Alternatives to MarginNote
A study app for Mac and iPad that links PDF highlights, mind maps and flashcards. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
MarginNote
A study app for Mac and iPad that links PDF highlights, mind maps and flashcards.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as MarginNote.
Flexcil
A study app that combines PDF reading, annotation and handwritten notes on tablets and the web.
Flexcil pairs PDF reading and handwritten notes on Android, iOS and the web, but lacks MarginNote's mind maps and built-in spaced-repetition flashcards.
Notability
A note app combining handwriting, audio recording and transcription with AI summaries, quizzes and flashcards.
Notability centres on handwriting with audio recording and AI-generated flashcards and quizzes on iOS, Android and web, instead of linking PDF highlights into mind maps.
Also worth comparing
These listings name MarginNote as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Highlights
A PDF reader for Mac, iPad and iPhone that turns annotations into exportable notes.
MarginNote turns PDF highlights into mind maps and flashcards on Mac and iPad, with spaced repetition review but a steeper learning curve.
LiquidText
An active-reading app for annotating PDFs and pulling excerpts into a flexible workspace.
MarginNote links PDF highlights to mind maps and flashcards with spaced repetition, running on Mac and iPad but not Windows.
RemNote
Note-taking app that pairs outlining with built-in spaced-repetition flashcards.
MarginNote turns PDF highlights into mind map nodes and flashcards with spaced repetition, but runs only on Mac and iPad and centres on reading PDFs.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Anki
Flashcards that schedule themselves, showing you a card just before you would have forgotten it.
MindMeister
An online mind mapping tool with real-time collaboration, AI map generation and a presentation mode.
Scrintal
A visual note-taking web app that places linked notes on boards for research and study.
MyScript Notes
A handwriting note-taking app, formerly Nebo, that converts pen input into editable typed text.
Diigo
A web annotation and bookmarking service with a browser extension for highlighting, tagging and saving pages.
Kami
A web-based classroom platform for annotating PDFs and other resources and making them interactive.
