Comparison

Obsidian vs Markdot

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

Markdot

This app allows you to open, preview, and edit Markdown files, including those generated by AI. It offers rich rendering of various elements and exports to HTML or PDF. Work offline and manage your documents with a file tree.

Highlights
  • Open and preview .md files instantly
  • Rich Markdown rendering (code, tables, diagrams, LaTeX)
  • Switch between preview and editing with split view
  • Automatic table of contents and document search
  • File tree for browsing documents
  • Export to HTML or PDF with customization
  • Offline work and automatic external change detection
Features
Read full description

From AI-generated .md files to READMEs, technical docs, and quick notes. Open, preview, and edit Markdown files with Markdot, a lightweight Markdown viewer and editor. Continue working with your preferred AI apps, then export finished documents to HTML or PDF. Read light. Write light. Markdot. - Recommended for: - Anyone who regularly opens and edits AI-generated .md files - Developers working with READMEs, technical documentation, and Markdown notes - Anyone looking for a fast, lightweight tool for Markdown - Anyone looking for a lightweight Markdown viewer and editor - Anyone who wants to continue editing Markdown documents with AI - Anyone who needs to export Markdown files to HTML or PDF - Students and researchers reviewing documents with LaTeX equations - [KEY FEATURES] More than a simple text editor — Markdot renders your Markdown beautifully. ● Open and preview .md files instantly Open .md files received through email, messaging apps, or other apps and view them as clean, formatted documents in Markdot. ● Rich Markdown rendering Render code blocks, tables, Mermaid diagrams, LaTeX equations, chemical formulas, GFM, and more. ● Switch instantly between preview and editing Switch to editing mode without losing your place in the document. In landscape mode, Split View displays the Markdown source and preview side by side with synchronized scrolling. ● Automatic table of contents and document search Automatically generate a table of contents based on document headings. Search within the viewer or editor to quickly find information in long AI-generated documents and technical documentation. ● Browse documents with a file tree View multiple Markdown files in a folder using the file tree. Navigate between folders and open relative links to browse connected project documents, including GitHub repositories and project READMEs. ● Export to HTML or PDF Export finished Markdown documents to HTML or PDF. Customize the page size, margins, fonts, and other PDF settings for reports, assignments, and shared documents. ● Automatically detect external changes Changes made to a file in another app are automatically reflected in Markdot. If you have unsaved edits, Markdot prevents external changes from overwriting your work. ● Work completely offline Open and edit Markdown files stored on your device without an internet connection. No account or cloud sync is required. - [PRIVACY] - Your data is processed locally on your device. Markdot does not upload your documents to its servers or cloud storage, and no account is required. - If you use Agent Connection, your selected document may be shared with the external AI app you choose. [APP PERMISSIONS] - Markdot only requests permission to access the Markdown files you choose to open. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Obsidian4 screens
Markdot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Markdot at 100% against Obsidian's 62%. Obsidian's advantage is chart position (#124 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, Markdot every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Obsidian versus Markdot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObsidianMarkdot
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.8K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#124 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDynalist Inc.ESTsoft corp.

Customer experience

Obsidian

All ratings2,757 ratings
Positive85.6%
Neutral4.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews1,335 reviews
Positive61.9%
Neutral11.9%
Negative26.1%

Markdot

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Markdot

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Obsidian

No in-app purchases

None

Markdot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Markdot free?
Markdot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Obsidian or Markdot have ads?
Neither Obsidian nor Markdot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Obsidian or Markdot?
Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and Markdot every 2 weeks. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on October 19, 2026 and Markdot on October 2, 2026.

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