Comparison

MarginNote 5 vs 星理紫微斗数

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

Head to head
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

About

星理紫微斗数

Features
Read full description

【新增斗数知识速查:轻松获取紫微斗数专业知识】  -内容丰富:星耀、宫位、四化、格局、术语等。  -轻松获取:分门别类,更支持查询、搜索、收藏。  -持续更新:国学古籍、现代国学典籍内容持续更新。   【紫微斗数专业排盘】 飞星、三合、四化、八字一体化紫微斗数专业排盘。 1、免费,当前星理所有的可见功能均为不受限制的免费功能,欢迎体验。  2、专业,严格依据千年传承的紫微斗数《安星诀》排盘。  -功能丰富,提供大运、流年、流月、流日、流时、定盘工具等专业并免费的功能。  -历法精确,运用天文历法级时间换算确保了阳历、农历、干支历相互精确换算。  -真太阳时,天文历法结合精确的地理位置准确计算真太阳时,确保在不同时空维度中星、宫、象的完美呈现。  -排盘时间跨度大,研学紫微斗数几乎不用考虑时间限制。  -丰富设置项,不同流派用户可灵活依据本派理论定制排盘规则研学紫微斗数。  -高效管理,用户可以灵活定制星盘记录的分组类别,并对针对海量的星盘记录进行批量的移动/删除管理。   欢迎命理师与紫微斗数爱好者为我们提供意见反馈,我们将认真倾听大家的意见,持续打磨星理,为大家奉献更优秀的紫微斗数研习工具。

Screenshots

MarginNote 54 screens
星理紫微斗数4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 星理紫微斗数 at 100% against MarginNote 5's 58%. 星理紫微斗数 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). MarginNote 5's advantage is ratings volume (739 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. MarginNote 5 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and 星理紫微斗数 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

星理紫微斗数 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 739 ratings behind it against 6, 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 100% of 星理紫微斗数's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MarginNote 5 versus 星理紫微斗数: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarginNote 5星理紫微斗数
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (739 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings739 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size372 MB56 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBeijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., LtdChengdu Niukd Co., Ltd

Customer experience

MarginNote 5

All ratings739 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews568 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral15.5%
Negative26.1%

星理紫微斗数

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

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

星理紫微斗数

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
3 purchases

星理紫微斗数

One-time3
  • 高级会员月卡$1.99
  • 高级会员半年卡$9.99
  • 高级会员年卡$14.99

Questions

Is MarginNote 5 free?
MarginNote 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 星理紫微斗数 free?
星理紫微斗数 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MarginNote 5 or 星理紫微斗数?
星理紫微斗数 is rated higher. MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 739 ratings, while 星理紫微斗数 averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do MarginNote 5 or 星理紫微斗数 have ads?
Neither MarginNote 5 nor 星理紫微斗数 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MarginNote 5 or 星理紫微斗数?
MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and 星理紫微斗数 every 3 weeks. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on November 3, 2026 and 星理紫微斗数 on October 30, 2026.

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