# Notes vs Serious Notebook

The clearest difference is ads: Serious Notebook at none against Notes's shown. Serious Notebook also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Notes's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 1) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Serious Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Serious Notebook holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notes ships an update every 11 days, Serious Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes | Serious Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-notebook/id6746961597/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serious-notebook/id6769515671/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nguyen Thanh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634978580) | [BILGESU KADAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896346142) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-notebook/id6746961597)

This app helps you create, organize, and manage daily notes, to-do lists, and reminders with a clean, user-friendly interface. It's designed for distraction-free writing and staying focused on your tasks and ideas.

**Highlights:** Create and edit notes, Manage task lists with checkboxes, Set reminders, Supports dark mode, Intuitive design

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $24.99 | one-time |


### Serious Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serious-notebook/id6769515671)

A private digital notebook for handwriting, typing, and annotating documents. Import PDFs, scan paper, and organize your thoughts with customizable tools. Keep your work securely on your device with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Handwrite and sketch with Apple Pencil, Type notes and highlight on iPhone, Import and annotate PDFs, Scan paper into notebooks, Insert text boxes, sticky notes, photos, and scans, Export notebooks as PDF

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes free?

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

### Is Serious Notebook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes or Serious Notebook?

Serious Notebook is rated higher. Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Serious Notebook averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notes or Serious Notebook have ads?

Notes shows ads; Serious Notebook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes or Serious Notebook?

Notes ships an update every 11 days, and Serious Notebook every 3 weeks. Most recently, Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Serious Notebook on October 25, 2026.

---

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