# Side Notes vs MagicWiki

The clearest difference is price: Side Notes at Free against MagicWiki's $4.99. Side Notes also leads on ratings volume (22 vs 1). MagicWiki's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 57%) and rating (5.0 vs 3.9). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Side Notes is free to download; MagicWiki costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MagicWiki holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Side Notes has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Side Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of MagicWiki's.

Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, MagicWiki every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Side Notes | MagicWiki |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.9 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwiki/id6739508687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 12 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Straw Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866) | [Manicgrin Media Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/906528891) |

## What reviewers say

### Side Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224)

This app helps you organize thoughts by viewing multiple notes simultaneously. It offers layouts for comparing options, conducting analyses, or structuring complex ideas. Focus on your thinking with a clean, intuitive interface and privacy-focused design.

**Highlights:** Side-by-side note viewing, Multiple layout options (Dual, Four, Single), Visual comparison of ideas, SWOT analysis and Eisenhower Matrix support, Rich text editing, Offline functionality, Export notes as PDF or text

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### MagicWiki

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwiki/id6739508687)

Build a personal knowledge network with this note-taking app. Connect ideas through wiki-style linking, organize with smart tags, and access content easily with powerful search. Supports markdown, images, and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** Wiki-style linking, Smart tag suggestions, Daily journal with calendar, Markdown and image support, Powerful search functionality, Offline data storage, iCloud sync

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Side Notes free?

Side Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MagicWiki free?

MagicWiki costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Side Notes or MagicWiki?

MagicWiki is rated higher. Side Notes averages 3.9 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while MagicWiki averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Side Notes or MagicWiki have ads?

Neither Side Notes nor MagicWiki shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Side Notes or MagicWiki?

Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, and MagicWiki every 2 weeks. Most recently, Side Notes was updated on October 11, 2026 and MagicWiki on October 8, 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.*