Comparison

Obsidian vs Ellipsus

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 knowledge with a powerful, local-first note-taking app. Build your personal knowledge base using plain text Markdown files, accessible across devices. Customize your experience with themes and plugins for a truly personal workflow.

Highlights
  • Local Markdown file storage
  • Customizable toolbar
  • Graph view for connections
  • Community plugins
  • Themes
  • Sidebar pinning
  • iCloud vaults
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

Ellipsus

This creative writing tool facilitates seamless collaboration for authors, editors, and co-writers. It offers real-time co-authoring, robust draft management with version control, and distraction-free writing environments. Easily share and export your work in various formats.

Highlights
  • Unlimited documents, drafts, folders, and collaborators
  • Real-time collaboration with commenting and chat
  • Version history and version control for drafts
  • Built-in writing sprints and timers
  • Import from Markdown, export to PDF/AO3
  • Distraction-free minimalist design
  • Privacy-focused with no generative AI or tracking
Features
Read full description

Writing together is hard. We think it should be easier. Ellipsus is a creative writing tool built by writers, for writers—whether you’re flying solo, working with betas and editors, or co-authoring something epic. In Ellipsus, you'll find: Creativity without limits: Create unlimited documents, drafts, folders, and collaborators. Real-time collaboration: Comment, chat, manage permissions, and keep track of every change with version history and version control. Draft management with version control: Experiment freely, and merge drafts when you're ready. Collaborators can suggest edits without changing your main document, Writing sprints and timers: Stay focused and creative with built-in sprint timers. Easy sharing and exports: Import from Markdown. Export to PDF or AO3. Share highlights with our Snippets feature. Distraction-free writing—anywhere: Minimalist design and themed workspaces keep you inspired. Write seamlessly on any device. Privacy-first, always: No generative AI. No creepy tracking. Your words stay yours.

Screenshots

Obsidian4 screens
Ellipsus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Obsidian at none against Ellipsus's 1. Obsidian also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 173). Ellipsus's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ads, chart position 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ellipsus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.8K ratings behind it against 173, 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 85% of Ellipsus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, Ellipsus every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Obsidian versus Ellipsus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObsidianEllipsus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.8K ratings)4.8 (173 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.0% of reviews84.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.8K — better173
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#126#101 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB36 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDynalist Inc.Ellipsus

Customer experience

Obsidian

All ratings2,818 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews1,357 reviews
Positive62.0%
Neutral11.9%
Negative26.0%

Ellipsus

All ratings173 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive84.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative6.8%

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

Ellipsus

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Obsidian

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ellipsus

One-time1
  • Ellipsus Lifetime$99.00

Questions

Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ellipsus free?
Ellipsus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Obsidian or Ellipsus?
Ellipsus is rated higher. Obsidian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Ellipsus averages 4.8 from 173 ratings.
Do Obsidian or Ellipsus have ads?
Neither Obsidian nor Ellipsus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Obsidian or Ellipsus?
Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ellipsus every 3 days. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on November 14, 2026 and Ellipsus on November 13, 2026.
Which is more popular, Obsidian or Ellipsus?
Obsidian currently peaks at #126 in the App Store charts, and Ellipsus at #101. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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