# iSilo vs MarginNote 3

The clearest difference is price: MarginNote 3 at Free against iSilo's $9.99. MarginNote 3 also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (5K vs 50). iSilo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.2). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

MarginNote 3 is free to download; iSilo costs $9.99 up front. MarginNote 3 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. iSilo asks for nothing beyond the download.

MarginNote 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 3 has 5K ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of iSilo's written reviews are positive against 75% of MarginNote 3's.

iSilo ships an update every 3 weeks, MarginNote 3 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSilo | MarginNote 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isilo/id284979163/reviews) | **[4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **5K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.6% of reviews | **74.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 392 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 11.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [DC & Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284947607) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### iSilo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isilo/id284979163)

Read various document formats including iSilo, Palm Doc, and plain text. Access a vast library of content, organize your files, and customize viewing options for a personalized reading experience. Transfer documents easily via USB, Wi-Fi, or web download.

**Highlights:** Supports iSilo, Palm Doc, and plain text formats, Extensive document library and creation tools, Organize documents with categories and favorites, Customizable viewing options (font, colors, themes), Autoscroll, full-screen, and orientation support, Text search, copy, and annotation, Multiple document transfer methods (USB, Wi-Fi, Web)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Works well with Christian books
- 📚 Excellent for reading documents with embedded hyperlinks
- ⚡ Fast and smooth on many devices
- 🙌 Hands down a life-saving app
- 🏆 Basic but wonderful functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes upon opening
- 🐛 Unable to download new material since 2017
- 🐛 Crashes when trying to open code-protected file
- 🐛 Scrolling issues and performance problems
- 🤖 Outdated and abandoned by developers

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to open certain file formats
- Displaying issues with Palm format (PDB) files
- Inability to download files from Dropbox
- Text going off-screen after recent updates
- Bookmarks and annotations not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode feature
- Improve text highlighting and annotation capabilities
- Implement cloud sync and cross-device support
- Modernize the user interface
- Add support for iOS Files app


### MarginNote 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163)

This app redefines studying by integrating e-reading with powerful annotation, mind mapping, and flashcard tools. Organize knowledge, connect ideas with hashtags, and enhance memory retention through spaced repetition. It offers a seamless workflow across multiple documents and devices.

**Highlights:** Integrated PDF/EPUB reader, Advanced annotation tools, Mind mapping and outline organization, Flashcard creation and Anki export, Multi-document support, Handwriting and Apple Pencil support, OCR for scanned PDFs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Pro (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| OCR Pro (Annually) | $9.49 | per year |
| 14 days Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock Full | $12.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Full | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and efficient for studying and research
- 👍 Excellent mind mapping and note-taking features
- 💡 Unique and innovative functionality like video annotation
- 🚀 Handles large volumes of documents and notes well
- 👍 Useful for organizing and synthesizing information from multiple sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 👎 Steep learning curve and lack of comprehensive documentation
- 👎 Unreliable cloud syncing between devices
- 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive user interface in some areas
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with certain features like handwriting and OCR

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues causing data loss across devices
- Crashes and freezes when working with large documents
- Inconsistent behavior with highlighting, erasing, and text formatting
- OCR not functioning reliably for non-Latin scripts
- Difficulty managing and organizing large document libraries

**Requested features**

- Improved export options and ability to share projects
- Better integration with other productivity apps like Anki
- More customization options for mind maps and annotations
- Smoother handwriting experience and better palm rejection
- Support for more file formats like PowerPoint


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iSilo free?

iSilo costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MarginNote 3 free?

MarginNote 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iSilo or MarginNote 3?

MarginNote 3 is rated higher. iSilo averages 3.8 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while MarginNote 3 averages 4.7 from 5K ratings.

### Do iSilo or MarginNote 3 have ads?

Neither iSilo nor MarginNote 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iSilo or MarginNote 3?

iSilo ships an update every 3 weeks, and MarginNote 3 every 6 weeks. Most recently, iSilo was updated on October 27, 2026 and MarginNote 3 on October 28, 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.*