Comparison

Derive vs UniBlud

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

Head to head
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

About

UniBlud

Features
Read full description

UniBlud is the all-in-one companion app for university students, built to bring together everything you juggle day to day: your timetable, campus navigation, room bookings and course connections, all in one place. UniBlud is currently built for UNSW and general usage, with support for other campuses on the way. CALENDAR A weekly calendar built for student life. Add classes and events, handle recurring commitments, catch scheduling conflicts before they happen, and import your timetable directly via iCal. Share events with friends and coordinate with RSVPs. FIND A built-in campus map, currently available for UNSW Kensington. Search buildings, filter by facilities or food, and drill down from building to level to room. Check live study room availability, and see crowd-sourced tips on what a room is actually like before you get there. COURSE-MATES Find and connect with students in your own courses. Connections are verified through your timetable and built on mutual consent, so your course-mates list only shows people who are actually in your classes and have agreed to connect. SERVICES Quick access to UNSW's key services, like myUNSW, Moodle, Library, and Arc, all from one screen. Whether you're finding a free study room between classes, catching up on what your societies are posting, or figuring out who else is in your tutorial, UniBlud brings the scattered parts of student life into one app.

Screenshots

Derive4 screens
UniBlud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UniBlud at none against Derive's 6. Derive's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Derive sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. UniBlud asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Derive ships an update every 3 days, UniBlud every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Derive versus UniBlud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeriveUniBlud
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (21 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings21 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB33 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDerive Notes Pty LtdAhmed Hassan Khawaja

In-app purchases

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
None

UniBlud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Derive free?
Derive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UniBlud free?
UniBlud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Derive or UniBlud have ads?
Neither Derive nor UniBlud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Derive or UniBlud?
Derive ships an update every 3 days, and UniBlud every 3 weeks. Most recently, Derive was updated on October 15, 2026 and UniBlud on October 1, 2026.

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