# MarginNote 5 vs WriteTex

The clearest difference is rating: MarginNote 5 at 4.5 against WriteTex's 3.0. MarginNote 5 also leads on ratings volume (740 vs 2). 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 WriteTex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MarginNote 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 740 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, WriteTex every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | WriteTex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (740 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writetex-math-ocr-and-latex/id6747911928/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **740** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 372 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [星宇 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823348720) |

## What reviewers say

### MarginNote 5

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

This app enhances reading and studying 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 with a comprehensive study workflow.

**Highlights:** Task-based reading templates, AI-powered content breakdown, Integrated flashcard creation, Spaced repetition review, Mind map organization, PDF and EPUB import, 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


### WriteTex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writetex-math-ocr-and-latex/id6747911928)

Instantly convert handwritten math equations into LaTeX, Markdown, or TikZ code. This app uses advanced AI to recognize complex formulas, matrices, and diagrams, integrating seamlessly with desktop editors like VS Code and Obsidian.

**Highlights:** Handwritten math to LaTeX conversion, AI-powered OCR for complex formulas, Markdown and TikZ code output, Desktop sync for VS Code, Obsidian, Word, BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) for data control, High privacy options

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly AI Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly AI Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Custom API | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

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

### Is WriteTex free?

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

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

MarginNote 5 is rated higher. MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 740 ratings, while WriteTex averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 5 or WriteTex have ads?

Neither MarginNote 5 nor WriteTex shows ads.

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

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and WriteTex every 10 days. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on November 7, 2026 and WriteTex 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.*