# Reader's Bench vs StoneNote

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reader's Bench at 100% against StoneNote's 50%. StoneNote's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 StoneNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

StoneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Reader's Bench's written reviews are positive against 50% of StoneNote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Reader's Bench ships an update weekly, StoneNote every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader's Bench | StoneNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) | **[4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stonenote-video-study-notes/id6479307006/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) | [斯熠 巩](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735501144) |

## 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 |


### StoneNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stonenote-video-study-notes/id6479307006)

Seamlessly take handwritten notes while watching study videos on the same page. This app integrates a video player directly into your notes, allowing for automatic pausing, screenshot capture, and video bookmarking. Organize your work with layered notes and folders, and sync across devices.

**Highlights:** Integrated video player within notes, Automatic video pause while writing, Screenshot capture and insertion, Layered notes support, Folder-based organization, iCloud sync

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StoneNote Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader's Bench free?

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

### Is StoneNote free?

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

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

StoneNote is rated higher. Reader's Bench averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while StoneNote averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.

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

Neither Reader's Bench nor StoneNote shows ads.

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

Reader's Bench ships an update weekly, and StoneNote every 10 days. Most recently, Reader's Bench was updated on October 7, 2026 and StoneNote 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.*