Comparison

LiquidText vs Mach Note

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

Head to head
About

LiquidText

This app provides a dynamic workspace for reviewing and organizing information from documents and webpages. It allows users to extract key facts, connect ideas across different sources, and annotate content for research, writing, or study.

Highlights
  • Import documents and webpages
  • Extract and organize excerpts
  • Connect ideas with ink links
  • Compare document sections
  • Annotate PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint
  • Search across all documents
Features
Read full description

*** Named “Most Innovative iPad App of the Year” by Apple App Store *** LiquidText offers a fast, natural way to review, gather, and organize information across all your documents and webpages—then apply the results to writing reports, meeting prep, or simply studying. Pull out key facts and connect them together, squeeze a document to compare sections, draw a line to connect ideas in different documents, comment on multiple pages at once, build upon your thoughts, and much more. ► WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: * "If you want to experience the power of going beyond paper, you can download LiquidText" – Cult of Mac * One of Macworld’s Top 24 Apps for iPad Pro * One of Time Magazine's Ten Best apps for iPad Pro * * "There's a better way to organize your research, and the app is it." – iMore, Serenity Caldwell * “All you need for deep research projects.” – Macworld, Jackie Dove * "The world changed with...LiquidText" – Law360, Paul Kiesel * "LiquidText may just be *the* app for reviewing and annotating PDFs using Apple's tablet and stylus." – CIO Magazine, James Martin * “One of the most powerful, original iPad apps I've tried in years” – Federico Viticci, MacStories.net ► LIQUIDTEXT’S COMPLETE FEATURE SET INCLUDES: (Features with * require a paid upgrade.) Import • Create a workspace and import all the documents and web pages you need • Compatible with PDF, Word, and PowerPoint document types • Import from Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Box, email, and more • Import content from webpage or send to LiquidText directly from Safari • Instant OCR to select text in scanned documents; do a full document-OCR to search as well!* • Import documents & metadata directly from reference managers (supports Zotero and Mendeley)* Interact • Pull excerpts from all the documents in your project into the Workspace area • Add your own notes (typed or written) to the Workspace area • Freely draw on your notes, or on the workspace itself* • Organize excerpts and notes into groups • Connect anything - draw live “ink links” that span pages, documents, notes, and more* • Create mind-maps by drawing “ink links” connecting your excerpts/notes to one another * • Get context - tap notes and excerpts to find original source Compare • Pinch a document to compare different distant pages side by side • Collapse text to see annotated parts side-by-side • Collapse text to view search results(s) side-by-side • Import unlimited number of documents into a project, view up to 3 at once* Annotate • Freely draw* or highlight on your document, notes, or the workspace itself • Add margin notes/comments to text, images, notes, and excerpts • Comment on two or more selections simultaneously • Replace document with a newer version (and annotations are brought to new doc)* Search • Search for keywords across all your LiquidText documents • Find keywords in title or text of your documents* • Bulk highlight, tag, or link to your search results* Realtime Collaboration • Invite colleagues into your shared projects and work together in near realtime* • Leave comments and notifications for your collaborators* • Privacy controls: set whether each workspace & document in your project is shared or private* Easy Export • Export your project as a PDF (includes your Workspace and documents) • Export your project as a Word file (converts your notes/excerpts into a linear document) • Send a full LiquidText file for those with the app. • Send files by email or to Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Zotero, and more* Sync & Backup* • Real-time, cross-platform sync • Continuous cloud backup • Multi-device display: • Use your desktop or tablet as additional display for your other device • Use your tablet for freehand inking while viewing and keyboarding on your desktop See our terms of use at https://www.liquidtext.net/terms-of-use Learn more at LiquidText.net | Better Than Paper

About

Mach Note

This app allows for versatile note-taking with freehand drawing on native PDFs, audio recording with a 3D visualizer, and RTF word processing. Notes sync across devices via iCloud, and documents can be annotated and exported for various platforms.

Highlights
  • Freehand drawing on native PDF notes
  • Audio recording with 3D visualizer
  • RTF word processing
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • iCloud HandOff for seamless device switching
  • DOC/DOCX read support on iOS, read/write on OS X
  • Speech-to-Text dictation
Features
Read full description

