# 有道云笔记 vs MarginNote 4

The clearest difference is ads: MarginNote 4 at none against 有道云笔记's shown. 有道云笔记's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 58%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 有道云笔记 sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and MarginNote 4 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

有道云笔记 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 529 and 737 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of 有道云笔记's written reviews are positive against 58% of MarginNote 4's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 有道云笔记 | MarginNote 4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (529 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id450748070/reviews)** | [4.5 (737 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 529 | **737** |
| Positive reviews | **82.7% of reviews** | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 501 MB | 330 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [杭州网易竹邮科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556017640) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### 有道云笔记

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id450748070)

This multi-platform tool helps users record information through scanning, voice, Markdown, and more. It features AI-powered content creation, an all-in-one editor, and cloud storage for seamless synchronization across devices. It's designed to boost work and study efficiency.

**Highlights:** Multi-platform recording (scan, voice, Markdown), AI-powered content creation, All-in-one editor with diagrams, Cloud storage and real-time sync, OCR text recognition, Content collection from web, Task and time management tools

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 有道云笔记月会员 | $2.49 | per month |
| 有道云笔记月会员 | $2.99 | per month |
| 笔记高级会员连续包月 | $2.99 | per month |
| 有道云笔记超级会员包月会员 | $3.99 | per month |
| 笔记超级会员连续包月 | $3.99 | per month |
| 有道云笔记高级会员 | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| 笔记高级会员连续包季 | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| 笔记超级会员连续包季 | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| 有道云笔记超级会员包季会员 | $10.49 | per 3 months |
| 有道云笔记年会员 | $29.49 | per year |
| 笔记高级会员连续包年 | $29.99 | per year |
| 笔记超级会员连续包年 | $34.99 | per year |
| 有道云笔记超级会员包年会员 | $36.99 | per year |
| 数据归档-立即恢复全部数据 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 有道云笔记月会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1年笔记高级会员 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 有道云笔记年会员 | $31.99 | one-time |
| 有道云笔记2年高级会员 | $39.99 | one-time |
| 1年笔记超级会员 | $39.99 | one-time |
| 有道云笔记超级年会员 | $46.99 | one-time |
| 2年笔记高级会员 | $59.99 | one-time |
| 2年笔记超级会员 | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and easy to use
- 📚 Useful note-taking features
- 🌐 Cross-platform compatibility
- 🔒 Secure with encryption
- 👍 Stable and reliable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited device sync
- 💰 Ads and paid features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow performance
- 🔍 Poor search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Sync issues between devices
- Corrupted or lost notes
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Delayed voice-to-text transcription

**Requested features**

- Batch export and import of notes
- Improved handwriting recognition
- Customizable themes and layouts
- Enhanced collaboration features
- Better integration with other apps


### MarginNote 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-4-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

This app integrates reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards into a unified study environment. It supports active learning with features like study sets, book compilation, and dual-article views. Enhance your understanding with visual learning tools and AI-powered content extraction for long-term memory retention.

**Highlights:** Integrated reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards, Quick Extend Note and Handwriting Layers for annotation, Study Set for organizing PDFs, EPUBs, videos, and audio, Mind Map and Concept Diagram for visual learning, AI Content Detection for formula and chart extraction, FSRS spaced-repetition algorithm for reviews, iCloud sync across Apple devices

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription to MAX (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Subscription to MAX (3 months) | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Subscription to MAX (6 months) | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| Subscription to MAX (Annually) | $12.99 | per year |
| MarginNote Max Annual | $16.99 | per year |
| 14 days Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Upgrade to PRO from MN3(iOS) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock PRO Forever (New) | $12.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to MAX from MN3(macOS) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX based on PRO | $39.99 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX based on PRO (New) | $40.00 | one-time |
| Unlock MAX Forever (New) | $51.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful features
- 📚 Great for academic/research use
- 👍 Useful note-taking and organization
- 🖊️ Improved handwriting and annotation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🕰️ Slow and laggy sync between devices
- 🤯 Steep learning curve, poor documentation
- 💰 Expensive upgrade from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing annotations when using extend function
- Inability to restore accidentally deleted mind maps
- Inconsistent behavior with PDF file management

**Requested features**

- Improved iCloud/cloud sync reliability
- More intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Better support for external document libraries
- Ability to disable auto-excerpt selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 有道云笔记 free?

有道云笔记 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MarginNote 4 free?

MarginNote 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 有道云笔记 or MarginNote 4?

有道云笔记 is rated higher. 有道云笔记 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 529 ratings, while MarginNote 4 averages 4.5 from 737 ratings.

### Do 有道云笔记 or MarginNote 4 have ads?

有道云笔记 shows ads; MarginNote 4 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 有道云笔记 or MarginNote 4?

有道云笔记 ships an update every 3 weeks, and MarginNote 4 every 3 weeks. Most recently, 有道云笔记 was updated on October 26, 2026 and MarginNote 4 on October 27, 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.*