MarginNote is a PDF tool for in-depth reading and study. Keep PDF highlights linked to mind-map cards, then add those cards to review. MarginNote 5 introduces task-based templates for reading, question practice, and vocabulary. MarginNote has evolved since 2013. The upgrade from MarginNote 4 is free. Your study sets, notes, and purchases remain intact.
MARGINNOTE 5: ONE TASK, ONE SETUP
• Templates — a template sets the bottom tools, menus, pens, and excerpt colors. The "Standard" template has four modes: Excerpt, Handwrite, Organize, and Recall. Each mode groups tools for that task.
• Template Gallery — install official templates in one tap. Some templates include examples to help you get started:
– Card Practice: write answers by hand on question cards, check your answers, and focus your next review on questions you haven't mastered yet. AI can split a whole workbook into cards.
– Reading Vocabulary: collect words while reading English; an offline dictionary provides base forms, pronunciation, and definitions, and finished cards join review when automatic review is enabled.
• Make it yours — the corresponding controls are highlighted as you edit. Find features and settings with Feature Search, and export or share your templates.
• Traditional Interface — open the template menu and choose "Traditional Interface" (except on iPhone Duo).
SYNC YOU CAN SEE
The home screen shows where sync stands. The Sync Center lists notes and original documents separately and tells you when a document is still downloading. Manual sync reports results and offers a protective snapshot. Applying cloud changes also protects local study data.
THE CARD AT THE CENTER
• Organize excerpts by chapter; for books without a table of contents, AI can build one.
• Title Links — notes on concepts you've studied resurface as you read new documents.
• Extend — open writing space anywhere on a PDF: inline, in the margin, or folded away.
AI AS AN ASSISTANT, NOT A SUBSTITUTE
AI Breakdown · Question Extraction · AI TOC · AI OCR card templates · translation · chat. Save any answer as a card, or turn its outline into mind-map branches. Online AI sends task text or images to the service provider used for the request.
REVIEW: THINK FIRST, THEN LOOK
Use Recall mode to hide and reveal answers in the mind map. Add cards to a review deck for FSRS spaced repetition. Write directly on card snapshots while you review. On iOS/iPadOS/macOS 26+, when Apple Intelligence is enabled and its model is available on a supported device and in a supported region, on-device recall hints work offline without MarginNote credits.
THE FULL WORKFLOW
PDF, EPUB, Office-to-PDF import (online), video and audio · Zotero, cloud drives and external folders · side-by-side documents · handwriting layers and mind-map backgrounds · mind-map PDF export (structure or card flow) · read aloud · fast OCR
WHO IT IS FOR
Anyone who rereads material and needs to remember it: medical and law students, exam takers, researchers, language learners, serious readers.
ACROSS YOUR DEVICES
iPhone, iPad and Mac with one Apple Account; iCloud syncs study sets, notes and review progress. Native Apple Pencil handwriting on iPad. Also adapted for iPhone Duo.
ABOUT PURCHASES
Free to download. Some features require Pro (one-time unlock) or Max (subscription or one-time unlock). MarginNote Agent requires Max and uses MarginNote credits. Some online AI uses MarginNote credits; external AI is billed by its provider. A Max subscription includes 500 credits/month while active.
Questions: service@marginnote.com
Terms of Use: https://dist.marginnote.cn/MarginNote_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf
Privacy Policy: https://dist.marginnote.cn/MarginNote_Privacy_Policy.pdf
So powerful to pull complex and diverse documents together and extract key information for learning and research. I have tried almost everything and this is the best by far. Great interface, easy to use and very stable. Love it!
