Clarify vs Marginalia
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Clarify
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Difficult books are worth reading. Dense prose, unfamiliar ideas, and older language should not keep great books out of reach. Clarify is an AI ebook reader for iPhone and iPad that helps you understand challenging books without leaving the page. Browse 100+ included classics, follow a guided philosophy path, or import your own EPUB. Read the original—not a summary. Ask for help only when you need it, compare clearer wording with the original, and keep reading. AUTO SIMPLIFY AS YOU READ Turn on Simplify and clearer wording appears directly in the reader as you move through the book. Clarify works progressively, paragraph by paragraph, and is designed to preserve the book’s structure and formatting. The original text is always one tap away. SIMPLIFY A PASSAGE Select a difficult sentence or part of a paragraph to see the same idea in clearer language. Switch between the simplified version and the original whenever you want. EXPLAIN THE IDEA Need more than a rewrite? Select a passage for a short answer followed by a fuller explanation informed by nearby text and book context. Understand the idea—not just the words. 100+ CLASSICS—OR YOUR OWN BOOKS Browse and download more than 100 classics across fiction, science, philosophy, history, poetry, adventure, and drama. Already have something you want to understand? Import your own EPUB files and use the same Simplify and Explain tools. GUIDED PHILOSOPHY PATHS Not sure where to begin? Clarify recommends a starting book and related works to explore next: • Understand Stoicism—six essential works featuring Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca • Ethics & the Good Life • Power & Government MADE FOR FOCUSED READING • Reading progress saved automatically • Table of contents and chapter navigation • Adjustable text size • Light, dark, and system themes • Downloaded and imported books stored on your device • Core reading works offline • No account required Stay with the original. Get help when you need it. Keep reading.
Marginalia
Transform passive reading into active learning with this app. It functions as an EPUB and PDF reader with powerful note-taking and annotation tools, all stored locally for maximum privacy. Export your notes in Markdown format for seamless integration with other productivity tools.
- Personal EPUB and PDF library
- Keyboard and stylus annotation
- Multi-color highlighting
- Smart book navigation
- Customizable reading experience
- Offline-first and privacy-focused
- Markdown note exporting
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Marginalia is where your reading lives on: the quotes that stopped you, the thoughts they sparked and the books that shaped you, all in one place. Read EPUB and PDF books in a clean, distraction-free reader, or keep notes for the paper books on your shelf. Highlight a passage, write what you think in the margin, and come back to it anytime. NOTES THAT STAY WITH YOU - Highlight in color and add a note to any passage - Type, speak or handwrite your notes - Tag notes by your stance and topic, then filter them in seconds - Notebooks for paper books: save quotes and thoughts from books you read outside the app - Jump from any note straight back to its place in the book THINK DEEPER WITH AI - Discuss any note with an AI companion that knows the book, the quote and your stance, and helps you dig further SHARE AND EXPORT - Turn a favorite quote into a beautiful image for stories and posts - Export your notes as Markdown (ready for Obsidian and other note apps), Word or PDF BUILD A READING HABIT - Daily reading goal with streaks - Yearly book goal with your finished books on display - Reading timer for paper books MADE FOR READING - Adjustable fonts, margins and page colors, including sepia and dark - Full interface in 8 languages - Light and dark theme MARGINALIA PRO Voice and handwritten notes, all tag groups, Word and PDF export, and AI note discussions. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Clarify at none against Marginalia's 3. Marginalia's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Marginalia sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Clarify asks for nothing beyond the download.
Clarify ships an update monthly, Marginalia every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Clarify | Marginalia |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Davinder Pal Singh | FURKAN TURGUT |
In-app purchases
Clarify
No in-app purchases
Marginalia
- Marginalia Pro - Monthly$4.991 Month
- Marginalia Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Marginalia Pro Life Time$79.99









