Comparison

MarginNote 5 vs Folia

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

Folia

This app allows users to annotate any document type from any device, organize work into projects, and capture ideas with intuitive tools. It facilitates real-time sharing with collaborators and recording ideas on the go.

Highlights
  • Annotate any document type
  • Organize work into projects
  • Capture ideas with intuitive tools
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Integrates with cloud storage
  • Cross-device support
Features
Read full description

Folia is the all-in-one way to annotate any document, from any device. Open a single file and start marking it up, or organize your work into projects and share with collaborators in real time. Folia lets you record your ideas wherever you are, whether at your desk or on the go. Use Folia to: - Open recent and favorited documents right from Home. - Work with individual documents on their own, or group them into projects. - Pull in files from any storage connection like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box. - Annotate files of any type — PDFs, MS Office documents, images, and more. - Scan and OCR paper documents with your camera. - Record audio annotations from your microphone. - Share securely between colleagues. - Record ideas from desktop, phone or tablet. Learn more at www.folia.com Privacy Policy: https://www.folia.com/legal/privacy Support: help@folia.com

Screenshots

MarginNote 54 screens
Folia4 screens

Verdict

The call

MarginNote 5 and Folia both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 58% of MarginNote 5's written reviews are positive against 0% of Folia's. MarginNote 5 also leads on ratings volume (736 vs 2). Folia's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Folia asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for MarginNote 5 against 4.5 for Folia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 736 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of MarginNote 5's written reviews are positive against 0% of Folia's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, Folia monthly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MarginNote 5 versus Folia: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarginNote 5Folia
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (736 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings736 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size371 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., LtdBranchfire, Inc.

Customer experience

MarginNote 5

All ratings736 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews568 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral15.5%
Negative26.1%

Folia

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Folia

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
None

Folia

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MarginNote 5 free?
MarginNote 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Folia free?
Folia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MarginNote 5 or Folia?
MarginNote 5 and Folia are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 736 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do MarginNote 5 or Folia have ads?
Neither MarginNote 5 nor Folia shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MarginNote 5 or Folia?
MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Folia monthly. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on October 30, 2026 and Folia on October 30, 2026.

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