Obsidian vs ReadOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Obsidian
Organize your thoughts and ideas with a powerful knowledge base that stores your notes as plain text Markdown files. Access your personal second brain on any device, with extensive customization options and community-driven plugins.
- Local Markdown file storage
- Customizable toolbar
- Graph view
- Community plugins
- Themes
- Sidebar pinning
- iCloud vaults
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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
ReadOS
This app is an AI-powered workspace for iPad that helps you read, research, and create. It connects your source materials and project context, allowing you to move seamlessly from understanding to creation. Features include AI summarization, knowledge mapping, and document analysis.
- AI-powered research agent
- Contextual reading and note-taking
- Knowledge mapping and visualization
- Document, spreadsheet, and presentation creation
- Web browsing and data analysis
- Audio and video transcription
- Multi-step task automation
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ReadOS is an all-in-one, desktop-class AI agent workspace for iPad, built around the place serious work often begins: reading. Open a PDF, collect research, inspect evidence, create a report, analyze data, build office files, and continue the task without rebuilding context across separate apps. ReadOS keeps source materials, reading position, selections, files, and project context connected so you can move from understanding to creating. READ WITH CONTEXT • Open PDFs, EPUBs, Markdown, images, local audio and video files, and common office files. • Navigate document structure and page references when the source provides them. • Annotate PDFs, take notes, organize tabs, and export annotated documents. • Build knowledge maps and visual explanations connected to source material. RESEARCH WITH READEX Readex is the AI agent inside ReadOS. When you choose to share content with it, Readex can work with the current document, selected passages, attachments, webpage context, and files in your workspace. Use Readex to: • Summarize and compare source material. • Develop study guides, research plans, and structured notes. • Trace an answer back to relevant pages and context. • Work across multiple files while keeping the research question visible. CREATE, AUTOMATE, AND DELIVER With ReadOS Pro, Readex can help: • Create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. • Analyze data with Python and JavaScript. • Build charts, tables, interactive visualizations, and knowledge maps. • Browse the web, inspect pages, collect relevant context, and carry out browser tasks. • Transcribe and analyze local audio and video files, extract useful frames, and continue from a playback position. • Carry out multi-step and long-running tasks across available files and tools, with progress you can review and stop. FREE AND PRO ReadOS Free includes library management, local file opening and playback, PDF annotation, notes, navigation, tabs, workspaces, and annotated-PDF export. ReadOS Pro unlocks Readex and advanced AI-assisted work, including browser automation, creation and editing tools, code and data analysis, document and media understanding, and multi-step or long-running tasks. ReadOS Pro is available through Apple In-App Purchase as an auto-renewing annual subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. ReadOS Pro also requires a supported AI provider account or compatible API connection. Provider subscriptions, usage quotas, and model or API fees are separate and are not included with ReadOS Pro. Availability and results can vary by source format, selected provider or model, network access, and permissions. Start with what you are reading. Keep the context. Build what comes next. TERMS OF USE ReadOS uses Apple's Standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadOS at 100% against Obsidian's 62%. ReadOS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Obsidian's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 8). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. ReadOS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.
ReadOS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.8K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Obsidian's written reviews are positive against 100% of ReadOS's.
Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, ReadOS monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Obsidian | ReadOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2.8K ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #118 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 993 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Dynalist Inc. | 秀芳 王 |
Customer experience
Obsidian
ReadOS
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
ReadOS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Obsidian
No in-app purchases
ReadOS
- ReadOS Pro Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- ReadOS Pro Lifetime$69.99









