Comparison

Obsidian vs HabitSpark

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Obsidian

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
Read full description

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files. It is a second brain, for you, forever. Now available on the go for iOS! Features include: - Customizable toolbar - Pull down quick actions - Graph view - Community plugins - Themes - Sidebar pinning for tablet - iCloud vaults

About

HabitSpark

Read full description

Turn focus, breaks, and leisure into one simple balance. HabitSpark is a focus timer and habit tracker built around Spark: a balance that grows when you spend time on Growth activities and drops when you spend time on Leisure. Focused work, exercise, reading, studying, and learning can earn Spark. Entertainment, scrolling, rest, and other leisure can spend it. Your balance updates as you track time, so you can see how your day is actually distributed and decide what fits next. Use HabitSpark to: • Balance focused work and real breaks • Track habits, routines, study, exercise, and leisure • Make downtime and entertainment visible • Catch procrastination patterns earlier • Build a sustainable daily rhythm • Review your day without streak pressure Key features: • Growth, Leisure, and Neutral activity types • Timer-based tracking and manual session logging • Custom Spark values for each activity • Real-time Spark balance • Daily History for reviewing and editing sessions • Insights into your time patterns • Live Activities and notifications for gentle awareness • No streaks, no punishment, no hard blocking HabitSpark Pro unlocks: • Unlimited activities • Advanced insights • Custom Spark cap • Backup and restore HabitSpark is designed to feel like a tool, not a judge: helping you build focus, protect your rest, and keep both in balance. Terms of Use: https://habitspark.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://habitspark.app/privacy Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Obsidian4 screens
HabitSpark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Obsidian at none against HabitSpark's 3. Obsidian also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#120 vs unranked). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HabitSpark sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, HabitSpark every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Obsidian versus HabitSpark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObsidianHabitSpark
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.8K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#120 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDynalist Inc.Vladislav Bulyukhin

Bugs and requests

Obsidian

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

HabitSpark

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Obsidian

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

HabitSpark

Subscriptions2
  • HabitSpark Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • HabitSpark Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • HabitSpark Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HabitSpark free?
HabitSpark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Obsidian or HabitSpark have ads?
Neither Obsidian nor HabitSpark shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Obsidian or HabitSpark?
Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and HabitSpark every 2 months. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on October 17, 2026 and HabitSpark on October 17, 2026.

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