# MarginNote 5 vs 星理紫微斗数

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.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 5 sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months 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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | 星理紫微斗数 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (739 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6472164578/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **739** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 372 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [Chengdu Niukd Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1651187937) |

## What reviewers say

### MarginNote 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

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:** 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


### 星理紫微斗数

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6472164578)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 高级会员月卡 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 高级会员半年卡 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 高级会员年卡 | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*