# Memo vs Obsidian

The clearest difference is rating: Memo at 5.0 against Obsidian's 4.5. Memo also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 62%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Obsidian's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Memo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.

Memo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Memo's written reviews are positive against 62% of Obsidian's.

Memo ships an update every 5 days, Obsidian every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memo | Obsidian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-lock-screen-notes/id1435873085/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.6% of reviews** | 61.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#115** |
| Size | 21 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toshihiko Arai](https://appshunter.io/developer/415194231) | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) |

## What reviewers say

### Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-lock-screen-notes/id1435873085)

Keep important short notes visible on your lock screen and in notifications. Ideal for lists and reminders that need frequent checking without opening an app.

**Highlights:** Add notes to Notification Center, View notes from lock screen, Organize notes with tags, Mark notes as done with strikethrough, Share notes as Markdown, Save URLs via Share Extension, Import line-by-line lists

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### Obsidian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Local Markdown file storage, Customizable toolbar, Graph view for connections, Community plugins, Themes, iCloud sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful features
- 👍 Customizable and flexible
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 💡 Innovative note-taking approach
- 🚀 Smooth mobile experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues and unreliable iCloud integration
- 🔋 Slow startup and performance issues on mobile
- 👎 Steep learning curve for new users
- 👎 Limited sorting and organization options
- 👎 Lack of WYSIWYG editing on mobile

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Freezing and crashing on mobile devices
- Editing bugs and text input issues

**Requested features**

- Improved sorting and organization options
- WYSIWYG editing on mobile
- Better integration with other cloud storage services
- More intuitive onboarding process for new users
- Native mobile widgets and share sheet integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Memo free?

Memo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Obsidian free?

Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Memo or Obsidian?

Memo is rated higher. Memo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Obsidian averages 4.5 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do Memo or Obsidian have ads?

Memo shows ads; Obsidian does not.

### Which is updated more often, Memo or Obsidian?

Memo ships an update every 5 days, and Obsidian every 3 weeks. Most recently, Memo was updated on October 18, 2026 and Obsidian on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*