# Papers by ReadCube vs MarginNote 3

The clearest difference is rating: MarginNote 3 at 4.7 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. MarginNote 3 also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 41%) and ratings volume (5K vs 555). Papers by ReadCube's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarginNote 3 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Papers by ReadCube asks for nothing beyond the download.

MarginNote 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MarginNote 3 has 5K ratings behind it against 555, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 75% of MarginNote 3's.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, MarginNote 3 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | MarginNote 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (555 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews) | **[4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 555 | **5K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.0% of reviews | **74.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 392 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/723205556) |

## What reviewers say

### Papers by ReadCube

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981)

Manage, read, and discover research literature on your mobile devices. Annotate PDFs, organize your library with custom lists and tags, and receive personalized recommendations for new papers. Syncs seamlessly with desktop and web applications.

**Highlights:** Read and manage research papers, Annotate PDFs with notes and highlights, Organize library with custom lists and tags, Discover new research with personalized recommendations, Search and download articles, Sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 📚 Excellent for organizing and managing research papers
- 🔍 Helpful search and discovery features
- 💻 Good integration with desktop and web versions
- 📝 Useful annotation and highlighting tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy annotation and handwriting tools
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and metadata retrieval
- 💾 Unreliable cloud sync and data loss issues
- 🖍️ Limited annotation features compared to competitors
- 🕰️ Slow development and lack of updates

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Sync issues causing data loss and duplication
- Unreliable PDF downloads and access
- Inconsistent behavior of annotation tools
- Compatibility problems with newer devices and OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add eraser tool for handwritten annotations
- Improve PDF viewing and navigation experience
- Implement better organization and folder management
- Integrate citation and bibliography tools
- Provide more customization options


### MarginNote 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marginnote-3/id1348317163)

This app redefines studying by integrating e-reading with powerful annotation, mind mapping, and flashcard tools. Organize knowledge, connect ideas with hashtags, and enhance memory retention through spaced repetition. It offers a seamless workflow across multiple documents and devices.

**Highlights:** Integrated PDF/EPUB reader, Advanced annotation tools, Mind mapping and outline organization, Flashcard creation and Anki export, Multi-document support, Handwriting and Apple Pencil support, OCR for scanned PDFs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Pro (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| OCR Pro (Annually) | $9.49 | per year |
| 14 days Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock Full | $12.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Full | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and efficient for studying and research
- 👍 Excellent mind mapping and note-taking features
- 💡 Unique and innovative functionality like video annotation
- 🚀 Handles large volumes of documents and notes well
- 👍 Useful for organizing and synthesizing information from multiple sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 👎 Steep learning curve and lack of comprehensive documentation
- 👎 Unreliable cloud syncing between devices
- 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive user interface in some areas
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with certain features like handwriting and OCR

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues causing data loss across devices
- Crashes and freezes when working with large documents
- Inconsistent behavior with highlighting, erasing, and text formatting
- OCR not functioning reliably for non-Latin scripts
- Difficulty managing and organizing large document libraries

**Requested features**

- Improved export options and ability to share projects
- Better integration with other productivity apps like Anki
- More customization options for mind maps and annotations
- Smoother handwriting experience and better palm rejection
- Support for more file formats like PowerPoint


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers by ReadCube free?

Papers by ReadCube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MarginNote 3 free?

MarginNote 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or MarginNote 3?

MarginNote 3 is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 555 ratings, while MarginNote 3 averages 4.7 from 5K ratings.

### Do Papers by ReadCube or MarginNote 3 have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor MarginNote 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or MarginNote 3?

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and MarginNote 3 every 6 weeks. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on October 19, 2026 and MarginNote 3 on October 23, 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.*