# MarginNote 5 vs ReadOS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadOS at 100% against MarginNote 5's 58%. ReadOS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). MarginNote 5's advantage is ratings volume (741 vs 8) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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 ReadOS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReadOS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 5 has 741 ratings behind it against 8, 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 ReadOS's.

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, ReadOS monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | ReadOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (741 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reados/id6796672534/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **741** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 372 MB | 993 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [秀芳 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893898139) |

## What reviewers say

### MarginNote 5

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

This app helps you deeply engage with reading materials by linking highlights to mind maps and flashcards for review. It offers task-based templates for various study needs, including question practice and vocabulary building, with AI assistance for tasks like creating outlines and extracting questions. Syncing and organization features ensure your study data is secure and accessible.

**Highlights:** Task-based reading templates, AI-powered question extraction, Mind map and flashcard integration, Offline dictionary for vocabulary, Secure sync with sync center, PDF and EPUB import, Handwriting and annotation tools

**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


### ReadOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reados/id6796672534)

This app is an AI-powered workspace for iPad that helps you read, research, and create. It connects your source materials and project context, allowing you to move seamlessly from understanding to creation. Features include AI summarization, knowledge mapping, and document analysis.

**Highlights:** AI-powered research agent, Contextual reading and note-taking, Knowledge mapping and visualization, Document, spreadsheet, and presentation creation, Web browsing and data analysis, Audio and video transcription, Multi-step task automation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadOS Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| ReadOS Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

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

### Is ReadOS free?

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

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

ReadOS is rated higher. MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 741 ratings, while ReadOS averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do MarginNote 5 or ReadOS have ads?

Neither MarginNote 5 nor ReadOS shows ads.

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

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and ReadOS monthly. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on November 11, 2026 and ReadOS on October 31, 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.*