Best Margin Note Apps

248+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.5 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our margin note list covers 248+ iPhone apps updated through August 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Compare top Margin Note Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMapMarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMapFree4.5★ (715)NoYesAug 2026
2MarginNote 3MarginNote 3Free4.7★ (5K)NoYesAug 2026
3Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFGoodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFFree4.7★ (441K)NoYesAug 2026
4Notability: AI Notes & PlannerNotability: AI Notes & PlannerFree4.8★ (452K)NoYesAug 2026
5作家助手作家助手Free4.6★ (118)NoNoAug 2026
6PagePrep: PDF Margins & NotesPagePrep: PDF Margins & NotesFreeNoYesJul 2026
7Obsidian - Connected NotesObsidian - Connected NotesFree4.5★ (2.7K)NoNoAug 2026
8Microsoft OneNoteMicrosoft OneNoteFree4.7★ (1.1M)NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Margin Note

MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap#1

MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap by Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd

Read & Flashcards All in One
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.5😐(715 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 1
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 2
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 3
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 4
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 5
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap screenshot 6

This app integrates reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and flashcards into a unified study environment. It supports active learning with features like study sets, book compilation, and dual-article views. Enhance your understanding with visual learning tools and AI-powered content extraction for long-term memory retention.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Powerful features
  • 📚 Great for academic/research use
  • 👍 Useful note-taking and organization
  • 🖊️ Improved handwriting and annotation

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🕰️ Slow and laggy sync between devices
  • 🤯 Steep learning curve, poor documentation
MarginNote 3#2

MarginNote 3 by Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd

E-reader Redefine your Study
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(5K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
MarginNote 3 screenshot 1
MarginNote 3 screenshot 2
MarginNote 3 screenshot 3
MarginNote 3 screenshot 4
MarginNote 3 screenshot 5
MarginNote 3 screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 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

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 👎 Steep learning curve and lack of comprehensive documentation
  • 👎 Unreliable cloud syncing between devices
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF#3

Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF by Goodnotes Limited

Note taking, Planner & Journal
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(441K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#89in Productivity
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 1
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 2
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 3
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 4
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 5
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 6

Capture ideas, enhance productivity, and unlock insights with advanced AI features. This app offers tools for professionals, students, and creatives, including infinite whiteboards, AI-powered transcription and summarization, and customizable digital notebooks.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent note-taking experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Smooth writing with Apple Pencil
  • 📁 Powerful organization with folders and notebooks

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and crashes
  • 🔍 Syncing and iCloud issues
  • 🔍 Lack of flexibility with text input

More Margin Note apps to explore

4
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Daily notebook & study journal
Free

Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with a versatile digital notebook. Seamlessly blend handwriting, typing, and multimedia to annotate documents, record lectures, and generate summaries. Ideal for students and professionals seeking to boost productivity and learning.

Handwritten and typed notesPDF and document annotationAudio recording and transcription
📊 Productivity
(452K)
freemium
5
作家助手
作家助手
作家助手
手机写小说神器,作家互动成长社区
Free
📊 Productivity
(118)
6
PagePrep: PDF Margins & Notes
PagePrep: PDF Margins & Notes
PagePrep: PDF Margins & Notes
Merge & split, add lined paper
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
7
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Your second brain on the go
Free

Organize your thoughts and ideas with a powerful knowledge base that utilizes local Markdown files. This app acts as your personal second brain, accessible on your mobile device for seamless note-taking and idea connection.

Local Markdown file storageCustomizable toolbarGraph view for connections
📊 Productivity
(2.7K)
free
8
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote
Capture Notes, Ideas and Memos
Free

Capture thoughts, ideas, and plans in a digital notepad. Organize, search, and secure your notes, memos, and sketches. Sync across devices for access anywhere, anytime. Collaborate with others on shared notepads.

Capture thoughts and ideasDigital sketchbookOrganize and search notes
📊 Productivity
(1.1M)
free with in-app purchases
9
Wellnote: AI Notes, PDF, Docs
Wellnote: AI Notes, PDF, Docs
Wellnote: AI Notes, PDF, Docs
Memo, Planner, Note taking
Free

Experience natural handwriting with a stylus for note-taking and document annotation. Organize your thoughts with categorization and search, and study more effectively using split-screen and custom templates. Import and mark up PDFs, Word, and PPT files for interactive learning.

