Whiz Reader vs MarginNote 5
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Whiz Reader
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.
- 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
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Whiz支持多种语言,是帮助阅读外文的APP。Whiz支持文件和任意网页的单词释义查询和文本选择翻译;更支持实时翻译,选择文本即可即时获取翻译。此外,文档标注、OCR和文档扫描功能使得阅读更加便捷。 点击查词 - 点击PDF文档上的任意单词,或自由选取单词,即可获取其释义。 - 可以选择使用系统内置词典,或者使用提供的在线词典进行查询。 文本翻译 - 选取一段文本即可快速进行翻译。 - 支持任意语言。 实时翻译 在阅读界面中,使用分屏视图即可进行实时翻译。在阅读界面选择文本,另一栏将自动显示对应的翻译。 PDF文档标注 可在PDF文档内使用Apple Pencil进行标注。可使用钢笔、荧光笔和橡皮三种标记工具,支持导出带标注的文件,支持设备间共享。暂不支持触摸添加标注。 剪贴板翻译 将应用分屏,在其他应用中复制内容,即可在本应用中获取翻译。 OCR与文档扫描 - 支持PDF文件的OCR功能,可将扫描版文件转换为可选择文本的、适用于Whiz单词查询和文本翻译的文件,可在应用内阅读,也可导出用于其他应用。 - 提供内置文档扫描仪,可用于扫描文档并保存至应用中。通过OCR功能还可转换为可选择文本的PDF文档。 生成PDF 可将网页及其他类型的文档保存为PDF文件。 单词收藏和文本收藏 查词时可收藏当前单词,可在收藏夹内查看、导出。另外,选取一段文本,可将其添加到收藏。 注:上述部分功能需要解锁高级功能。
MarginNote 5
This app enhances reading and studying with integrated note-taking and flashcard creation. It offers task-based templates for focused learning, AI assistance for content breakdown, and spaced repetition for effective review. Organize your research and master material with a comprehensive study workflow.
- Task-based reading templates
- AI-powered content breakdown
- Integrated flashcard creation
- Spaced repetition review
- Mind map organization
- PDF and EPUB import
- Sync across devices
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MarginNote is a PDF tool for in-depth reading and study. Keep PDF highlights linked to mind-map cards, then add those cards to review. MarginNote 5 introduces task-based templates for reading, question practice, and vocabulary. MarginNote has evolved since 2013. The upgrade from MarginNote 4 is free. Your study sets, notes, and purchases remain intact. MARGINNOTE 5: ONE TASK, ONE SETUP • Templates — a template sets the bottom tools, menus, pens, and excerpt colors. The "Standard" template has four modes: Excerpt, Handwrite, Organize, and Recall. Each mode groups tools for that task. • Template Gallery — install official templates in one tap. Some templates include examples to help you get started: – Card Practice: write answers by hand on question cards, check your answers, and focus your next review on questions you haven't mastered yet. AI can split a whole workbook into cards. – Reading Vocabulary: collect words while reading English; an offline dictionary provides base forms, pronunciation, and definitions, and finished cards join review when automatic review is enabled. • Make it yours — the corresponding controls are highlighted as you edit. Find features and settings with Feature Search, and export or share your templates. • Traditional Interface — open the template menu and choose "Traditional Interface" (except on iPhone Duo). SYNC YOU CAN SEE The home screen shows where sync stands. The Sync Center lists notes and original documents separately and tells you when a document is still downloading. Manual sync reports results and offers a protective snapshot. Applying cloud changes also protects local study data. THE CARD AT THE CENTER • Organize excerpts by chapter; for books without a table of contents, AI can build one. • Title Links — notes on concepts you've studied resurface as you read new documents. • Extend — open writing space anywhere on a PDF: inline, in the margin, or folded away. AI AS AN ASSISTANT, NOT A SUBSTITUTE AI Breakdown · Question Extraction · AI TOC · AI OCR card templates · translation · chat. Save any answer as a card, or turn its outline into mind-map branches. Online AI sends task text or images to the service provider used for the request. REVIEW: THINK FIRST, THEN LOOK Use Recall mode to hide and reveal answers in the mind map. Add cards to a review deck for FSRS spaced repetition. Write directly on card snapshots while you review. On iOS/iPadOS/macOS 26+, when Apple Intelligence is enabled and its model is available on a supported device and in a supported region, on-device recall hints work offline without MarginNote credits. THE FULL WORKFLOW PDF, EPUB, Office-to-PDF import (online), video and audio · Zotero, cloud drives and external folders · side-by-side documents · handwriting layers and mind-map backgrounds · mind-map PDF export (structure or card flow) · read aloud · fast OCR WHO IT IS FOR Anyone who rereads material and needs to remember it: medical and law students, exam takers, researchers, language learners, serious readers. ACROSS YOUR DEVICES iPhone, iPad and Mac with one Apple Account; iCloud syncs study sets, notes and review progress. Native Apple Pencil handwriting on iPad. Also adapted for iPhone Duo. ABOUT PURCHASES Free to download. Some features require Pro (one-time unlock) or Max (subscription or one-time unlock). MarginNote Agent requires Max and uses MarginNote credits. Some online AI uses MarginNote credits; external AI is billed by its provider. A Max subscription includes 500 credits/month while active. Questions: service@marginnote.com Terms of Use: https://dist.marginnote.cn/MarginNote_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf Privacy Policy: https://dist.marginnote.cn/MarginNote_Privacy_Policy.pdf
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MarginNote 5 at 58% against Whiz Reader's 0%. MarginNote 5 also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (740 vs 1). Whiz Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Whiz Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MarginNote 5 sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MarginNote 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 740 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Whiz Reader's written reviews are positive against 58% of MarginNote 5's.
Whiz Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | Whiz Reader | MarginNote 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.5 (740 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 58.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 740 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 372 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yesheng Liang | Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd |
Customer experience
Whiz Reader
MarginNote 5
Bugs and requests
Whiz Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
MarginNote 5
Reported bugs
3 issues- Disappearing annotations when using extend function
- Inability to restore accidentally deleted mind maps
- Inconsistent behavior with PDF file management
Requested features
4 requests- Improved iCloud/cloud sync reliability
- More intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Better support for external document libraries
- Ability to disable auto-excerpt selection
In-app purchases
Whiz Reader
- 高级功能$0.99
MarginNote 5
- Subscription to MAX (3 months)7 Days trial$4.993 Months
- Subscription to MAX (Annually)1 Month trial$12.991 Year
- MarginNote Max Annual1 Month trial$16.991 Year
- 14 days Free Trial2 variantsFree
- Upgrade to PRO from MN3(iOS)$4.99
- Unlock PRO Forever (New)$12.99
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- Upgrade to MAX from MN3(macOS)$19.99
- Unlock MAX based on PRO (New)$40.00
- Unlock MAX Forever (New)$51.99









