# 优读 vs MarginNote 4

The clearest difference is rating: 优读 at 5.0 against MarginNote 4's 4.5. 优读 also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). MarginNote 4's advantage is ratings volume (716 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 优读 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and MarginNote 4 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

优读 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 4 has 716 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

优读 ships an update every 2 weeks, MarginNote 4 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 25, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 优读 | MarginNote 4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss/id1175225244/reviews)** | [4.5 (716 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **716** |
| Positive reviews | — | 58.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 330 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [俊杰 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1132845873) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### 优读

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss/id1175225244)

This app helps you manage your knowledge by integrating reading, note-taking, and intelligent article sorting. It allows for quick collection and organization of information from various sources, including RSS feeds and public accounts, with smart labeling for efficient retrieval.

**Highlights:** Integrated reading and note-taking, Article and book note creation, Aggregate search across notes and collections, Smart automatic labeling and sorting, RSS feed subscription, Quick article collection, Knowledge review and spaced repetition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 优读高级版按月续费 | $1.49 | per month |
| 打赏 | $4.99 | one-time |


### MarginNote 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

This app integrates reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards into a unified study environment. It supports active learning with features like study sets, book compilation, and dual-article views. Enhance your understanding with visual learning tools and AI-powered content extraction for long-term memory retention.

**Highlights:** Integrated reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards, Quick Extend Note and Handwriting Layers for annotation, Study Set for organizing PDFs, EPUBs, videos, and audio, Mind Map and Concept Diagram for visual learning, AI Content Detection for formula and chart extraction, FSRS spaced-repetition algorithm for reviews, iCloud sync across Apple devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription to MAX (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Subscription to MAX (3 months) | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Subscription to MAX (6 months) | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| Subscription to MAX (Annually) | $12.99 | per year |
| MarginNote Max Annual | $16.99 | per year |
| 14 days Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Upgrade to PRO from MN3(iOS) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock PRO Forever (New) | $12.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to MAX from MN3(macOS) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX based on PRO | $39.99 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX based on PRO (New) | $40.00 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX Forever (New) | $51.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful features
- 📚 Great for academic/research use
- 👍 Useful note-taking and organization
- 🖊️ Improved handwriting and annotation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🕰️ Slow and laggy sync between devices
- 🤯 Steep learning curve, poor documentation
- 💰 Expensive upgrade from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing annotations when using extend function
- Inability to restore accidentally deleted mind maps
- Inconsistent behavior with PDF file management

**Requested features**

- Improved iCloud/cloud sync reliability
- More intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Better support for external document libraries
- Ability to disable auto-excerpt selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 优读 free?

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

### Is MarginNote 4 free?

MarginNote 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 优读 or MarginNote 4?

优读 is rated higher. 优读 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while MarginNote 4 averages 4.5 from 716 ratings.

### Do 优读 or MarginNote 4 have ads?

Neither 优读 nor MarginNote 4 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 优读 or MarginNote 4?

优读 ships an update every 2 weeks, and MarginNote 4 every 3 weeks. Most recently, 优读 was updated on June 25, 2026 and MarginNote 4 on September 28, 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.*