# Obsidian vs Recall Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Recall Notes at 5.0 against Obsidian's 4.5. Obsidian's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Recall Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and July 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Obsidian | Recall Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recall-notes/id6745151647/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#126** | — |
| Size | 38 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) | [Manuel Lampert](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169393792) |

## What reviewers say

### Obsidian

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

**Currently charting:** #126 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


### Recall Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recall-notes/id6745151647)

This app helps you find notes by understanding the meaning behind your search queries, not just keywords. It uses on-device AI for instant, offline searches and keeps all your data private. Ideal for students, developers, and writers who need to quickly locate information.

**Highlights:** Search by meaning with on-device AI, Contextual and concept-based search, Instant and offline search functionality, Private by design, no cloud or tracking, Export notes as text files, Distraction-free interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text Export | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Obsidian free?

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

### Is Recall Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Obsidian or Recall Notes?

Recall Notes is rated higher. Obsidian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Recall Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Obsidian or Recall Notes have ads?

Neither Obsidian nor Recall Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Obsidian or Recall Notes?

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and Recall Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on September 29, 2026 and Recall Notes on July 20, 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.*