Comparison

MarginNote 5 vs Cishan

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

Cishan

Read full description

Turn study and reading time into mountain landscapes. Your real records shape a view of what you gave your time to. Cishan combines a study timer, time tracker and reading journal for learning, work and everyday life. Your recorded minutes shape daily and weekly mountain landscapes you can revisit. Start a timer, keep a record, then look back at where your time went. Basic timers and unlimited historical records are free. TIMERS, TASKS AND REFLECTION Start, pause, resume and finish activity timers. Organize tasks, schedules and tags, and keep notes alongside your records. Explore dates, rotate and zoom your mountains, or share a landscape. Review daily, weekly and monthly statistics to understand where your time goes. JOURNAL AND WINDOW SPACES · PRO Keep everyday moments with journal templates, quick notes and a free canvas. Arrange text, drawings, paper and stickers, and link pages to your time records. Creating and editing journals requires Pro. Stickers use your inventory; adding an image sticker consumes a general sticker. Earn resources through real records to redeem buildings and decorations. Pro enables decorating and window views in supported buildings you have redeemed and placed. Choose sounds and weather moods. Pro does not grant every decoration. FREE, PLUS AND PRO Free download with in-app purchases. Free includes 5 active activities and unlimited historical timer records; archived activities do not use an active slot. Plus lifetime expands the limit to 199 and unlocks the Taoyuan ink style. Pro includes Plus, journals, canvases, stickers, advanced markers, decorating and supported windows. YOUR LANGUAGE, YOUR RECORDS Choose from 45 interface languages. No account registration is required. Records are saved locally by default, with manual import and export backups. Plus and Pro can opt into private iCloud sync using your own storage; sync is off by default. Changing language preserves the text you entered. PURCHASES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Pro monthly, quarterly, yearly and lifetime plans provide the same current Pro features for different periods. Subscriptions renew every 1, 3 or 12 months. Eligible users may receive a 7-day trial only when shown on the purchase page and confirmed with Apple. One introductory offer per person per subscription group; the selected plan charges automatically after the trial. Prices, offers and periods are shown in the app and on Apple's confirmation screen. Cancel in your Apple account's subscription settings at least 24 hours before a trial or current period ends. Deleting the app or buying lifetime access does not cancel an existing subscription. The app provides Restore Purchases and subscription management; purchases and restoration need Apple services. After Pro expires, records and existing journals remain readable and exportable while Pro editing and redemption pause. A valid Plus lifetime purchase remains; otherwise Free applies. You choose which excess activities to archive. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://cishanapp.cn/privacy.html Support: https://cishanapp.cn/support.html

Screenshots

MarginNote 54 screens
Cishan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cishan at every 6 days against MarginNote 5's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months and Cishan sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, Cishan every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MarginNote 5 versus Cishan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarginNote 5Cishan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (739 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings739 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size372 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd相之 于

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

Cishan

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

MarginNote 5

Subscriptions3
  • Subscription to MAX (3 months)7 Days trial$4.993 Months
  • Subscription to MAX (Annually)1 Month trial$12.991 Year
  • MarginNote Max Annual1 Month trial$16.991 Year
One-time6
  • 14 days Free Trial2 variantsFree
  • Upgrade to PRO from MN3(iOS)$4.99
  • Unlock PRO Forever (New)$12.99
Show 3 more
  • Upgrade to MAX from MN3(macOS)$19.99
  • Unlock MAX based on PRO (New)$40.00
  • Unlock MAX Forever (New)$51.99
6 purchases

Cishan

Subscriptions3
  • Cishan Pro Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Cishan Pro Quarterly7 Days trial$1.993 Months
  • Cishan Pro Yearly7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time3
  • Cishan Plus Lifetime$3.99
  • Cishan Plus to Pro Lifetime$8.99
  • Cishan Pro Lifetime$12.99

Questions

Is MarginNote 5 free?
MarginNote 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cishan free?
Cishan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MarginNote 5 or Cishan have ads?
Neither MarginNote 5 nor Cishan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MarginNote 5 or Cishan?
MarginNote 5 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cishan every 6 days. Most recently, MarginNote 5 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Cishan on October 31, 2026.

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