Real handwriting experience with stylusCategorize and search notesImport and annotate PDFs, Word, PPT
📊 Productivity
(587)
free
10
PaintNotes
PaintNotes
PaintNotes
Infinite canvas & good notes
Free

This app offers a minimalist digital notebook with an infinite canvas for freeform writing and drawing. Easily import files and organize your thoughts without delay.

Infinite canvasFreeform writing and drawingFile import
📊 Productivity
(29)
free with in-app purchases
11
Mononote: One Note
Mononote: One Note
Mononote: One Note
One note at a time
Free

Capture your thoughts and reminders with a focus on simplicity. This app lets you jot down notes, to-dos, or motivational messages and keep them easily accessible. Pin your most important notes to your Home Screen or Lock Screen for constant visibility.

Single note focusHome Screen widgetLock Screen Live Activity
📊 Productivity
(64)
free
12
Fullnotes: PDF Notes & Canvas
Fullnotes: PDF Notes & Canvas
Fullnotes: PDF Notes & Canvas
PDF Reader, Annotate & Markup
Free

This app offers an infinite canvas for writing, drawing, and organizing notes. Seamlessly import and annotate PDFs, add images, and utilize intuitive tools for a distraction-free workspace. Export your creations to share with others.

Infinite canvas for notes and drawingsImport and annotate PDFsOrganize PDF pages visually
📊 Productivity
(27)
free with in-app purchases
13
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Open Fast to Jot Notes & Lists
Free

This app provides a straightforward way to jot down thoughts, create lists, and save temporary information. It offers features like search, dark mode, and customizable widgets for quick access to your notes. Data is stored locally for enhanced privacy.

Search functionalityDark modeLock screen widget
💼 Business
(6.4K)
free with in-app purchases
14
PureMarkdown
PureMarkdown
PureMarkdown
Private Markdown Notes Editor
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
15
SmartNotes - Infinite Notes
SmartNotes - Infinite Notes
SmartNotes - Infinite Notes
Note taking & whiteboard app
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
16
TPNotes
TPNotes
TPNotes
by LITTLE BIT OF UNIVERSE LIMITED
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
17
Cardnote.io
Cardnote.io
Cardnote.io
Copy and paste by single tap
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
18
Infinote
Infinote
Infinote
Just One Big Note
Free
$0.99 | 100% OFF
🔧 Utilities
(0)
19
Renote: Note & Markdown Editor
Renote: Note & Markdown Editor
Renote: Note & Markdown Editor
Track your documents like Git
Free

This app provides version control for your notes, allowing you to track changes, revert to previous versions, and organize your writing with Markdown support. It automatically backs up your work and lets you recover lost information using tags and backups.

Version control for notesRevert to previous versionsAutomatic backups
📊 Productivity
(0)
free with in-app purchases
20
BriskNote
BriskNote
BriskNote
New tab notes that sync
Free

Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with every new browser tab. This tool offers a seamless way to access your notes across web browsers, mobile apps, and the internet. It's designed for quick note-taking, bridging the gap between simple sticky notes and complex software.

Notes on new browser tabsCross-platform synchronizationQuick idea capture
📊 Productivity
(1)
free

FAQ about Margin Note

What are the best margin note apps for iPhone?
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap tops our margin note apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.5-star average from 715 App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top margin note apps we rank are free to download, including MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap and MarginNote 3.
MarginNote 4: AI Notes·MindMap has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 248+ margin note apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
MarginNote 4 is a comprehensive study application that combines reading, note-taking, mind mapping, and spaced-repetition flashcards into a single workspace. It aims to help users preview, consolidate, practice, review, and remember information using proven study methods.
Key features include Quick Extend Note for adding extra writing space, Handwriting Layers for managing ink, Study Sets for organizing various media types, Mind Maps and Concept Diagrams for visual learning, AI Content Detection for extracting academic data, and the FSRS algorithm for spaced repetition reviews. It also offers iCloud sync across Apple devices.