Reader's Bench vs Quick Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reader's Bench
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.
- 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
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Reader's Bench — Read, Annotate & Take Notes Reader's Bench is a powerful PDF and ePub reader built for students, researchers, and professionals who need to study documents deeply. Import PDFs and ePub files, annotate them with a rich set of tools, take handwritten notes side by side, and organize everything in one place. KEY FEATURES • PDF & ePub Reader Import PDFs from the Files app, share sheet, or Safari. Supports vertical and horizontal scrolling, single-page and continuous page views, and a comfortable dark mode for reading in any lighting. • Rich PDF Annotations Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text. Add text boxes, image boxes, freehand drawings, and capture areas with Apple Pencil or your finger. Every annotation can be edited, moved, or deleted at any time. • Annotation Review View all your annotations in a summary list, filter by type, and export the review as a separate PDF report. Revisit key points without re-reading the entire document. • Handwritten Notes Take notes on a digital canvas with Apple Pencil. Switch between Canvas (infinite scroll) and Page (discrete pages) modes. Choose from dotted, squared, lined, or blank backgrounds and customize colors. Shape detection automatically perfects hand-drawn shapes. • Split View Work with your PDF and notes side by side. Switch between horizontal and vertical layouts and resize panels with a draggable divider. • Bookmarks & Search Bookmark pages for quick access and browse them in one place. Search inside documents and jump to results by page instantly. • Export & Share Export annotated PDFs, handwritten notes as PDFs, or annotation reviews as reports. Share via the iOS share sheet or print directly from the app. • iCloud Sync Documents and annotations sync across your devices via iCloud, so your work is always with you. • ePub Support Import ePub books and convert them to PDF for reading and annotation. • Share Extension Import PDFs directly from any app using the system share sheet. Reader's Bench turns your iPad and iPhone into a complete study and research workstation.
Quick Notes
Capture thoughts, ideas, and sketches effortlessly with typing, pen, or Apple Pencil. Enjoy a clutter-free interface with rich text editing and PDF export. Convert handwriting to typed text and share notes easily.
- Infinite pages
- PDF export
- Rich text editor
- Handwriting recognition
- Apple Pencil support
- Easy sharing
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No matter what you're capturing—thoughts, ideas, notes, or sketches—Quick Notes makes it quick and effortless, whether you're typing on a keyboard, jotting with a pen, or scribbling with your Apple Pencil. + Simple & Intuitive: Navigate with ease and start writing instantly. + Like a real notepad: No files, no clutter, no useless features. Just infinite pages for you. + PDF: Your notes are in the best standard format for note-taking, sharing and printing. + Rich Text Editor: Add lists, tables, text styles, multimedia, images, and much more. + Handwriting Recognition: Convert your notes to typed text automatically. + Quick Capture: Record your thoughts, photos or images in a snap with minimal effort. + Apple Pencil Support: Enjoy natural handwriting and drawing. 10 Ink tools with pressure and tilt sensivity. + Keyboard Friendly: Type your notes seamlessly. In any language. + Clean Design: Experience a clutter-free writing environment. + Easy Sharing: Share your notes through various platforms. Quick Notes is the perfect blend of simplicity and functionality, making note-taking a breeze.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reader's Bench at 100% against Quick Notes's 0%. Reader's Bench also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Quick Notes's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.5). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Quick Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Quick Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Reader's Bench's written reviews are positive against 0% of Quick Notes'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, Quick Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reader's Bench | Quick Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 260 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rohmiapps Inc. | Kairoos Solutions SL |
Customer experience
Reader's Bench
Quick Notes
In-app purchases
Reader's Bench
- Reader's Bench Subscription14 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$69.99
Quick Notes
- Lifetime Full Unlock$3.99
Questions
Is Reader's Bench free?
Is Quick Notes free?
Which has better reviews, Reader's Bench or Quick Notes?
Do Reader's Bench or Quick Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reader's Bench or Quick Notes?
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