# MarginNote 5 vs Calflow

The clearest difference is rating: Calflow at 4.9 against MarginNote 5's 4.5. Calflow also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 58%). MarginNote 5's advantage is ratings volume (736 vs 131). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 5 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Calflow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Calflow holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 736 ratings behind it against 131, 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 89% of Calflow's.

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, Calflow every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | Calflow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (736 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) | **[4.9 (131 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calflow-planner-and-tracker/id6474122188/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **736** | 131 |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 371 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [Kyovan Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712594394) |

## 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 (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


### Calflow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calflow-planner-and-tracker/id6474122188)

This app integrates with your existing iOS Reminders and Calendars to help you track how you spend your time. It offers features for daily planning, time tracking, and goal setting, providing insights into your productivity within the Apple ecosystem.

**Highlights:** 2-way sync with iOS Reminders & Calendar, Time tracking for reminders and events, Time distribution insights, Powerful tag system for filtering, Goal and habit tracking, Apple Health and app usage sync

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual plan | $12.99 | per year |
| One-time  purchase | $37.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⏱️ Excellent time tracking with automatic logging
- 📱 Seamless cross-device synchronization (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch)
- 📅 Perfect integration with Apple Calendar and Reminders
- 🎯 Comprehensive goal-setting and insights features
- 🧩 Simple, intuitive user interface with low friction

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer synchronization issues across devices
- 🐛 Confusing insights calculation (double-counting existing calendar events)
- 🐛 Apple Watch complications not fully functional
- 🌙 No dark mode support
- 📱 iPad lacks some features available on iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- Timer doesn't sync across devices (iPhone to iPad/Mac)
- Live Activity not showing on iPad when timer active
- Apple Watch timers not accessible on other devices
- Widget display showing only black and white screen
- Insights double-counting time on existing calendar events

**Requested features**

- Dark mode support
- Mac menu bar timer widget
- Multiple simultaneous timers on iPhone
- Larger font size options
- Ability to copy and paste calendar events


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

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

### Is Calflow free?

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

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

Calflow is rated higher. MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 736 ratings, while Calflow averages 4.9 from 131 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 5 or Calflow have ads?

Neither MarginNote 5 nor Calflow shows ads.

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

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Calflow every 10 days. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on October 30, 2026 and Calflow 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.*