Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Notion vs Obsidian

Notion 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner Notion
Obsidian 4.5★ · Free + IAP 65

Notion is better for general productivity and collaboration with a more polished mobile experience, while Obsidian is superior for highly customizable, offline-first knowledge management, especially for power users.

Full reviews: Notion · Obsidian

Notion offers a robust, flexible platform for project planning and organization, though it struggles with mobile performance and AI feature bloat. Obsidian excels in deep knowledge management with extensive customization via plugins, but its mobile app is frequently criticized for bugs and syncing issues.

Head to head

Features tieR2R7R32R40
Notion Notion is praised for its flexibility in planning and building projects, easy workspace sharing, and integrated AI tools that can generate lists and pages R2R32. However, some users dislike the aggressive promotion of AI features and wish for a built-in mind map R2R7R40.
Obsidian Obsidian is highly customizable through plugins, allowing users to manage novels, finances, and study materials, and supports features like handwritten notes and website creation R62R119. Users appreciate its strong file system and lack of integrated AI .
Ease of Use edge: NotionR9R16R17R26
Notion Notion is generally considered intuitive and easy to use for organizing personal and business affairs, with many finding it fast R17R26. However, some new users find it confusing R16, and others report issues with non-mobile friendly usage and template downloads on iPad R9.
Obsidian Obsidian is seen as incredibly powerful and offers limitless freedom, but it requires a fair amount of upfront configuration and can be challenging to set up, especially for syncing without the paid service R119. The mobile interface is often described as wonky, with small buttons and difficult cursor placement .
Reliability tieR1R3R4R10
Notion Notion users report frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, especially on mobile devices and with AI features R1R3R4R10. Some note that updates introduce more bugs .
Obsidian Obsidian's mobile app is plagued by significant reliability issues, including broken search, iCloud sync glitches, black screens, slow loading times, and frequent freezing or crashing .
Price/Value edge: NotionR8R56R60R62
Notion Notion offers a free version that many users find sufficient R56. Paid subscriptions can increase unexpectedly R8, and some users criticize the per-member pricing model for workspaces R60.
Obsidian Obsidian is free to use, but many users express frustration over the lack of free sync options, requiring a paid subscription for cross-device access R66R67R70. The paid sync is described as fairly cheap R62.
Support tieR8R89R119
Notion One Notion user reported difficulty contacting customer service regarding a billing issue, specifically being unable to enter their email in the support request form R8.
Obsidian Reviews do not provide specific feedback on Obsidian's customer support, but users often rely on community-driven plugins for extended functionality R89R119.
Pick Notion if

you need a flexible, all-in-one workspace for project management, planning, and collaboration, and are comfortable with a free tier that might push AI features R2R26.

Pick Obsidian if

you are a power user who values deep customization, an offline-first approach, and a robust file system for complex knowledge management, and are willing to navigate mobile app quirks or pay for sync R62R89.

Evidence note: Both apps have significant complaints about mobile app performance and bugs, but Notion's issues seem more related to general glitches and AI integration, while Obsidian's are heavily tied to sync and loading, making its core mobile experience less reliable for many.

