# Taio vs MarginNote 5

Taio and MarginNote 5 both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Taio's written reviews are positive against 58% of MarginNote 5's. Taio also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). MarginNote 5's advantage is monetization model (freemium vs paid). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Taio sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Taio against 4.5 for MarginNote 5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 669 and 740 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Taio's written reviews are positive against 58% of MarginNote 5's.

Taio ships an update weekly, MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Taio | MarginNote 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (669 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taio-markdown-and-text-actions/id1527036273/reviews)** | [4.5 (740 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 669 | **740** |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 44 MB | 372 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [颖 钟](https://appshunter.io/developer/928924733) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### Taio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taio-markdown-and-text-actions/id1527036273)

This app offers advanced text processing for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It features a robust markdown editor, clipboard management with iCloud sync, and a powerful actions system for custom workflows, including JavaScript support.

**Highlights:** Markdown editor with CommonMark and GitHub Flavored support, Clipboard management with iCloud sync and widgets, Customizable text actions and workflows, JavaScript scripting for advanced automation, Multi-tab editing and focus mode, Export to multiple formats, Full text and in-document search

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Taio Pro Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Taio Pro Yearly | $10.49 | per year |
| Taio Pro Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| Taio Pro Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Taio Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Taio Pro Lifetime | $37.99 | one-time |
| Taio Pro Lifetime | $46.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Smooth and powerful
- 🔒 Robust features
- 💡 Useful actions and automation
- 👍 Clean and well-designed interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues
- 🐛 Crashes and stability problems
- 💰 Expensive premium features

**Reported bugs**

- Auto-numbering issues
- Export functionality not working
- Slow performance on some devices

**Requested features**

- Support for other cloud storage services
- Live Markdown preview
- Customizable themes and icons
- Improved tab and list management
- Spotlight search integration


### 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 Taio free?

Taio 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, Taio or MarginNote 5?

Taio is rated higher. Taio averages 4.6 out of 5 from 669 ratings, while MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 from 740 ratings.

### Do Taio or MarginNote 5 have ads?

Neither Taio nor MarginNote 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Taio or MarginNote 5?

Taio ships an update weekly, and MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Taio 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.*