# Simplify Notes vs Serious Notebook

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simplify Notes at none against Serious Notebook's 1. Simplify Notes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Serious Notebook's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Serious Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simplify Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, Serious Notebook every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplify Notes | Serious Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 13 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mario Guzman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874125399) | [BILGESU KADAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896346142) |

## What reviewers say

### Simplify Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857)

Capture and organize handwritten notes, notebooks, and PDFs in one place. Create unlimited notebooks, draw naturally with Apple Pencil, and import PDFs to study, plan, or research. Reduce clutter and enhance focus with a calm, organized system.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notebooks, Natural handwriting and drawing, Apple Pencil support, PDF import and annotation, Folder organization, Add images and tags, Quick search and PDF export

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Serious Notebook

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplify Notes free?

Simplify Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Serious Notebook free?

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

### Do Simplify Notes or Serious Notebook have ads?

Simplify Notes shows ads; Serious Notebook does not.

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

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, and Serious Notebook every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simplify Notes was updated on September 30, 2026 and Serious Notebook on October 8, 2026.

---

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