# MarginNote 3 vs OrigNotes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OrigNotes at none against MarginNote 3's 5. OrigNotes also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (85% vs 75%). MarginNote 3's advantage is ratings volume (5K vs 376) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 3 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. OrigNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for MarginNote 3 against 4.7 for OrigNotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 3 has 5K ratings behind it against 376, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of MarginNote 3's written reviews are positive against 85% of OrigNotes's.

MarginNote 3 ships an update every 6 weeks, OrigNotes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 3 | OrigNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163/reviews) | **[4.7 (376 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5K** | 376 |
| Positive reviews | 74.6% of reviews | **84.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 392 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [Hangzhou Future Writing Technology Co.,LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676398498) |

## 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


### OrigNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922)

Capture, organize, and develop your thoughts with a free digital note-taking app. It offers handwritten notes, PDF annotation, mind mapping, and multimedia integration, all optimized for a natural writing experience.

**Highlights:** Handwriting & Drawing with Apple Pencil, PDF Reading & Annotation, Mind Map creation, Handwriting to Text conversion, Powerful Search, Multimedia integration (images, audio, video), Customizable workspace

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 3 free?

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

### Is OrigNotes free?

OrigNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MarginNote 3 or OrigNotes?

OrigNotes is rated higher. MarginNote 3 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5K ratings, while OrigNotes averages 4.7 from 376 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 3 or OrigNotes have ads?

Neither MarginNote 3 nor OrigNotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MarginNote 3 or OrigNotes?

MarginNote 3 ships an update every 6 weeks, and OrigNotes every 2 weeks. Most recently, MarginNote 3 was updated on November 4, 2026 and OrigNotes on November 3, 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.*