# Reader's Bench vs CanvasNote

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CanvasNote at 15.0 against Reader's Bench's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Reader's Bench ships an update weekly, CanvasNote every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader's Bench | CanvasNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) | [Nicolai Kummer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497635656) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### CanvasNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvasnote/id6469690776)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Full Version | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader's Bench free?

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

### Is CanvasNote free?

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

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

Neither Reader's Bench nor CanvasNote shows ads.

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

Reader's Bench ships an update weekly, and CanvasNote every 5 days. Most recently, Reader's Bench was updated on October 7, 2026 and CanvasNote on October 17, 2026.

---

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