# Proton Drive vs Obsidian

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Obsidian at none against Proton Drive's 9. Obsidian also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (62% vs 37%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Proton Drive sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.

Obsidian holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Proton Drive's written reviews are positive against 62% of Obsidian's.

Proton Drive ships an update fortnightly, Obsidian every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Proton Drive | Obsidian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-drive-cloud-storage/id1509667851/reviews) | **[4.5 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 36.9% of reviews | **62.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#119** |
| Size | 235 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) |

## What reviewers say

### Proton Drive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-drive-cloud-storage/id1509667851)

Securely store and back up your files and photos with end-to-end encryption. Access your content across devices, share securely with password protection, and enjoy peace of mind with Swiss privacy laws. Offers free storage with upgrade options.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted storage, Automatic photo and video backup, Secure link sharing with passwords, PIN/biometric protection, Offline file access, File version history

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drive Lite 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 month | $4.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 TB (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Proton Unlimited 1 month | $14.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 year | $47.90 | per year |
| Drive Plus 1 TB (1 year) | $95.99 | per year |
| Proton Unlimited 1 year | $119.00 | per year |
| Drive Plus | $59.99 | one-time |
| Proton Unlimited | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 💡 Integrated with iOS Files app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📥 Slow upload/download speeds
- 🗂️ Lacking key features like search and sorting

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and errors
- Inconsistent file syncing across devices
- Unable to access files uploaded from desktop
- Issues with offline file access

**Requested features**

- Automatic photo/video backup
- Ability to edit documents within the app
- Seamless integration with other apps for file sharing
- Linux desktop client


### Obsidian

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

**Currently charting:** #119 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 Proton Drive free?

Proton Drive 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, Proton Drive or Obsidian?

Obsidian is rated higher. Proton Drive averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Obsidian averages 4.5 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do Proton Drive or Obsidian have ads?

Neither Proton Drive nor Obsidian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Proton Drive or Obsidian?

Proton Drive ships an update fortnightly, and Obsidian every 3 weeks. Most recently, Proton Drive was updated on September 26, 2026 and Obsidian on September 27, 2026.

---

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