Generate: • AI flashcards • Study quizzes • AI notes & summaries • AI tutoring chats • Practice questions • Podcasts from your material Whether you're studying for exams, reviewing lecture notes, or trying to learn faster, Studley helps you stay organized and retain more information. Upload anything: • PDFs • Lecture slides • Class notes • YouTube videos • Recordings • Documents Studley automatically creates personalized study material from your content so you can spend less time organizing and more time learning. Use flashcards, quizzes, AI tutoring, summaries, and active recall tools to study however works best for you. Whether you're in high school, college, university, or self-learning, Studley helps you prepare for: • Exams • Midterms • Finals • Homework • Revision sessions Privacy Policy: https://www.studley.ai/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.studley.ai/terms-of-service Support: hello@studley.ai

About

Derive

This app provides an infinite canvas for handwritten math and science notes. It uses AI to recognize your handwriting, offering a live tutor for step-by-step assistance directly within your notes. Organize your work into notebooks that sync across devices.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas for note-taking
  • Handwritten math recognition
  • Live AI tutor for step-by-step help
  • Notebook and page organization
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Light, dark, and sepia themes
Read full description

Derive Notes is a canvas-first note-taking app built for math, science, and engineering students. Write equations by hand with Apple Pencil, and let Derive understand what you wrote, so your notes do more than sit on the page. HANDWRITING THAT'S ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD Draw on an infinite canvas the way you would on paper. Derive recognizes your handwritten math as you work, turning messy strokes into clean, structured expressions you can check, reuse, and build on. A TUTOR RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR WORK Stuck on a step? Open the tutor panel and get step-by-step help tied directly to what's on your canvas. It works alongside your handwriting instead of pulling you into a separate app. BUILT FOR REAL STUDY SESSIONS - Infinite canvas with smooth, low-latency inking - Pen, eraser, and lasso tools for fast editing - Organize your work into notebooks and pages - Two-finger tap to undo, pinch to zoom - Your notebooks sync securely across your devices DESIGNED FOR FOCUS A clean, distraction-free workspace with light, dark, sepia, and high-contrast themes, so long study sessions stay comfortable. Derive Notes keeps your handwriting at the center and adds just enough intelligence to make studying faster by recognizing your math, helping you through hard steps, and keeping every page organized and in sync. Note: Derive uses trusted third-party AI providers to process handwriting and page text for recognition and tutoring. You're asked for consent in-app before these features are used. DESIGNED FOR IPAD AND APPLE PENCIL Handwriting, drawing, and the full authoring tools require an iPad with Apple Pencil. On iPhone, Derive is a companion for reading and reviewing your notebooks: browse your library, open any page, search across everything, and ask the tutor. Notes you write on iPad appear on iPhone automatically. SUBSCRIPTION Derive Pro unlocks writing and editing, handwriting recognition, and the AI tutor. Every new account starts with a 7-day free trial, and a trial or subscription is required to use Derive. If a subscription later lapses, the notebooks you already made stay readable, so your own work is never locked away. - Derive Pro Monthly: A$9.99 per month - Derive Pro Annual: A$101.99 per year - Both start with a 7-day free trial Prices are in Australian dollars and may vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within the 24 hours before that period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Derive Terms of Service: https://derivenotes.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://derivenotes.com/privacy

Screenshots

Studley4 screens
Derive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Studley at 4.7 against Derive's 4.1. Studley also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (4.4K vs 17). Derive's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Studley sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Derive sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Studley holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Studley has 4.4K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Studley's written reviews are positive against 31% of Derive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Studley ships an update weekly, Derive every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Studley versus Derive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStudleyDerive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.4K ratings) — better4.1 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews50.2% of reviews — better31.3% of reviews
Number of ratings4.4K — better17
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudley AI Inc.Derive Notes Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Studley

All ratings4,442 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews215 reviews
Positive50.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative40.9%

Derive

All ratings17 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral17.6%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral37.5%
Negative31.3%

Bugs and requests

Studley

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Update issues preventing app access
  • Incompatibility with some devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • Improve math notation support
  • Increase file size limit

Derive

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Studley

Subscriptions10
  • Weekly Plan$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan$8.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan$9.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Monthly Plan$13.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan3 variants$14.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan$19.991 Month
  • Quarterly Plan$43.993 Months
  • Limited time offer$74.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan3 variants$97.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan$129.991 Year
6 purchases

Derive

Subscriptions6
  • Derive Pro (Monthly, student)7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Derive Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Derive Pro (Monthly, invited)1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Derive Pro (Yearly, student)7 Days trial$75.001 Year
  • Derive Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$83.901 Year
  • Derive Pro (Annual, invited)1 Month trial$83.901 Year

Questions

Is Studley free?
Studley is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Derive free?
Derive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Studley or Derive?
Studley is rated higher. Studley averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Derive averages 4.1 from 17 ratings.
Do Studley or Derive have ads?
Neither Studley nor Derive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Studley or Derive?
Studley ships an update weekly, and Derive every 3 days. Most recently, Studley was updated on October 12, 2026 and Derive on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons