# Obsidian vs Familiar

The clearest difference is rating: Obsidian at 4.5 against Familiar's 3.7. Obsidian also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 3). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Obsidian holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.8K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, Familiar every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Obsidian | Familiar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/familiar-trpg-seed-generator/id6538725583/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 61.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#119** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) | [Sunmi Kwon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1757140331) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Familiar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/familiar-trpg-seed-generator/id6538725583)

This tool assists tabletop RPG game masters by generating unique adventure seeds with randomized elements. Choose from various settings, customize generated content, and export prompts for AI expansion. It's designed to boost creativity and save time in scenario creation.

**Highlights:** RPG system agnostic tool, Multiple setting options, Randomized adventure seed generation, Customizable and rerollable elements, Export prompts for generative AI, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Obsidian free?

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

### Is Familiar free?

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

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

Obsidian is rated higher. Obsidian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Familiar averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Obsidian or Familiar have ads?

Familiar shows ads; Obsidian does not.

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

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and Familiar every 5 weeks. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on November 1, 2026 and Familiar on October 24, 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.*