Comparison

Dossier vs Zettelkasten

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

Head to head
About

Dossier

Features
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Turn your X bookmarks into a searchable archive with AI titles, summaries, categories and tags. Dossier saves your archive on your device and lets you export it to the tools you use. PAY FOR WHAT YOU IMPORT Connect X to receive 20 free starter credits once per X account. One credit imports and organises one previously unimported bookmark. Already imported bookmarks are skipped without using credits. Check your available X bookmarks before importing: a completed scan costs 0.5 credits and shows how many remain and how many more credits you need. Buy 200 or 1,000 credits when you need more. Purchased credits never expire; no new subscription is required. Prices are shown in your local currency. RESUME YOUR ARCHIVE Imports use pages of up to 90 bookmarks and pause when fewer than one credit remains. Top up to continue the unfinished backlog, including the remainder of a page. Already imported bookmarks are skipped on later pulls; retrying the same interrupted delivery does not charge twice. X may omit unavailable posts, and a scan is a snapshot of the bookmarks X returns. Share individual X links to Dossier to queue them for import. YOUR SAVED ARCHIVE STAYS AVAILABLE Browse, search and export saved content even at zero credits. Credit balances follow your connected X account across devices. Existing purchases remain supported for their paid duration. AI AND PRIVACY With your permission, DeepSeek processes bookmark text, author names and content signals to organise your imports. Choose Apple AI in Settings > AI Engine to organise imports with Apple Foundation Models: Private Cloud Compute on eligible iOS 27 devices, subject to Apple's availability, locale and quota checks, or on-device models on supported devices running iOS 26 or later. Apple selection never switches to DeepSeek automatically. DeepSeek remains a separate choice and processes content only with your explicit permission. Your permanent archive stays on-device. The worker retains a temporary delivery copy for up to 24 hours to recover interrupted pulls, then deletes it, including for Apple imports. Apple AI does not change credit charges: one credit still imports and organises one previously unimported bookmark. Terms of Use: https://mashdev.co.za/terms

About

Zettelkasten

This app creates a visual knowledge graph from your notes, allowing you to see and explore connections between ideas. It uses wiki-style linking and automatic backlinks to help you rediscover relationships and build a personal knowledge base without relying on traditional folders. Enjoy a private, ad-free experience where all your data stays on your device.

Highlights
  • Visual knowledge graph
  • Automatic backlinks
  • Wiki-style linking
  • Interactive orbit graph
  • Full-text search
  • Markdown export
Features
Read full description

Stop losing ideas in a pile of disconnected notes. NoteOrbit is a linked-notes app that turns everything you write into a living knowledge graph — every note becomes a node you can see, connect, and explore. Most note apps bury your thinking in folders. NoteOrbit does the opposite: type a note, drop a [[wiki-link]] to any other note, and the connection is built for you — both ways. Open any note and you instantly see what references it. Then step back and watch your ideas orbit as a glowing constellation you can pan, zoom, and tap to follow the thread. WHAT YOU GET - Write a note, add a [[wiki-link]], and NoteOrbit autocompletes titles and wires up the connection for you - Automatic backlinks so every note shows exactly what links to it — context folders can never give you - An interactive orbit graph that lays out your notes by how they actually connect - Instant tags with #hashtags to slice your notes any way you think - Hubs and orphans finder that surfaces your most-connected ideas and the notes hanging loose - Full-text search across every note, title, and link PERFECT FOR - Students and researchers building study and reference notes that reinforce each other - Writers and thinkers growing a personal knowledge base or second brain - Zettelkasten and PKM fans who want backlinks without a heavy desktop setup - Anyone journaling ideas and projects who wants to rediscover old connections WHY NOT JUST USE FOLDERS Folders force every note into one place and hide how your ideas relate. NoteOrbit lets a note live in as many contexts as it links to, then draws the map for you — so the connection you made months ago is one tap away, not lost three folders deep. PRIVACY Everything stays on your device. No account, no sign-in, no ads, no tracking. Your notes never leave your phone. FULL ACCESS NoteOrbit Premium unlocks the full experience: unlimited notes and connections, the complete interactive orbit graph, hubs, tags and the orphan finder, plus Markdown export to take your notes anywhere. Choose the plan that fits: - Weekly - Yearly - Lifetime (one-time purchase) Open NoteOrbit, write your first note, and link it — watch your thinking take shape. Terms of Use (EULA): https://web-levi.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://web-levi.web.app/privacy-policy Questions? tphuc.work@gmail.com

Screenshots

Dossier4 screens
Zettelkasten4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Zettelkasten at monthly against Dossier's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Dossier sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Zettelkasten sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dossier ships an update every 3 months, Zettelkasten monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Dossier versus Zettelkasten: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDossierZettelkasten
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKamogelo MashishiPhuc Pham

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Dossier

Subscriptions4
  • Dossier Standard Monthly3 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Dossier Pro Monthly3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Dossier Standard Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Dossier Pro Yearly7 Days trial$109.991 Year
2 purchases

Zettelkasten

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Dossier free?
Dossier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zettelkasten free?
Zettelkasten is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dossier or Zettelkasten have ads?
Neither Dossier nor Zettelkasten shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dossier or Zettelkasten?
Dossier ships an update every 3 months, and Zettelkasten monthly. Most recently, Dossier was updated on November 5, 2026 and Zettelkasten on October 31, 2026.

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