# 5cut vs ZensNote

The clearest difference is update cadence: 5cut at fortnightly against ZensNote's every 2 months. ZensNote's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 5cut sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and ZensNote sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

5cut ships an update fortnightly, ZensNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 17, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 5cut | ZensNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Size | 13 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robin Maximilian Schoppner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873408985) | [Study Note AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874959157) |

## What reviewers say

### 5cut

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5cut-record-and-trim-lectures/id6758529319)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5cut Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| 5cut Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


### ZensNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zensnote-ai-study-note-taker/id6758782007)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Learning Tools: Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Notebook: Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Knowledge Suite: Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| ZensNote Premium — Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| 250 Study Credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Study Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 3,000 Study Credits | $49.99 | one-time |
| 7,000 Study Credits | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 5cut free?

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

### Is ZensNote free?

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

### Do 5cut or ZensNote have ads?

Neither 5cut nor ZensNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 5cut or ZensNote?

5cut ships an update fortnightly, and ZensNote every 2 months. Most recently, 5cut was updated on August 17, 2026 and ZensNote on September 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*