# EndNote vs MarginNote 5

The clearest difference is rating: MarginNote 5 at 4.5 against EndNote's 2.6. MarginNote 5 also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 28%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). EndNote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 5 sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. EndNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

MarginNote 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 165 and 736 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of EndNote's written reviews are positive against 58% of MarginNote 5's.

EndNote ships an update every 4 months, MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EndNote | MarginNote 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (165 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/endnote/id593994211/reviews) | **[4.5 (736 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 165 | **736** |
| Positive reviews | 27.8% of reviews | **58.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 371 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291059975) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### EndNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/endnote/id593994211)

Manage your research from anywhere with this popular tool. Organize, search, and share academic papers and bibliographies seamlessly across devices. Sync your library and annotate PDFs on the go.

**Highlights:** Sync research library across devices, Search academic databases, Annotate PDFs, Import reference file formats, Share references with collaborators, Attach files from cloud storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Syncs well with desktop version
- 📚 Convenient for reading and annotating papers
- 💻 Good companion to desktop app
- 🔍 Useful for managing references on the go
- 🖋️ Annotation tools work well with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Clunky search and organization
- 📁 Sync issues and lost annotations
- 🔒 Incompatible with other cloud storage
- 🔧 Missing key features from desktop version

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when editing references
- Indexing issues and lost library data
- Compatibility problems with iOS updates
- PDF viewer issues (e.g. no rotation, lost page position)
- Login and authentication problems

**Requested features**

- Cite while you write functionality
- Better PDF annotation tools (e.g. eraser, text notes)
- Support for group sets and nested folders
- Automatic citation data population from PDFs
- Improved syncing and offline access


### MarginNote 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-5-ai-notesmindmap/id1531657269)

This app enhances reading and study with integrated note-taking and flashcard creation. It offers task-based templates for focused learning, AI assistance for content breakdown, and spaced repetition for effective review. Organize your research and master material efficiently.

**Highlights:** Task-based reading templates, AI-powered content breakdown and question extraction, Integrated flashcard creation and spaced repetition, Mind-map organization of notes, PDF and EPUB import, Handwriting and annotation tools, Sync across devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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 EndNote free?

EndNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MarginNote 5 free?

MarginNote 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, EndNote or MarginNote 5?

MarginNote 5 is rated higher. EndNote averages 2.6 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while MarginNote 5 averages 4.5 from 736 ratings.

### Do EndNote or MarginNote 5 have ads?

Neither EndNote nor MarginNote 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EndNote or MarginNote 5?

EndNote ships an update every 4 months, and MarginNote 5 every 3 weeks. Most recently, EndNote was updated on October 21, 2026 and MarginNote 5 on October 30, 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.*