# MarginNote 3 vs Whiz Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MarginNote 3 at 75% against Whiz Reader's 0%. MarginNote 3 also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (5K vs 1). Whiz Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 3 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Whiz Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MarginNote 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 3 has 5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of MarginNote 3's written reviews are positive against 0% of Whiz Reader's.

MarginNote 3 ships an update every 6 weeks, Whiz Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 3 | Whiz Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiz-reader/id1514342771/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 392 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [Yesheng Liang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514342770) |

## What reviewers say

### MarginNote 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163)

This app redefines studying by integrating e-reading with powerful annotation, mind mapping, and flashcard tools. Organize knowledge, connect ideas with hashtags, and enhance memory retention through spaced repetition. It offers a seamless workflow across multiple documents and devices.

**Highlights:** Integrated PDF/EPUB reader, Advanced annotation tools, Mind mapping and outline organization, Flashcard creation and Anki export, Multi-document support, Handwriting and Apple Pencil support, OCR for scanned PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Pro (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| OCR Pro (Annually) | $9.49 | per year |
| 14 days Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock Full | $12.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Full | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and efficient for studying and research
- 👍 Excellent mind mapping and note-taking features
- 💡 Unique and innovative functionality like video annotation
- 🚀 Handles large volumes of documents and notes well
- 👍 Useful for organizing and synthesizing information from multiple sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 👎 Steep learning curve and lack of comprehensive documentation
- 👎 Unreliable cloud syncing between devices
- 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive user interface in some areas
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with certain features like handwriting and OCR

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues causing data loss across devices
- Crashes and freezes when working with large documents
- Inconsistent behavior with highlighting, erasing, and text formatting
- OCR not functioning reliably for non-Latin scripts
- Difficulty managing and organizing large document libraries

**Requested features**

- Improved export options and ability to share projects
- Better integration with other productivity apps like Anki
- More customization options for mind maps and annotations
- Smoother handwriting experience and better palm rejection
- Support for more file formats like PowerPoint


### Whiz Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiz-reader/id1514342771)

This app helps you read foreign language content by providing instant word definitions and text translation. It supports PDF annotation, OCR, document scanning, and clipboard translation for a seamless reading experience.

**Highlights:** Word definition lookup, Text translation, Real-time split-screen translation, PDF annotation with Apple Pencil, OCR and document scanning, Clipboard translation, Web page to PDF conversion

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 高级功能 | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 3 free?

MarginNote 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Whiz Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MarginNote 3 or Whiz Reader?

MarginNote 3 is rated higher. MarginNote 3 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5K ratings, while Whiz Reader averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 3 or Whiz Reader have ads?

Neither MarginNote 3 nor Whiz Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MarginNote 3 or Whiz Reader?

MarginNote 3 ships an update every 6 weeks, and Whiz Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, MarginNote 3 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Whiz Reader on October 24, 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.*