💰 PRICING
MarginNote 4 is sold through two channels: the App Store (iPhone + iPad + Mac, billed via Apple ID) and DMG (Mac direct download, billed via Paddle activation codes). Below: the three main App Store plans first, then the DMG channel and cross-channel paths.
App Store prices vary by region · DMG goes through marginnote.com or authorized resellers (lizhi.shop, sspai, etc.)
USD · Lifetime license
Only suitable for users who only use standard features on iPhone/iPad. Pick Max if you need Mac or advanced AI.
USD · 1-month free trial
Auto-renews at $16.99/year (or your regional equivalent) after the trial ends. Cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.
USD · Lifetime license
No subscription, one-time payment, lifetime license to all Max features. AI credits cover the first 3 years.
Max Annual Subscription and Max Lifetime have identical features — the only difference is the AI credits duration. Pro is a single-platform stripped-down version.
| Feature | Pro Lifetime | Max Annual Subscription | Max Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| iPhone | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| iPad | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| Core reading and study | |||
| Basic reading, highlighting, annotation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Title Link (automatic backlinks) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extended Note | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immersive Mode | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cards as the Axis (three-view sync) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mind map | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI and OCR | |||
| Advanced OCR | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI OCR templates / AI translation | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI summary / Q&A / card generation | Default model only | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI Book Breakdown | Default model only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Switch to advanced AI models (Kimi K2 available everywhere; GPT 5 / Gemini 2.5 Flash international regions only) | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI credits | 500 (starter) | 500 starter + 500/mo (while subscribed) | 500 starter + 500/mo (first 3 years) |
| Advanced workflows | |||
| Database channel | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| Max advanced workflows and toolbar | × | ✓ | ✓ |
Specific boundaries on sync, video notes, export formats, plugin marketplace etc. follow the in-app description and App Store listing. This table only lists confirmed differences, no exaggeration.
AI is a consumable. It doesn't fully fit the "one-time lifetime" logic — here's how MarginNote handles it.
Max Annual Subscription: 500 AI credits cap per month while subscribed (sits alongside the Pro 500 starter, which never expires). Stops when subscription ends.
Max Lifetime: 500 AI credits cap per month for 3 years after purchase (sits alongside the Pro 500 starter, which never expires). After 3 years the monthly drip stops, but all Max features remain available forever — only AI calls require add-on packs.
Standalone consumable in-app purchases. Max users can top up after exceeding the monthly included allowance; Max Lifetime users after year 3 use the same add-on packs.
| Size | Credits | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 500 credits | 500 credits | $1.39 |
| 3,000 credits | 3,000 credits | $7.49 |
| 20,000 credits | 20,000 credits | $44.99 |
If you'd rather use an official-site activation code (Paddle billing) than App Store IAP — MarginNote 4 also ships as a DMG download for Mac. This path is here for existing MN3 Mac lifetime owners and for users who don't want Apple ID-based billing.
Mac DMG · Paddle activation code · Functionally equivalent to App Store Pro
Add-on to Standard · Functionally equivalent to App Store Max on Mac (no iOS coverage)
MarginNote 4 → Share Max feature pack to iOS devices to extend Premium's advanced capabilities to iOS. This step also upgrades the combination to effective Max — which means it unlocks the 500 monthly AI credits allowance. This path mainly exists as an "iOS extension" for users who already own DMG Standard / Premium.
App Store goes through Apple's standard subscription flow; DMG goes through Paddle. The two are separate.
Trial length depends on purchase path:
① App Store · Max Annual Subscription (direct or Pro→Max upgrade): 1-month free trial with full Max benefits (including monthly AI credits). ⚠ Auto-renews at end — cancel manually before the trial expires.
② App Store · Pro Lifetime (iOS / iPadOS): 14-day free trial. No auto-charge — the trial just expires, no surprise subscription.
③ DMG · Standard / Premium: 14-day free trial (Paddle channel, billed independently). No auto-charge — the trial just expires.
Simple rule: 1-month (Max Annual) auto-renews and needs cancellation; 14-day (Pro / DMG) does not auto-renew, you can try it without worry.
Only App Store Max Annual auto-renews ($16.99/year or your regional equivalent). Cancel anytime in iPhone "Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions" or your account page in the Mac App Store.
All lifetime plans (App Store Max Lifetime, Pro Lifetime; DMG Standard, Premium) are one-time payments with no renewal.
App Store purchases are handled by Apple: visit reportaproblem.apple.com to submit a request — approval is at Apple's discretion.
DMG purchases: orders from marginnote.com are handled by Paddle (follows Paddle's standard refund rules; email service@marginnote.com for help); orders from lizhi.shop, sspai or other resellers are handled by that reseller for both payment and refund. MarginNote does not run a separate refund channel.
App Store uses Apple's universal purchase (same Apple ID, all supported devices); DMG is a Mac-only activation code.
App Store · Max (Sub / Lifetime)
Same Apple ID grants access on all Apple devices. MarginNote's all-platform plan.
App Store · Pro Lifetime
Pro doesn't run on Mac. For Mac PDF reading, pick Max or DMG.
DMG · Standard / Premium
DMG is a Mac-only activation code; doesn't cover iOS. If you also need iOS, stack with App Store Pro (see "iOS extension" note in the DMG section).
Student / faculty discounts follow a standard application flow; school bulk purchases and research institution orders go through email one-on-one.
There's a standard education-discount application guide. Follow the steps in the guide.
📘 Education discount guideBulk purchases and research-institution orders go through email one-on-one. Tell us team size, use case, and whether you need invoice / contract support — we'll reply in 1–2 business days.
