# MarginNote 5 vs touchnotesPro

The clearest difference is rating: MarginNote 5 at 4.5 against touchnotesPro's 2.5. MarginNote 5 also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 30%) and ratings volume (739 vs 4). touchnotesPro's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 5 sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months and touchnotesPro sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MarginNote 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 739 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of MarginNote 5's written reviews are positive against 30% of touchnotesPro's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | touchnotesPro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (739 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews)** | [2.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchnotespro-notes-and-pdf/id1642325772/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **739** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **58.5% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 372 MB | 667 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [广东新空电子科技股份有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503946016) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### touchnotesPro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchnotespro-notes-and-pdf/id1642325772)

This app combines handwriting, document annotation, and study tools for efficient note-taking. Import various file types, clip web content, and record lectures with real-time transcription. Organize ideas with mind maps and create flashcards for effective review.

**Highlights:** Handwriting and document annotation, Import PDFs, Word, EPUB, and web content, Speech and handwriting recognition, AI-powered formula recognition, Mind mapping for idea organization, Flashcard creation for review, Infinite canvas for freeform notes

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Cloud Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Cloud Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| 享做笔记vip-1年 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium Cloud Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| 享做笔记vip-2年 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Basic Cloud Package | $6.99 | one-time |
| Student Cloud Package | $6.99 | one-time |
| Student Cloud Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| vip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Cloud Package | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

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

### Is touchnotesPro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MarginNote 5 or touchnotesPro?

MarginNote 5 is rated higher. MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 739 ratings, while touchnotesPro averages 2.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 5 or touchnotesPro have ads?

Neither MarginNote 5 nor touchnotesPro shows ads.

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

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and touchnotesPro every 3 weeks. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on November 3, 2026 and touchnotesPro 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.*