The best note-taking apps for maths on iPad
Maths notes need more than a pen: equations that convert or solve, graphs, and, if you’re studying, someone to check your working. Five apps, and who each is for.
Updated · 8 min readThe short answer: for an all-round handwritten notebook, Goodnotes or Notability. To turn handwriting into clean, typeset maths (and LaTeX), MyScript Notes. For quick calculations, Apple’s free Math Notes. For a tutor who reads your working and helps you find the slip, Pen Buddy.
We make Pen Buddy, so weigh our view accordingly. Facts about other products come from their own pages, checked on October 14, 2026; prices and features change, so check the links.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Maths features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodnotes | An all-round notebook | Math AI solves handwritten equations and explains steps | Free (3 notebooks); $11.99 or $35.99 a year; AI Pass extra |
| Notability | Lectures and review | Notability Learn makes quizzes and flashcards from notes | Free starter; $11.99 to $79.99 a year |
| MyScript Notes | Typeset maths, LaTeX | Converts handwritten maths; copies it as LaTeX | Free for 5 pages, then a one-time purchase |
| Apple Math Notes | Quick calculations | Answers appear when you write “=”; variables; graphs | Free, built into iPadOS 18 and later |
| Pen Buddy | Studying with a tutor | Reads your working, circles the slip, writes the next step, sketches graphs; you talk to it | Free notebook with 25 credits a month; from $9.99 a month |
Goodnotes
The most popular handwritten notebook, on iPad, iPhone and Mac and beyond. Its Math AI solves handwritten equations, with a “Teach Me” step-by-step mode, and there’s handwriting spellcheck, a quiz generator and Q&A over your notes. Free for three notebooks; Essential is $11.99 a year and Pro $35.99, with an AI Pass add-on for the heavier AI features (pricing). Pick it if you want one excellent notebook for everything.
Notability
Strong for lectures: record audio while you write, then review. Notability Learn turns notes, PDFs and recordings into summaries, quizzes and flashcards (Notability Learn). Plans run from a free Starter tier to $79.99 a year for Pro (pricing). Pick it if lectures and review are most of your studying.
MyScript Notes (formerly Nebo)
The best at handwriting recognition: it converts handwritten maths into clean, editable equations and can paste them as LaTeX. Solving lives in a separate app, MyScript Math. Free for five pages, then a one-time purchase (MyScript). Pick it if you hand in typed maths or write in LaTeX.
Apple Math Notes
Built into Notes and Calculator since iPadOS 18. Write an expression and an equals sign, and the answer appears in your handwriting; define variables and they update live; insert a graph with a tap (Apple). It computes, but it doesn’t show working or explain. Pick it for quick checks, free.
Pen Buddy
Our app, and a different kind of thing: a study notebook with a tutor. Write with Apple Pencil and ask “is this right?”: Buddy reads your handwriting, maths included, and circles the line with the slip. Ask for the next step and it writes it by hand, under your line. Write “graph: y = x² − 4” and it sketches the curve. You talk to it out loud, it gives hints before answers, and each session lands in your notes with review cards. It also imports Goodnotes and Notability files. It’s coming soon, on iPad and Mac. Pick it if you want help learning the maths, not just a place to write it. See Pen Buddy for iPad.
Tips for maths notes on iPad, whatever the app
- Use a squared or dotted page: equations line up and graphs are easier.
- Leave space after each line of working. Corrections go there, not over the top.
- Keep one page per topic for your mistakes. It’s the best page to revise from.
- A matte screen protector makes Pencil writing feel more like paper.