# AxNote vs Reader's Bench

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reader's Bench at 100% against AxNote's 50%. Reader's Bench also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). AxNote's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.5) and monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AxNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AxNote holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of AxNote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reader's Bench's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

AxNote ships an update every 2 months, Reader's Bench weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AxNote | Reader's Bench |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 9 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jonathan Benjamin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667195856) | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) |

## What reviewers say

### AxNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999)

This app offers an intelligent canvas for note-taking, allowing users to generate summaries from text, handwriting, and audio recordings. It supports image annotation, data visualization with tables and charts, and handwriting conversion to typed text. Designed for Apple Pencil, it provides flexible layouts and on-device AI features.

**Highlights:** AI-powered summaries from text, handwriting, and audio, Audio transcription and topic exploration, Image and PDF annotation, Data visualization with tables and charts, Handwriting to typed text conversion, Apple Pencil integration, Customizable layouts

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AxNote+ | $24.99 | one-time |


### Reader's Bench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175)

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** PDF reading and markup, Handwriting and typed notes, Annotation extraction for review, Highlight, underline, strikethrough, Image capture and insertion, Export notes and annotated PDFs, Word definition and sentence translation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader's Bench Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AxNote free?

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

### Is Reader's Bench free?

Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, AxNote or Reader's Bench?

AxNote is rated higher. AxNote averages 4.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Reader's Bench averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do AxNote or Reader's Bench have ads?

Neither AxNote nor Reader's Bench shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AxNote or Reader's Bench?

AxNote ships an update every 2 months, and Reader's Bench weekly. Most recently, AxNote was updated on September 19, 2026 and Reader's Bench on September 20, 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.*