# MarginNote 5 vs Folia

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | Folia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (736 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folia/id6737592384/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **736** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **58.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 371 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [Branchfire, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284975584) |

## 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


### Folia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folia/id6737592384)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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