MarginNote 5 · 13 years since MN1 (2013)
Connect what
you learn.
Excerpt from books and papers. Connect your notes, write down your thinking, and come back to review.
New in MN5: scenario templates — only the tools for the step you’re on.
New in MN5 · Scenario templates NEW IN MN5
Only the tools for the step you’re on.
Reading, writing, organizing and recalling need different tools. MN5 keeps each set apart — one tap to switch.
1.3 Mathematical induction
To prove a statement for every natural number, first prove it for n = 1, then show that if it holds for n = k, it also holds for n = k + 1.
Think of a row of dominoes: once the first one falls, every one after it falls too.
Forward–backward induction proves the statement for a subset first, then fills in the gaps.
Card Practice / Sample
A Integration by parts
Evaluate ∫₀¹ x·eˣ dx and show your steps.
Full-card handwriting
Written right on the question card
My template
Copied from Standard · saves automatically
Excerpt · bottom tools
My template
Copied from Standard · saves automatically
Excerpt · bottom tools
Simplified animation based on the MN5 interface. Nothing has been removed — less-used tools sit under More, and you can switch back to the traditional interface any time.
Handwriting NEW IN MN5
Write wherever the thought lands.
On the page, the mind map, the margin space and the question card — plus full-card handwriting, new in MN5.
More on handwriting →
Recall and review IMPROVED IN MN5
Think first. Then reveal.
Cover the mind map and the source, get hints one step at a time — and condense long passages first.
More on recall and Condense →
Covered→
RevealedGetting to know MarginNote
Read. Connect. Review.
From an excerpt to a connection to your next review.
Keep your material, notes and sources together.
- 01
Read and excerpt
Keep what matters.
Read PDFs, EPUBs, web pages and video. Excerpt text and images into cards that link back to the source.
Explore reading tools ↗ - 02
Mind maps and links
Make connections visible.
Arrange cards from different sources into a mind map. Link related ideas and add your own notes and handwriting.
Explore knowledge organization ↗ - 03
Recall and spaced repetition
Put your notes to work.
Recall along a mind map or add cards to spaced review. Check what you know and return to the source when needed.
Explore review tools ↗
Use OCR for excerpts and AI for questions and organization. Check the results against the source.
Start with your own task
For the learning you do.
A textbook, a set of papers or a case file.
See how scattered material can become notes you keep using.
Different textbooks.
Connected knowledge.
Connect anatomy, mechanisms and your understanding.
First AidAnkiclerkship↗ ⚖️LawFollow the argument.
Keep the evidence.
Keep sources close and return to check them.
1Lcasebookoutlines↗ 🔬ResearchStart with a question.
Organize the evidence.
Connect what you read to your research questions.
PhDlit reviewZotero↗ 📝Exam preparationKeep your working.
Revisit what’s difficult.
Move from practice to checking and review.
USMLEBarGRE↗ 🌐LanguagesKeep the sentence.
Build your vocabulary.
Collect as you read. Revisit in context.
L2 readingvocabFSRS↗How readers use their material
From existing community accounts
“It helps me bring together multiple reference books for one subject.”
Shared in August 2025 · translatedRead the source ↗
“I’ve been using MN to read case files; this is my sixth year.”
Shared in September 2025 · translatedRead the source ↗
Roles and usage duration are as reported at the time. These accounts describe existing workflows, not reviews of MN5’s new features.
Choose for your workflow
Need more than a place to save?
Keep your sources, connect ideas,
and return to what you want to learn.
| Your task | A separate workflow | A connected workflow in MarginNote |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and annotation | Highlight and annotate a document, then copy notes elsewhere. | Turn excerpts into source-linked cards to edit and organize. |
| Organizing across sources | Find connections across notes and record the sources separately. | Connect cards from different sources and return to the original text. |
| Reviewing | Re-read your notes and prepare separate review material. | Use the same study material for recall, checking and spaced review. |
This compares workflows, not the full feature sets of other tools.
More ways to work
Use the screen and tools that suit your task.
Start with what you’re reading
Choose your device.
Keep learning.
iPhone · iPad · Mac
The update from MN4 is free. Existing purchases are retained.
Some features require Pro or Max. AI services have additional conditions.
Choose the download channel for your device.
Free to download. Trial eligibility and prices are shown in the app.
Download options, activation & education →
Plans and upgrade information ↗