Comparison

Normal Notes vs Widgets for Obsidian

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

Head to head
About

Normal Notes

Features
Read full description

Normal Notes is the fastest and easiest way to keep a daily journal and a personal knowledge base. Built on plain Markdown and compatible with Obsidian vaults, it opens straight to Today's Note with heading pre-filled. Supports tags, suggests older notes worth attention, view vault pins on a map. Share anything from anywhere so you don't lose it. No account or subscription, and no tracking. No lock-in — your notes stay as ordinary .md files you own. DAILY JOURNALING • One tap to today's note. Yesterday and tomorrow are a swipe away. • Auto-headings with date, place, and journaling prompts. • Capture by voice — record a memo and it's transcribed straight into today. A KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT CONNECTS • [[Wikilinks]] and live backlinks, so notes link themselves together. • Related notes surfaced automatically. • Pin places to notes and see them all on a map. FAST AND NATIVE • Best-in-class Markdown editor experience — headings, checklists, formatting — that stays out of your way. • Instant search across your whole vault. • Share text and images into today from any app. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Your notes sync through your own iCloud. Nothing is collected. No trackers, no ads, no analytics. If you've wanted Obsidian's plain-text freedom with the speed and polish of Apple Notes, Normal Notes is it.

About

Widgets for Obsidian

Quickly capture notes and access your Obsidian vault directly from your home screen. Automate note creation with custom destinations and launch any Obsidian command with a single touch.

Highlights
  • Home screen quick capture widget
  • Customizable note destinations
  • Zettel timestamp support
  • Append to existing notes
  • Customizable actions widget
  • Launch any Obsidian command
Features
Read full description

Widgets for Obsidian is the definite companion for your favourite note-taking app. Access your personal Vault right from your home screen. The Quick Note Widget solves one of the biggest pain points of writing notes on mobile: Quick capture. Bypass waiting for files to sync, and immediately start writing. Custom destinations empower you to create your own workflows: Automatically create and add to daily notes, ensure unique notes with Zettel timestamps, append to an existing note… – the options are endless! You can configure custom Actions to launch any Obsidian command with a single touch. The Actions Widget is based on Obsidian’s URI scheme, empowering you to run automations as simple or complex as you like. Widgets for Obsidian is built by a solo developer, and allows unlimited captures for free. Once you’re ready to access power user features, like multiple destinations, you can subscribe to support app development. This application is not created by, affiliated with, or supported by Obsidian. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Normal Notes4 screens
Widgets for Obsidian4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Normal Notes at none against Widgets for Obsidian's 2. Widgets for Obsidian's advantage is iOS requirement (17.5 vs 26.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Widgets for Obsidian sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Normal Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Normal Notes versus Widgets for Obsidian: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNormal NotesWidgets for Obsidian
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.4 (48 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—63.6% of reviews
Number of ratings—48 — better
Update frequency—Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas McKenzieJOSCHUA GLAU

In-app purchases

None

Normal Notes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Widgets for Obsidian

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Normal Notes free?
Normal Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Widgets for Obsidian free?
Widgets for Obsidian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Normal Notes or Widgets for Obsidian have ads?
Neither Normal Notes nor Widgets for Obsidian shows ads.

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