# BluLines vs Steno paper

The clearest difference is rating: BluLines at 3.7 against Steno paper's 2.0. BluLines also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (316 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BluLines sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Steno paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BluLines holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BluLines has 316 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of BluLines's written reviews are positive against 0% of Steno paper's.

BluLines ships an update every 9 days, Steno paper every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | BluLines | Steno paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (316 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blulines/id480085812/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steno-paper/id862259248/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **316** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **22.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RIEU Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/446267401) | [丽娜 夏](https://appshunter.io/developer/1084968330) |

## What reviewers say

### BluLines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blulines/id480085812)

Organize your thoughts with a versatile plain text notes app. Attach photos, documents, and voice recordings to your notes. Create smart folders, set reminders, and secure your data with a passcode.

**Highlights:** Note attachments (photos, docs, voice, video), Folder organization and groups, To-do list functionality for folders, Passcode lock for security, Customizable themes and fonts, Smart auto-folders with filters, Note export to iCloud Drive

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for organizing notes
- 📁 Useful folder and subfolder structure
- 💻 Syncs well across devices
- 🎨 Customizable themes and fonts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to search for specific notes
- 🔒 Password protection issues
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss
- 💰 Expensive paid features
- 📢 Intrusive and unskippable ads

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing after updates
- Inability to access or recover lost notes
- Sync issues between devices
- Passcode not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add rich text formatting options
- Improve backup and restore functionality
- Implement better search and filtering
- Allow locking of individual notes


### Steno paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steno-paper/id862259248)

This app provides a digital notebook for quick and easy handwriting notes. It offers various color pencils, an eraser, and options to create, open, save, and clear your notes.

**Highlights:** Handwriting notes, Color pencils, Eraser tool, New note creation, Save and open notes, Clear notes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You will pay to remove ads. | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BluLines free?

BluLines is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Steno paper free?

Steno paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BluLines or Steno paper?

BluLines is rated higher. BluLines averages 3.7 out of 5 from 316 ratings, while Steno paper averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BluLines or Steno paper have ads?

Both BluLines and Steno paper show ads.

### Which is updated more often, BluLines or Steno paper?

BluLines ships an update every 9 days, and Steno paper every 2 months. Most recently, BluLines was updated on November 1, 2026 and Steno paper on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*