# Margins vs Nous

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Margins at 20K against Nous's 1. Margins also leads on chart position (#92 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Margins sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Nous sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Margins against 5.0 for Nous. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Margins has 20K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Margins ships an update every 4 days, Nous weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Margins | Nous |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/margins-book-tracker/id6737528718/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nous-reading-tracker-and-notes/id6761879422/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 95.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#92** | — |
| Size | 115 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Paratext Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724586882) | [Caelan Mitchell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891915510) |

## What reviewers say

### Margins

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/margins-book-tracker/id6737528718)

**Currently charting:** #92 Top Free · Book, #194 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

This app helps you discover, track, and share your reading journey. It offers detailed tracking options, customizable features, and powerful search capabilities. Stay focused on your reading goals with built-in tools to minimize distractions.

**Highlights:** Half-star ratings, Track recommendations, Customizable book covers, Fuzzy date tracking, Advanced book search, Reading goals, Reading timer, Distraction blocking

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 🔍 Helpful search and recommendation features
- 📚 Comprehensive book tracking capabilities
- 🔄 Smooth import from Goodreads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Missing books in the database
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔒 Concerns about using phone number for sign-up
- 🔢 Lack of social features and community

**Reported bugs**

- Reading time not saving correctly
- Inability to delete or edit books from lists
- Inconsistent behavior when importing data from Goodreads

**Requested features**

- Add ability to track page progress and percentage read
- Implement a profile system with custom avatars and bios
- Introduce a social feed to share reading activity with friends
- Add more advanced statistics and reading analytics


### Nous

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nous-reading-tracker-and-notes/id6761879422)

This app helps you actively track your reading by taking notes, capturing highlights, and organizing your library. It offers features for reflection, goal setting, and seamless integration with other services to enhance your reading experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time reading notes and thoughts, Book library organization, Highlight capture via typing or OCR, Reading session reflection and summary, Goal setting and streak tracking, Sync with Obsidian and Kindle, Homescreen widgets

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nous Plus — Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Nous Plus — Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Margins free?

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

### Is Nous free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Margins or Nous?

Nous is rated higher. Margins averages 4.9 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Nous averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Margins or Nous have ads?

Neither Margins nor Nous shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Margins or Nous?

Margins ships an update every 4 days, and Nous weekly. Most recently, Margins was updated on October 22, 2026 and Nous on October 18, 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.*