Mach Note is the most innovative, flexible, compatible, and powerful Note-Taking application! Mach Note features Freehand Notes in a Native PDF format, Audio recording in a Native M4A format, and Word processing in RTF format. Using the PDF format, Freehand Notes are synced across all your devices (via iCloud) so you always have the latest version of your Notes with you — regardless of device. And since Mach Note uses the PDF format, you can annotate PDFs with powerful Note-taking tools *and* your Notes are ready for Mobile, Desktop, Web, and Print right from the get go: No more manually exporting notes and uploading files — Mach Note handles everything for you! Mach Note also lets you record Audio using your device’s built in microphone, and you can see your Audio with our stunning 3D Visualizer which works for both Recording and Playback. As well as being super easy to use; with all these features Mach Note gives you with an unparalleled Note-taking experience. And best of all, Mach Note is free for iOS and only $4.99 (U.S.) for OS X! With iCloud Drive, you can take Notes on the go and have your Notes ready at your Mac or Windows PC already downloaded when you get home* And If that wasn’t enough, PDFs and RTFs can be transferred instantly from one device to another with iCloud HandOff so you can start working on one device, and continue on another (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)** Ridiculously Advanced Features! - Freehand draw on Notes using native PDF format with “Vector" note taking tools such as Pencil, Eraser, and Highlighter; keeping PDF file sizes small - Record Audio in M4A format with stunning 3D Visualizor; M4A Audio files are synced to all your devices - RTF Word processing support for instances when all you need is the keyboard - iCloud support keeps your documents in Sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac; and with iCloud Drive, Windows PCs and well* - iCloud HandOff lets you start work on one device and continue on another (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)** - DOC/DOCX Read support on iOS, DOC/DOCX Read/Write support on OS X - Text Tool lets your Touch/Click to Type anywhere (iPad/Mac) - Cut Tool Makes it easy to reposition PDF content - Add Images, Text, and Web Pages to a PDF instantly (iPad/Mac) - Full Speech-To-Text Dictation support anywhere you can Type (Press Dictation key on keyboard on iOS, press “Fn” key twice on OS X) - iCloud is completely optional — Mach Note works just as well offline as online! * iCloud Drive Support for Windows requires iCloud Drive install, iCloud Drive for Mac requires OS X 10.10 or later; iCloud Drive supports PDF/RTF/RTFD/DOC/DOCX **iCloud HandOff requires both Bluetooth 4.0/LE and WiFi on and enabled; iCloud HandOff works with PDF/RTF/RTFD only ***Large PDF Documents in the Cloud (such as large eBooks) is not recommended*** ***If you have any issues please restart your device!***

Screenshots

LiquidText4 screens
Mach Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LiquidText at 4.6 against Mach Note's 3.0. LiquidText also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (6.4K vs 2). Mach Note's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. LiquidText sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and Mach Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LiquidText holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LiquidText has 6.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 50% and 50% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LiquidText ships an update every 2 weeks, Mach Note every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LiquidText versus Mach Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLiquidTextMach Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.4K ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews49.6% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.4K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size317 MB18 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperLiquidText, Inc.Mach Software Design

Customer experience

LiquidText

All ratings6,376 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.0%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews1,466 reviews
Positive49.6%
Neutral13.6%
Negative36.8%

Mach Note

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

LiquidText

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and data loss issues
  • Inconsistent behavior with Apple Pencil
  • Text selection and highlighting problems
  • Sync issues between iPad and Mac versions
  • Unexpected changes to existing annotations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved palm rejection and writing experience
  • Better export and sharing options
  • Thumbnail/outline view for easier navigation
  • Ability to rotate and resize text/image annotations

Mach Note

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

LiquidText

Subscriptions10
  • LiquidText Live, Monthly, Stu7 Days trial$5.491 Month
  • LiquidText Live, Monthly, StPr7 Days trial$5.491 Month
  • LiquidText Unlimited, Mo, Stu7 Days trial$10.901 Month
Show 7 more
  • LiquidText Live, Monthly7 Days trial$10.901 Month
  • LiquidText Live, Monthly, Upg7 Days trial$10.901 Month
  • LiquidText Unlimited, Yr, Stu7 Days trial$19.001 Month
  • LiquidText Live, Yearly, Stu7 Days trial$54.901 Year
  • LiquidText Live, Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • LiquidText Live, Yearly, Upg7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • LiquidText Unlimited, Yr7 Days trial$189.991 Year
One-time3
  • LT Pro - For Students$19.99
  • LiquidText Pro$29.99
  • LiquidText Pro II$89.99
1 purchases

Mach Note

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is LiquidText free?
LiquidText is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mach Note free?
Mach Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LiquidText or Mach Note?
LiquidText is rated higher. LiquidText averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.4K ratings, while Mach Note averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do LiquidText or Mach Note have ads?
Neither LiquidText nor Mach Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LiquidText or Mach Note?
LiquidText ships an update every 2 weeks, and Mach Note every 9 months. Most recently, LiquidText was updated on October 22, 2026 and Mach Note on October 22, 2026.

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