Reader's Bench vs Notestudio
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.
Notestudio
Capture, organize, and create notes with a blend of analog feel and digital power. Annotate PDFs, add media, and export in various formats. Offers advanced drawing tools and a customizable interface for focused work.
- Multi-page note creation
- PDF markup and annotation
- Flexible note sizes and paper styles
- Organize with custom folders
- Export to PDF, PNG, HEIC, JPEG
- Low-latency drawing with sensitivity
- Customizable workspace
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Rediscover note-taking with Notestudio—a perfect fusion of pen-and-paper charm and robust digital tools. Effortlessly capture, organize, and create with multi-page notes tailored to your ideas. The PDF markup feature is a fantastic bonus. KEY FEATURES • Flexible note sizes: A4, Letter, or Screen • Paper styles: Plain, graph, lined, or dotted • Paper colors: White, yellowish, bluish, dark gray, or black • Organize with custom folders and a favorites option • Add photos, scan documents, or copy/paste content • Export as PDF, PNG, HEIC, or JPEG • PDF markup / annotation TOOLS • Fineliner, Ink Pen, and Calligraphy Pen with auto-shape support • Highlighter and Round Highlighter • Object Eraser, Pixel Eraser • Laser tools: Stroke Laser, Point Laser • Easy selection: Text, images, or strokes • Text input DRAWING ENGINE • Low-latency drawing with pressure, angle, and tilt sensitivity • Smart stabilization for smooth strokes • Crisp, anti-aliased vector lines • Realistic "pigment" color mixing • High-quality vector PDF export and print INTUITIVE INTERFACE • Clean, user-friendly layout • Drag panels to customize your workspace • Split View support on iPadOS for dual-note editing • Full-screen mode for focused creativity -- Get unlimited editing with a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Have questions? Reach us at info@luckyclan.com Privacy Policy: https://luckyclan.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://luckyclan.com/terms-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Notestudio at 4.9 against Reader's Bench's 3.5. Notestudio also leads on ratings volume (19 vs 2). Reader's Bench's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, update cadence, 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 Notestudio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Notestudio holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notestudio has 19 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Reader's Bench's written reviews are positive against 91% of Notestudio'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, Notestudio every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reader's Bench | Notestudio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 4.9 (19 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 90.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 19 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rohmiapps Inc. | Lucky Clan |
Customer experience
Reader's Bench
Notestudio
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
Notestudio
- Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$1.991 Year
- Lifetime License$9.99
Questions
Is Reader's Bench free?
Is Notestudio free?
Which has better reviews, Reader's Bench or Notestudio?
Do Reader's Bench or Notestudio have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reader's Bench or Notestudio?
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