# Serious Notebook vs Blue Whale PDF

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Blue Whale PDF at none against Serious Notebook's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Serious Notebook against 5.0 for Blue Whale PDF. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Serious Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, Blue Whale PDF fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Serious Notebook | Blue Whale PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serious-notebook/id6769515671/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-whale-pdf/id6791564331/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BILGESU KADAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896346142) | [EZRA MICHAEL GILBERT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895733787) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Blue Whale PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-whale-pdf/id6791564331)

This app allows you to scan physical documents into high-quality PDFs, import existing files, and organize your entire document library. It prioritizes user privacy by processing and storing all data locally on your device, ensuring your information remains secure and under your control.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF, Import PDFs and images, Convert photos to PDF, Combine multiple PDFs, Organize document library, On-device processing, No account required

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Serious Notebook free?

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

### Is Blue Whale PDF free?

Blue Whale PDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Serious Notebook or Blue Whale PDF?

Serious Notebook and Blue Whale PDF are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Serious Notebook or Blue Whale PDF have ads?

Neither Serious Notebook nor Blue Whale PDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Serious Notebook or Blue Whale PDF?

Serious Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, and Blue Whale PDF fortnightly. Most recently, Serious Notebook was updated on October 31, 2026 and Blue Whale PDF on October 31, 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.*