# Whiz Reader vs MarginNote 5

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Whiz Reader | MarginNote 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiz-reader/id1514342771/reviews) | **[4.5 (740 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **740** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **58.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 2 MB | 372 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yesheng Liang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514342770) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### MarginNote 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

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.

**Highlights:** Task-based reading templates, AI-powered content breakdown, Integrated flashcard creation, Spaced repetition review, Mind map organization, PDF and EPUB import, Sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription to MAX (3 months) | $4.99 | per 3 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 (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 Whiz Reader free?

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

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

MarginNote 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Whiz Reader or MarginNote 5?

MarginNote 5 is rated higher. Whiz Reader averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 from 740 ratings.

### Do Whiz Reader or MarginNote 5 have ads?

Neither Whiz Reader nor MarginNote 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Whiz Reader or MarginNote 5?

Whiz Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, and MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Whiz Reader was updated on November 7, 2026 and MarginNote 5 on November 7, 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.*