# Derive

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Derive and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend Derive as a fast Windows app for symbolic math and call it more sophisticated than some alternatives. One critic notes there is no PC version anymore.

## Why people recommend it

- Fast Windows app (1 comments): "as an incredibly fast windows app that's like 20% of wolframalpha" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46569460))
- Described as more sophisticated (1 comments): "Derive is more sophisticated." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46570130))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Wolfram Alpha](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wolfram-alpha.md): 28 recommend
- [Maxima](https://hackerapproved.com/p/maxima.md): 7 recommend
- [GeoGebra](https://hackerapproved.com/p/geogebra.md): 7 recommend
- [Geomatic](https://hackerapproved.com/p/geomatic.md): 5 recommend
- [Polypad by Mathigon](https://hackerapproved.com/p/polypad.md): 5 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Derive", https://hackerapproved.com/p/derive/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).