# MarginNote 5 vs Cishan

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarginNote 5 | Cishan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (739 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **739** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 372 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) | [相之 于](https://appshunter.io/developer/6810911078) |

## 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 (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


### Cishan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cishan-mountain-study-timer/id6811084059)

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cishan Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Cishan Pro Quarterly | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Cishan Pro Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| Cishan Plus Lifetime | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cishan Plus to Pro Lifetime | $8.99 | one-time |
| Cishan Pro Lifetime | $12.99 | one-time |


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