# 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 3.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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 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 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 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 every 6 days, StoneNote weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader's Bench | StoneNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench/id1671846175/reviews) | **[4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stonenote-video-study-notes/id6479307006/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 49 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/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 | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $17.99 | 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 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while StoneNote averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.

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

Reader's Bench shows ads; StoneNote does not.

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

Reader's Bench ships an update every 6 days, and StoneNote weekly. Most recently, Reader's Bench was updated on October 25, 2026 and StoneNote on October 24, 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.*