Serene vs Notability
Notability is a popular consumer note-taking app focused on handwriting, PDF annotation, and optional audio-synced notes. It’s great for personal notes and study workflows, but it isn’t built for clinical documentation, client records, or therapist-first EHR needs.
Side-by-Side Comparison
How Serene and Notability differ across the areas that matter to therapy practices.
| Category | Serene | Notability |
|---|---|---|
Target users | Therapists, counselors, psychologists, group practices | Students, professionals, general note-takers |
Primary use-case | Therapy EHR & practice management | Personal note-taking, handwriting & PDF markup |
EHR / clinical notes | Structured notes (SOAP/BIRP/MSE), treatment plans | Not supported (no clinical documentation) |
Client records & history | Detailed client profiles, history, assessments | Personal notebooks; no client record system |
Analytics | Session insights & progress trends | No therapy progress analytics |
AI assistance | Drafts structured notes, summaries, follow-up suggestions | General note-taking helpers (e.g., handwriting/text tools); not therapy-specific |
Scheduling | Therapist-oriented; Google Calendar & Meet integration | No built-in scheduling for sessions |
Payments | Clinic-friendly billing | No client billing/payments system |
Compliance & data handling | Therapist-first security; EHR-style workflows | Consumer notes app; not an EHR |
Team/clinic support | Multi-therapist teams, shared calendars, role-based access | No multi-therapist clinic features |
Branding | Practice-centric (therapist & clinic presentation) | Personal notebooks; no practice branding |
Best for | Therapists and clinics needing EHR + automation | Individuals who want powerful handwriting & audio notes |
Choose Notability if…
You need excellent handwriting and PDF annotation for personal/study notes.
You prefer a simple, self-contained note app with optional audio-synced notes.
You don’t require client records, EHR workflows, or therapy progress analytics.
Official site: https://www.notability.com/
Choose Serene if…
You’re a therapist or clinic needing structured notes (SOAP/BIRP/MSE) and treatment plans.
You want therapist-first scheduling, client history, and progress analytics.
You value secure data handling and workflows built for clinical compliance.
You prefer AI to automate admin work: draft notes, summaries, and follow-ups in seconds.