# Star Writer vs Obsidian

The clearest difference is rating: Star Writer at 5.0 against Obsidian's 4.5. Star Writer also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Obsidian's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Star Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Obsidian has 2.8K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Star Writer's written reviews are positive against 62% of Obsidian's.

Star Writer ships an update every 42 months, Obsidian every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Writer | Obsidian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **2.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 61.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#115** |
| Size | 20 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rainbow Brainskull LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/886945476) | [Dynalist Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195392807) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519)

Create mesmerizing psychedelic art with this drawing tool.  The speed of your finger movements directly influences the flow of energy in your creations. Explore endless visual possibilities by adjusting star sizes.

**Highlights:** Psychedelic imagery creation, Finger-drag responsive energy flow, Adjustable star sizes, Intuitive drawing interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Obsidian

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

**Currently charting:** #115 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 Star Writer free?

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

### Is Obsidian free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Star Writer or Obsidian?

Star Writer is rated higher. Star Writer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Obsidian averages 4.5 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do Star Writer or Obsidian have ads?

Neither Star Writer nor Obsidian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Writer or Obsidian?

Star Writer ships an update every 42 months, and Obsidian every 3 weeks. Most recently, Star Writer was updated on October 3, 2026 and Obsidian on October 19, 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.*