# MarginNote 4 vs ReadFlow

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadFlow at 100% against MarginNote 4's 59%. ReadFlow also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). MarginNote 4's advantage is ratings volume (716 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 4 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ReadFlow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReadFlow holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 4 has 716 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of MarginNote 4's written reviews are positive against 100% of ReadFlow's.

MarginNote 4 ships an update every 3 weeks, ReadFlow every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 4 | ReadFlow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (716 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readflow/id6447425350/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **716** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 58.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 330 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [实 许](https://appshunter.io/developer/681075194) |

## What reviewers say

### MarginNote 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

This app integrates reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards into a unified study environment. It supports active learning with features like study sets, book compilation, and dual-article views. Enhance your understanding with visual learning tools and AI-powered content extraction for long-term memory retention.

**Highlights:** Integrated reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards, Quick Extend Note and Handwriting Layers for annotation, Study Set for organizing PDFs, EPUBs, videos, and audio, Mind Map and Concept Diagram for visual learning, AI Content Detection for formula and chart extraction, FSRS spaced-repetition algorithm for reviews, iCloud sync across Apple devices

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription to MAX (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Subscription to MAX (3 months) | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Subscription to MAX (6 months) | $7.99 | per 6 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 | $39.99 | 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


### ReadFlow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readflow/id6447425350)

This app transforms PDF documents into a comfortable reading experience on small screens. It offers text reflow, customization options for fonts and themes, and iCloud sync for seamless access across devices. Enjoy reading PDFs as easily as other ebook formats.

**Highlights:** PDF text reflow for mobile, Customizable fonts and themes, Import custom font files, iCloud sync, PDF file cropping, Metadata editing, Generate and share reflowed text

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadFlow Pro 1x | $0.99 | per month |
| ReadFlow Pro 12x | $9.99 | per year |
| ReadFlow Pro ∞ | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 4 free?

MarginNote 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ReadFlow free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MarginNote 4 or ReadFlow?

ReadFlow is rated higher. MarginNote 4 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 716 ratings, while ReadFlow averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 4 or ReadFlow have ads?

Neither MarginNote 4 nor ReadFlow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MarginNote 4 or ReadFlow?

MarginNote 4 ships an update every 3 weeks, and ReadFlow every 4 days. Most recently, MarginNote 4 was updated on September 25, 2026 and ReadFlow on September 19, 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.*