Frequently asked

Does Notion or Obsidian have better mobile app performance?
Neither app has consistently strong mobile app performance, with both receiving numerous complaints about bugs, crashes, and slow loading, though Notion's issues are often tied to typing and AI features, while Obsidian's are frequently related to sync and initial loading R4R13R15R18.
Which app is better for collaboration?
Notion is explicitly praised for fast and easy sharing of workspaces with others, making it a strong choice for collaboration R2. Obsidian's reviews focus more on individual knowledge management and customization, with less emphasis on collaborative features.
Do either of these apps offer a free version?
Both Notion and Obsidian offer free versions. Notion's free version is considered sufficient by many users R56, while Obsidian's free tier is limited by the lack of free cross-device sync, pushing users towards a paid subscription for full functionality R66R67R70.
Which app has AI features?
Notion heavily integrates AI features, which some users appreciate for generating content and lists R32R26, but many others find intrusive, buggy, and undesirable R3R6R7R21. Obsidian, in contrast, is explicitly praised by users for *not* having integrated AI .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Notion 5/5 · US my notion is amazing: this is the best platform for planning and building your projects that you will ever use. it can be so structured but also has incredible flexibility, and sharing workspaces with others is fast and easy. I have been using this tool for years and will continue to do so. the only thing I wish there was is a mind map feature within pages to allow users a visual representation fo
  2. [R7] Notion 2/5 · US Pls cut back use of ai: Love notion, great app. Hate that ai is shoved down your throat at every turn. Can’t click a single thing without “ai can do this for you!!” I don’t want ai to do it for me. I am here because I want to do it. Ai sucks the fun out of everything. The second I find an alternative that does not use ai is the second I drop notion like a hot potato and switch over everything.
  3. [R32] Notion 5/5 · US So productive!!: I feel like I have a personal assistant! I can just tell the AI tool to create a list, create pages, add check boxes or time slots, etc and it will do it!
  4. [R40] Notion 2/5 · US Used to love it, grown to hate it.: I used to use this app all of the time to plan and organize my life in a way that made sense for me. Lately, the bugs have overtaken the app and it has simply become unusable and indigestible for my brain. AI features have turned me away from the app as well. I am looking for a similar tool without AI, but with the same aesthetic appeal and better functionality.
  5. [R9] Notion 3/5 · US Templates not available: Overall wonderful app but I am frustrated by the non mobile friendly usage at times. I believe there may be a bug (at least when I’m on iPad) when trying to download a new template. I can find them, see them, but cannot download them or even view the product page for them.
  6. [R16] Notion 1/5 · US Redundant: Why? Confusing. Hard to track where items are saved. In a world of Notes app and other apps, I don’t understand where this fits
  7. [R17] Notion 5/5 · US It’s my second brain: I could not live without Notion. It’s like my second brain for my business, mindset, health. Everything. The app is so fast and easy to use. Well done team
  8. [R26] Notion 5/5 · US Amazing: Thank you for designing an intuitive intelligence system to manage my personal affairs and business.
  9. [R1] Notion 1/5 · US Are constant updates necessary??: Bug fixes and performance improvements. Bug fixes and performance improvements. Bug fixes and performance improvements. Bug fixes and performance improvements. Bug fixes and performance improvements. You guys are ridiculous and out of control. Please you don’t need to update your app this frequently. It’s obnoxious.
  10. [R3] Notion 3/5 · US AI chatbot feature is very buggy: Takes long to load, especially on long threads, to the point where i have to quit the app and download again.
  11. [R4] Notion 1/5 · US Issue Mobile View when Typing: Great software, great usages for all sorts of people, BUT the mobile app just struggles with one critical bug that makes the whole thing unusable. When I’m typing, the screen auto-adjusts the view so that where I’m currently typing is just out of view. When this happens, I cannot see what I am typing, hence why the app becomes unusable. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FIX THIS!
  12. [R10] Notion 1/5 · US Latest updates are a problem: Notion has always been fantastic until it wasn’t. The last couple of releases it seems like it has gone downhill considerably. The screens seem to have a mind of their own now and it crashes more frequently than it ever has.
  13. [R8] Notion 4/5 · US I love notion but when I’m trying to contact costumer service: I’ve been using Notion for a while, and I really love the app. It’s been an amazing tool for staying organized. However, I’m disappointed with my recent billing experience. My subscription increased from $12 to $26, and I wanted to speak with a customer support representative to understand why. Unfortunately, when I try to submit a sup
  14. [R56] Notion 5/5 · US Best software for everything: This is the best software for all my work. I can’t find any like it. Even though I still use the free version because of a lack of funds, it serves. Imagine if I paid a subscription! Thank you, Notion!
  15. [R60] Notion 3/5 · GB Great except the subscription model: I really like that I can have everything in one place and everything is so customisable. There are a couple of things that are frustrating about the app - Paying per member when you might just want to give someone view access. Adding members to workspaces: They have to have access to an entire workspace. You might not want them to see everything under one wor
  16. [R62] Obsidian 5/5 · US My go-to for EVERYTHING: The title’s not a joke. Currently, I’m using obsidian to plan and write my novel (yes, inside obsidian!), manage long-term work projects, budget & track finances, and study blender. If it involves information, notes, data, studying, mood boards, you name it, there are plugins to shape this app into virtually anything. Sync is fairly cheap too, and I am happy to support the
  17. [R89] Obsidian 5/5 · US Best app: It’s really the best app out there. Yes out of all apps that exist in the world this one is the best. It provides limitless freedom, and the community driven plugins just add even more value. Use it for just about everything and anything for yourself.
  18. [R119] Obsidian 5/5 · US Notion for people who are actually tech-savvy: I used Notion for a while then discovered Obsidian. It's truly like night and day. While it takes longer to set up, Obsidian undoubtedly has many more features than Notion via plugins. You can take handwritten notes, insert images, make your own website, free calendar integration, etc. Syncing without the paid Obsidian Sync was a pain to set up but I
  19. [R13] Notion 2/5 · US Long documents don’t work on iPhone 12: I’ve used notion for years and it is a great product on desktop! I use long lists with checkboxes and it doesn’t load correctly on iPhone 12. I get 1/5 of the way down the page and it blacks out, shows a loading spinner, and resets me at the top. 100% broken. There is no value on mobile at least iPhone 12. Even when trying to load it is janky AF. Lookin
  20. [R15] Notion 3/5 · US Great App, Performance Issues: I work at a music studio, and this app is amazing at organizing music, students, and schedules. However, on both my iPhone 13 mini and 8th gen iPad, the app is just so slow that it really impedes my work. If they could release a performance optimization update, this review would be 5 stars.
  21. [R18] Notion 3/5 · US Great App; Crashes a ton: I really enjoy this app and it was recommended to me by tons of people. The only downfall is often I have to close out of the app and reopen it because the app will crash or the page will go unresponsive. It does start to become disappointing and daunting, especially when paying a subscription
  22. [R66] Obsidian 3/5 · US No free sync: Great app for world building the only issue is you can’t access vaults made on one device from another which sucks. I love this for world building but I don’t want to pay 4 dollars a month to sync the vaults once! It slows the entire process and makes me want to use another app
  23. [R67] Obsidian 1/5 · US Requires a subscription: Sends new users to their website to pay for a subscription so they don’t have to report in-app purchases
  24. [R70] Obsidian 1/5 · US keeps wanting me to pay: keeps wanting me to pay
  25. [R6] Notion 3/5 · US I love Notion, Not AI…: I use Notion everyday to help me stick to a schedule and plan my life. I despise AI, and the fact it’s even in the title name is repulsive. It’s painful to love this app due to them feeding into this.
  26. [R21] Notion 3/5 · US Peak: Get rid of the ai tho stop wasting water for no reason 🥹 and you’ll get two starts back

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store