Comparison

Zettelkasten vs Lampira

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

Head to head
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

About

Lampira

Features
Read full description

Your notes deserve better than a folder they'll never leave. Lampira is a private, local-first notes app with the power of a knowledge graph — without the setup, plugins or folder rituals. Open it, write, and watch your notes turn into flashcards, mindmaps and a living map of what you know. WHY PEOPLE SWITCH • Zero configuration. No vaults to wire up, no plugins to install — the graph, the cards and the calendar are simply there. • An editor that feels like paper: headings, checklists, quotes, images, tables — one tap or one "/" away. • [[Wikilinks]] quietly weave every note into a knowledge graph and mindmaps you can actually see. REMEMBER WHAT YOU WRITE • Mark a line as a cloze — it becomes a flashcard by itself. • FSRS, the modern spaced-repetition algorithm, schedules each review for the exact moment you'd start to forget. • Exam mode: choose the cards, set the date — get an honest daily plan that has every card ready on the day. PLAN THE WEEK • A real calendar: categories, reminders, daily notes — synced through your own private iCloud. PRIVATE BY ARCHITECTURE — NOT BY PROMISE • Your notes live on your device and, if you turn on sync, in YOUR iCloud. We run no note servers. There is nothing for us to read, leak or sell. • No trackers. No analytics SDKs. Ever. • AI is optional and on your terms: on-device Apple Intelligence, or your own API key — stored in the system Keychain, talking directly to the provider you chose. For students, doctors, engineers, teachers — anyone whose notes are supposed to end up in their head, not just on a disk. Free today. Your notes stay yours forever.

Screenshots

Zettelkasten4 screens
Lampira4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lampira at none against Zettelkasten's 2. Lampira also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Zettelkasten sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Lampira asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zettelkasten ships an update monthly, Lampira every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Zettelkasten versus Lampira: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZettelkastenLampira
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhuc PhamDaniel Adamovic

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Zettelkasten

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
None

Lampira

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zettelkasten free?
Zettelkasten is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lampira free?
Lampira is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Zettelkasten or Lampira have ads?
Neither Zettelkasten nor Lampira shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zettelkasten or Lampira?
Zettelkasten ships an update monthly, and Lampira every 5 days. Most recently, Zettelkasten was updated on October 31, 2026 and Lampira on October 31, 2026.

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