# BeeLine Reader vs Obsidian

The clearest difference is price: Obsidian at Free against BeeLine Reader's $4.99. Obsidian also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). BeeLine Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Obsidian is free to download; BeeLine Reader costs $4.99 up front. BeeLine Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.

Obsidian holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.7K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of BeeLine Reader's written reviews are positive against 62% of Obsidian's.

BeeLine Reader ships an update every 5 months, Obsidian every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeeLine Reader | Obsidian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beeline-reader/id938026867/reviews) | **[4.5 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews | **62.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#155** |
| Size | 16 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BeeLine Reader, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/938026866) | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) |

## What reviewers say

### BeeLine Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beeline-reader/id938026867)

This app uses eye-guiding color gradients to help you read faster and more easily. It's particularly beneficial for individuals with dyslexia, ADD, or vision impairments, and can be used with articles saved from Safari or browsed directly within the app on select websites.

**Highlights:** Eye-guiding color gradients, Improved reading speed, Enhanced reading ability, Safari Action Extension integration, Article saving via Share Extension, In-app browsing on select sites

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BeeLine News Lite | $0.99 | one-time |
| BeeLine News Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| BeeLine News Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| BeeLine Email & Social Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| BeeLine PDF Reader | $9.99 | one-time |
| eBooks Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


### Obsidian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442)

**Currently charting:** #155 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Organize your thoughts and ideas with a powerful knowledge base that utilizes local Markdown files. This app acts as your personal second brain, accessible on your mobile device for seamless note-taking and idea connection.

**Highlights:** Local Markdown file storage, Customizable toolbar, Graph view for connections, Community plugins, Themes, iCloud sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful features
- 👍 Customizable and flexible
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 💡 Innovative note-taking approach
- 🚀 Smooth mobile experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues and unreliable iCloud integration
- 🔋 Slow startup and performance issues on mobile
- 👎 Steep learning curve for new users
- 👎 Limited sorting and organization options
- 👎 Lack of WYSIWYG editing on mobile

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Freezing and crashing on mobile devices
- Editing bugs and text input issues

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeeLine Reader free?

BeeLine Reader costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Obsidian free?

Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BeeLine Reader or Obsidian?

Obsidian is rated higher. BeeLine Reader averages 2.3 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Obsidian averages 4.5 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do BeeLine Reader or Obsidian have ads?

Neither BeeLine Reader nor Obsidian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BeeLine Reader or Obsidian?

BeeLine Reader ships an update every 5 months, and Obsidian every 3 weeks. Most recently, BeeLine Reader was updated on September 21, 2026 and Obsidian on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*