Comparison

Serious Notebook vs Jotly

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Serious Notebook

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
Read full description

Your handwriting, PDFs, and ideas. A quieter place to think. Write naturally with Apple Pencil on iPad. Type notes and highlight pages on iPhone. Import a PDF planner, annotate a worksheet, or scan paper into a notebook you can keep working in. Serious Notebook keeps your work on your device, with no account, ads, tracking, or subscription. WRITE, STUDY, AND PLAN • Handwrite and sketch on iPad with pen, pencil, highlighter, and eraser tools. Apple Pencil works on compatible iPads. • Type notes and highlight with your finger on iPhone. • Choose blank, ruled, grid, or dot-grid paper in soft white or cream. • Give each notebook its own title and cover. MAKE DOCUMENTS YOUR OWN • Import PDFs as notebooks and annotate their pages. • Scan paper on supported camera-equipped devices, review the pages, then start writing. • Add text boxes and sticky notes. With lifetime access, insert photos, PDF pages, and scans into your notes. • Move, resize, and rotate inserted objects. • Export a notebook or selected pages as PDF to save or share. NEW IN 3.0 Scan several pages straight into your open notebook as movable objects with lifetime access. Take multiple photos, review them, and add them together. On iPad, a clearer top toolbar leaves more room to write. TRY YOUR OWN NOTES The free workspace includes one handwritten notebook plus one separate PDF or scan notebook, up to 10 pages each. Try the included example without using either allowance. ONE LIFETIME PURCHASE Unlock unlimited notebooks, pages, PDF imports, camera scans, and photo insertion with a single non-consumable purchase. No recurring payments. Existing lifetime customers and eligible original paid-app customers keep access. Restore Purchases is available in Settings. PRIVATE, ON YOUR DEVICE Notes, imported documents, photos, and scans stay on the device where you create them. No app account or document upload is required. Notebooks do not automatically sync between devices. Export PDFs regularly to keep a copy of your work. Purchase and restoration use Apple's App Store services. For class notes, project ideas, PDF planners, and everyday thinking on iPhone and iPad.

About

Jotly

Features
Read full description

Jotly is a calm notes and journal app for capturing thoughts, ideas, tasks, and daily reflections. Write what is on your mind, organize it with simple categories, search past notes, and revisit your thoughts through a warm reflection experience. Jotly keeps the interface focused, minimal, and personal so writing feels easy instead of overwhelming.

Screenshots

Serious Notebook4 screens
Jotly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Jotly at none against Serious Notebook's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Serious Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, Jotly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Serious Notebook versus Jotly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSerious NotebookJotly
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBILGESU KADANMERT GAYGUSUZ

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Serious Notebook

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$24.99
None

Jotly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Serious Notebook free?
Serious Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Jotly free?
Jotly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Serious Notebook or Jotly have ads?
Neither Serious Notebook nor Jotly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Serious Notebook or Jotly?
Serious Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, and Jotly every 2 weeks. Most recently, Serious Notebook was updated on October 25, 2026 and Jotly on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons