Comparison

Clarify vs Marginalia E

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Clarify

Features
Read full description

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.

About

Marginalia E

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

Marginalia is an advanced note-taking app designed for you to take notes, highlight, and add handwritten annotations while reading your e-books. Key Features: - Support for EPUB and PDF files - Personalize your books with notes, highlights, and handwritten annotations - Voice dictation - take notes by speaking instead of typing - Full interface support in 8 languages - Organize and tag notes by page - Export your notes as Word, PDF, or Markdown - Dark/Light theme support - Unlock premium features with flexible subscriptions Rediscover reading with Marginalia — every page becomes your collaborative workspace. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Clarify4 screens
Marginalia E4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Clarify at none against Marginalia E's 3. Marginalia E's advantage is update cadence (every 8 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Marginalia E sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Clarify asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Clarify ships an update monthly, Marginalia E every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Clarify versus Marginalia E: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClarifyMarginalia E
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB42 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDavinder Pal SinghFURKAN TURGUT

In-app purchases

None

Clarify

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Marginalia E

Subscriptions2
  • Marginalia Pro - Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Marginalia Pro - Yearly$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Marginalia Pro Life Time$9.99

Questions

Is Clarify free?
Clarify is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marginalia E free?
Marginalia E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Clarify or Marginalia E have ads?
Neither Clarify nor Marginalia E shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Clarify or Marginalia E?
Clarify ships an update monthly, and Marginalia E every 8 days. Most recently, Clarify was updated on October 12, 2026 and Marginalia E on October 7, 2026.

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