Great App, but lacking two key things
marinho.barcellos
This application is great for conducting a targeted study, collecting and relating materials. One of the best features, which was introduced in MN4, is the "Extend": he ability to add/show notes embedded in the text (opening new lines). This is awesome.However, there are a few aspects or features that are missing and are annoying:- the exporting of annotated PDFs is not conformant to other PDF tools, causing a "lock in". MN4 exports a PDF but is a printed version of the PDF with notes, NOT the PDF with embedded notes. For example, opening the PDF exported by MN4 in Acrobat, PDFexpert or Zotero is close to useless. I've seen many users asking that for years, since MN3. I'd give it a 5 star if it had that feature.- the navigation in the PDF is poor or non-existant; how about zooming in and out, fitting the view according to the PDF size, etc. The functions that almost any tool that works with PDF provides.
Ok
maotou37
Very good to put several documents together when creating StudySet Library, making study more efficient.However, don’t like layout of folders, feel quite messy and very confused. Marginnote 3 is much better.And lots of functions I could not find properly. In Marginnote 3, you could easily import files by wifi, so I can get all my readings from my computer. However in Marginnote 4, very sadly, cannot find any way to import documents from my PC. Have to go back to Marginnote 3 and import my readings.Anyway, I like Marginnote 3 more, although paid more on Marginnote 4.
Broken Promises and Lack of Support – Extremely Disappointing
庄九郎
I purchased MarginNote 3 because the developers publicly promised a free upgrade to MarginNote 4 Pro for MN3 users. This was a key reason I bought MN3 knowing MN4 was coming very soon. However, now that the MN4 is released, they’re only offering a discount instead of the promised free upgrade, which feels like a breach of trust.Worse, I’ve contacted support with no response. Their failure to honor their word and lack of communication is frustrating and unprofessional. Be warned—they don’t keep their promises or care about their customers.
This update improves workspace customization, library organization, and review workflows, with fixes for several everyday issues.
**Interface and Tools**
“Arrange layout” on iPad and Mac lets you directly adjust toolbar placement, document and mind map splits, and the visibility of document spines, names, and floating buttons. Several quick layouts are included. The template editor now organizes settings by screen location and lets you edit tools, their order, and modes directly in the preview. You can also keep more pens visible, choose how many to show, and access pen duplication and deletion directly.
**Home and Search**
The new Home adds multiple selection, batch categorization and deletion, document moving and copying, study set merging, and improved folder management. Switch between list and grid views on iPad and Mac. Category menus now show parent-child relationships correctly, with easier access to editing. Search PDF text across your entire library from the scene interface, use space-separated keywords, and open results directly at the matching location.
**Excerpts and Review**
Excerpt pens can follow shared defaults or use individual settings. The Standard template restores a more familiar card insertion behavior. Reorganized Recall settings use animated examples to explain what is hidden, how branches unfold, and what happens after revealing content. Hidden cards can also collapse to titles only. We improved handwriting, child-card, and selection-frame display during Recall, and fixed unexpected returns to Home when editing cards or viewing source documents during review.
**Plugins and Connections**
Plugin entry points are easier to configure. Third-party plugins use personal templates, and plugin windows are less likely to cover the toolbar. CLI connection instructions can now be copied and shared, with improved content preservation when importing or reimporting question cards.
**Sync and History**
iCloud sync now prioritizes notes and queues original documents separately, reducing delays caused by large files. Sync status and affected documents are easier to identify. Version History cleanup better protects content needed to restore other versions and handles inconsistent history records more reliably.
**Performance and Stability**
Improved Home scrolling, page switching, and cover loading in large libraries, with lower memory usage during large sync operations. Fixed issues with importing certain study set packages, saving handwriting on excerpt images, keyboards obscuring the editor, and layout changes not taking effect while search is open. Also fixed several issues that could cause crashes.
Version 5.0.1
Subscriptions
MarginNote Max Annual
Full Max access with yearly billing
Free Trial
In-App Purchases
Unlock PRO Forever (New)
Gain the Full Power of iPad & Pencil to Learn
$22.99
The developer, Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Identifiers
Usage Data
Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Beijing Yunsi Software Technology Co., Ltd
Size
389.6 MB
Category
Productivity
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 14.0 or later.
Apple Vision Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Languages
English and 4 more
English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese