Comparison

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader vs MarginNote 5

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF reader designed for Apple devices. It allows users to edit PDFs, annotate documents, create bullet journals, and record audio, all while offering intuitive gesture controls and seamless integration with cloud services.

Highlights
  • Edit PDF pages
  • Annotate documents with gestures
  • Record and playback audio
  • Create bullet journals
  • Cloud sync across devices
  • Masking pen for precise annotations
Features
Read full description

Flexcil: The world’s ultimate iOS note-taking app Loved by Apple Editors - Editor's Choice, App of the Day, Note-taking on the next level, College Life, Apple Pencil Enhanced, New Apps We Love, Noteworthy Apps & Game, Productivity Boost for teachers Whether you’re taking notes, bullet journaling, reading documents, or editing pages from textbooks ー use Flexcil! It’s the #1 note-taking tool for any Apple device. Simply highlight by pen gestures and capture images and text on the study-note by pen gestures! Save time transcribing summaries by gestures on study-note with your Apple pencil. ALL IN ONE NOTE TAKING • Edit PDF pages • Annotate almost anything • Endless pen colors, sizes, and fonts • Seamlessly highlight and underline text with GESTURE • Summarize and organize your thoughts, texts and notes • Instantly open any PDF for reading and studying • Zoom to read small text • Organize and manage your books AND notes EASY AND INTUITIVE • Drag and paste text flawlessly • Add text and annotate with ease • Smooth Image selection • Reading and pen gesture mode - FLEXCIL EXCLUSIVE • Search the dictionary for any definitions you need • Improved the tiring, old-fashioned way of writing which results in wrist/palm pain BULLET JOURNAL & TAKE BETTER NOTES • Easily create bullet journal pages • Hundreds of colors and pen stroke sizes • Colorful covers & templates • Endless creativity ー perfect for artists, hobbyists, or anyone that wants to make studying more fun • Proven to boost productivity & happiness RECORD & PLAYBACK AUDIO • Record everything you hear whenever you take class notes or writing meeting notes • Replay audio recording and review what you wrote during the class or in the meeting • Tab on your note and hear what was said at the moment MULTITASK • Use Flexcil while other apps are open - take notes during lectures! • Edit 2 PDFs at once • Advanced viewing: full screen view, vertical scroll, 4-page view, and so much more COMPATIBLE WITH: • Zoom • Google Classroom • Google Drive • Dropbox • Box • iCloud • Notes • Digital textbooks • ebooks • PDFs and more! APPLE PENCIL • Simulate real-life note-taking by using your Apple Pencil - easy to use for all ages • Guaranteed ZERO touch malfunctions • Support Apple pencil 2nd generation & double tap Plus, enjoy these NEW FEATURES! • Cloud sync: Access your notes from anywhere, and seamlessly sync across devices. • Masking pen: Enhance your annotations with precision using the masking pen. Take your note-taking to the next level with Flexcil. Download the most comprehensive, easy to use, and innovative study tool on the App Store today! * Support: https://support.flexcil.com * Website: https://www.flexcil.com * Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/flexcil * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flexcil * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjro4WpiFnxqKxAXQmASNwg [Access Permission Guide] • Storage (Photos and Videos): Used for adding images to documents in Flexcil, accessing PDF files, purchasing and downloading store content. • Music and Audio: Used for voice recording features, purchasing and downloading store content. • Microphone: Used for voice recording. • Camera: Used for taking pictures when adding photos. • Notifications: Used to display important notification content.

About

MarginNote 5

This app enhances reading and study 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 efficiently.

Highlights
  • Task-based reading templates
  • AI-powered content breakdown and question extraction
  • Integrated flashcard creation and spaced repetition
  • Mind-map organization of notes
  • PDF and EPUB import
  • Handwriting and annotation tools
  • Sync across devices
Features
Read full description

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

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader4 screens
MarginNote 54 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MarginNote 5 at none against Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's shown. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and MarginNote 5 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader against 4.5 for MarginNote 5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 412 and 736 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 59% and 58% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader ships an update weekly, MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader versus MarginNote 5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlexcil Note & Good PDF ReaderMarginNote 5
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (412 ratings)4.5 (736 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews — better58.5% of reviews
Number of ratings412736 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size228 MB371 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlexcil Inc.Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd

Customer experience

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

All ratings412 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral4.4%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews772 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral11.9%
Negative28.8%

MarginNote 5

All ratings736 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews568 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral15.5%
Negative26.1%

User reviews

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

From 412 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Apps for STUDENTS!!! 😀😀
  • 👍 Love this app
  • 🚀 Powerful multi-page PDF viewer
  • 👍 Great for studying
  • 👍 Excellent app for note taking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
  • 🐛 Syncing and backup problems
  • 🐛 Buggy handwriting recognition
  • 🐛 Unreliable palm rejection
  • 🐛 Missing key features from previous version

MarginNote 5

From 736 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful features
  • 📚 Great for academic/research use
  • 👍 Useful note-taking and organization
  • 🖊️ Improved handwriting and annotation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🕰️ Slow and laggy sync between devices
  • 🤯 Steep learning curve, poor documentation
  • 💰 Expensive upgrade from previous version

Bugs and requests

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Sudden data loss and file deletion
  • Inability to restore purchases
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior of undo/redo functions
  • Annotations not exporting correctly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add iCloud sync and backup
  • Improve handwriting search and recognition
  • Bring back reading mode and one-page scrolling
  • Add more pen and brush options
  • Allow customizing notebook paper styles
Show 1 more
  • Implement auto-save and version control

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

13 purchases

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

One-time13
  • Upgrade product for old usersFree
  • Premium$8.99
  • Flexcil Standard$9.99
Show 10 more
  • 2021-2022 Color Planner$11.99
  • Flexcil NEW Design Planner 22$11.99
  • Premium & Toolbar Skin Pack$12.99
  • Hello Kitty Planner 2022$13.99
  • My Melody & Kuromi Planner 22$13.99
  • Standard & 21-22 Planner Pack$14.99
  • Standard & Design Planner Pack$14.99
  • Standard & 2023 Planner Pack$14.99
  • 2026 Ultimate Planner(Dated) : Pro$15.49
  • Nelna 6-in-1 Planner Bundle$19.99
12 purchases

MarginNote 5

Subscriptions5
  • Subscription to MAX (Monthly)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Subscription to MAX (3 months)7 Days trial$4.993 Months
  • Subscription to MAX (6 months)7 Days trial$7.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • Subscription to MAX (Annually)1 Month trial$12.991 Year
  • MarginNote Max Annual1 Month trial$16.991 Year
One-time7
  • 14 days Free Trial2 variantsFree
  • Upgrade to PRO from MN3(iOS)$4.99
  • Unlock PRO Forever (New)$12.99
Show 4 more
  • Upgrade to MAX from MN3(macOS)$19.99
  • Unlock MAX based on PRO$39.99
  • Unlock MAX based on PRO (New)$40.00
  • Unlock MAX Forever (New)$51.99

Questions

Is Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader free?
Flexcil Note & Good PDF 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, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or MarginNote 5?
MarginNote 5 is rated higher. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 412 ratings, while MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 from 736 ratings.
Do Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or MarginNote 5 have ads?
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader shows ads; MarginNote 5 does not.
Which is updated more often, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or MarginNote 5?
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader ships an update weekly, and MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader was updated on October 29, 2026 and MarginNote 5 on October 30, 2026.

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