📧 service@marginnote.comYour upgrade path depends on which channel your MN3 was purchased through — Mac and iPhone/iPad use different in-app upgrade entries:
iPhone / iPad MN3 owners
Download MN4 on iOS / iPadOS; the in-app store offers a discounted MN3 → MN4 Pro upgrade (note: this entry only goes to Pro). To reach Max, take a second step — Pro → Max upgrade, which comes in two flavors: annual subscription (with a 1-month free trial) or one-time lifetime purchase. Actual prices follow what the App Store shows at the time.
Mac MN3 (App Store version) owners
Download MN4 on Mac; the in-app store offers a discounted MN3 → MN4 upgrade entry (Mac users can go straight to Max). Actual prices follow what the App Store shows at the time.
Mac MN3 DMG lifetime owners
Use the same MN3 activation code to free-upgrade-activate MN4 Standard — license is shared, no need to re-purchase. To get Premium-level features (≈ App Store Max on Mac), separately buy the $10 upgrade pack. To add iOS coverage, buy Pro on the App Store and use the menu "Share Max feature pack to iOS devices".
MN3 itself remains usable, no impact. If your Mac activation code is in the older Devmate format (id...uks), convert it to Paddle format at marginnote.com first before entering it in MN4.
Most new users should just go with the App Store — one-time Max Lifetime ($51.99) covers all platforms cleanly. Three cases where DMG is worth considering:
(1) You're already an MN3 Mac lifetime owner — use the same MN3 activation code to free-upgrade-activate MN4 Standard (license is shared, no re-purchase). To get Premium-level features (≈ App Store Max on Mac), separately buy the $10 upgrade pack.
(2) You only use Mac, don't need iOS coverage, and don't want billing tied to an Apple ID.
(3) You need to go through lizhi.shop, sspai, or other resellers (education verification, gift cards, B2B invoicing — payment paths outside Apple's ecosystem).
Not directly. App Store uses Apple ID + IAP; DMG uses Paddle activation codes — two separate systems. Buying App Store Max won't generate a DMG activation code, and vice versa.
However, there's a way to extend functionality: if you already own DMG Premium (Max features on Mac), you can buy Pro on the App Store (which gives you iOS usage rights), then use the MN4 menu MarginNote 4 → Share Max feature pack to iOS devices to share Premium's advanced features (advanced OCR, AI book parsing, etc.) over to iOS. Note this is a feature share, not a license conversion — the two licenses are priced independently, only the features are bridged. This combination only makes sense for users who already have DMG Premium; new users should just buy App Store Max Lifetime ($51.99).
Simple rule of thumb: if you want a continuous monthly AI allowance and don't mind paying once a year → pick Max Annual Subscription; if you want to pay once, avoid being locked into a subscription, and accept that the monthly AI allowance drops to zero after 3 years → pick Max Lifetime.
If you read PDFs on Mac, either Max tier works; if you only read on iPad and don't need Max's advanced AI/OCR, the $12.99 Pro Lifetime is also a reasonable choice. If you only use Mac, the DMG channel is also an option.
All Max features (Mac access, advanced OCR, AI Book Breakdown, Database channel, etc.) remain available forever, not bound by the 3-year limit. After 3 years, only the 500 monthly AI credits included allowance drops to zero. To keep using AI, buy from "Extra AI add-on packs" on this page: 500 credits $1.39, 3,000 credits $7.49, 20,000 credits $44.99.
Pro is a license for standard features on iOS / iPadOS, not including the macOS client. If you need to read PDFs and take notes on Mac, pick Max (subscription or lifetime, either works). This is a hard product boundary, not a feature being toggled off.
The App Store provides a Pro → Max upgrade entry for existing Pro owners. There are two options:
The upgrade entry shows up on iOS / iPadOS / Mac App Store as long as the current Apple ID has previously purchased Pro. Actual price differential is what the App Store shows at the time.
iPhone / iPad: "Settings → Your Apple ID → Subscriptions", find MarginNote 4 → Cancel Subscription.
Mac: App Store → avatar → Account Information → Subscriptions.
After cancellation you can still use the current subscription period until expiry, after which it won't renew. Recommended to do this in the last day or two of the trial to avoid forgetting.
Refunds for all App Store purchases are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find the relevant order and submit a refund request. Whether it's approved and at what proportion is decided by Apple. The MarginNote team has no internal refund channel.
Upgrade paths and prices vary by platform — see the "Already on MarginNote 3?" section above. Briefly:
iPhone / iPad MN3 (App Store IAP): the in-app MN3 upgrade entry only takes you to Pro. To reach Max, take a second step — Pro → Max upgrade (annual subscription or one-time lifetime — your pick).
Mac MN3 (App Store version): the in-app store offers a discounted upgrade that goes straight to Max.
Mac MN3 DMG lifetime (marginnote.com / lizhi.shop / sspai activation code): use the same MN3 activation code to free-upgrade-activate MN4 Standard (license is shared); separately buy the $10 upgrade pack to add Premium-level features; add iOS via App Store Pro plus the "Share Max feature pack to iOS devices" menu.
Actual in-app prices follow what the App Store shows at the time (varies with promotions and product updates). MN3 itself remains usable, no impact.
There's currently no official BYOK option. The monthly Max credits you buy correspond to compute cost of MarginNote's backend calls, and can't be substituted with user-provided keys. If this changes in the future, it'll be updated on this page and in What's New.
Email service@marginnote.com with your role (student / school / law firm / hospital / research institution), team size, and use case, and we'll reply with a specific plan. Specific discount rates and verification methods aren't published publicly — one-on-one communication matches you with a more appropriate quote.