1Writer vs Obsidian

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

1Writer

Markdown editor for iPhone and iPad with scriptable actions

From $4.99 one-time

Obsidian

Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device

Free plan · from $4/mo

Where they differ

1Writer starts at $4.99 one-time on the App Store. Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on).
Obsidian has a free plan. 1Writer does not.
Only Obsidian lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
1Writer can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Obsidian also covers linked notes and whiteboard.

In commoniOSWorks offlineNotesMarkdown

	1Writer	Obsidian
Pricing	Paid	Free plan
Starts at	$4.99 one-time on the App Store	$4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on)
Free plan	None	The app is free without limits on desktop and mobile, with no sign-up, and a commercial license is not required for work use. Sync and Publish are optional paid add-ons.
Free trial	None listed	None listed
macOS
Windows
Linux
iOS
Android
Browser extension
Made by	Ngoc Luu	Dynalist Inc.
Price read from	apps.apple.com	obsidian.md
Checked	Oct 9, 2026	Oct 4, 2026

1Writer

Writing Markdown on an iPhone or iPad with files kept in Dropbox, iCloud Drive or WebDAV
People who automate text work with JavaScript actions or URL schemes
Anyone who wants an editor bought once, with no subscription

Obsidian

1Writer

iPhone and iPad only: there is no Android, Windows or web version, and on the Mac it runs only as the iPad app on Apple silicon.
There is no free version or trial; the app costs $4.99 up front on the US App Store.
The App Store version history lists only bug-fix releases since April 2021; the most recent is version 3.3.8 from September 2025.

Obsidian

There is no web app; Obsidian runs as desktop and mobile apps only.
Obsidian Sync is a paid add-on, from $4 per user / month billed annually.
Sync Standard covers 1 vault with 1 GB of storage and a 5 MB file size limit; larger limits need Sync Plus.
Publishing notes to the web is billed separately from Sync, at $8 per site / month on annual billing.

1Writer

Markdown editing with inline preview: Plain-text and Markdown files show their formatting inline while you write, with a full rich-text preview when you are done. MultiMarkdown is supported.
Sync with iCloud Drive, Dropbox and WebDAV: Pick the Dropbox or WebDAV folders to sync, or sync them all. Changes made offline sync at the next connection, and a document started on a Mac in iCloud Drive can be continued in 1Writer.
Custom actions in JavaScript: Built-in actions can be extended with your own, written in JavaScript or built on the onewriter:// URL scheme, which supports the x-callback-url protocol.
Sharing and export: Generate a link to a document as plain text or PDF, email it as plain text, formatted text or PDF, or copy its HTML to the clipboard.
In-app web browser: Look things up without switching apps, and copy a selection from a web page to the clipboard as Markdown in one action.
Customizable keyboard row: An extra row above the keyboard holds navigation, formatting and special characters, and can be assigned the actions you use most.

Obsidian

Local Markdown files: Notes are saved on your device as plain-text Markdown files, so they stay readable in other editors and available offline.
Links and graph view: Notes link to one another, and a graph view draws the relationships between them so related ideas are easier to find.
Canvas: An infinite board for laying out notes, diagrams and research side by side while brainstorming.
Plugins and themes: Thousands of community plugins and themes, built on an open API, change how the app looks and behaves.
Sync (paid add-on): End-to-end encrypted sync across devices with version history and shared vaults that update in real time for a team.
Publish and Web Clipper: Publish turns notes into a hosted site, priced per site. The Web Clipper extension saves web pages from Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.

1Writer

1Writer$4.99
one-time purchase on the App Store
The full app for iPhone and iPad. The in-app purchases are optional tips from $0.99 to $19.99, and the release notes say no update has been charged for.

Obsidian

Obsidian app$0
The full app with local Markdown notes, links, graph, canvas, plugins and themes. No account needed.
Sync Standard$4
per user / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)
Encrypted sync for 1 vault with 1 GB of storage, a 5 MB maximum file size and 1 month of version history.
Sync Plus$8
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Sync for 10 vaults with 10 GB of storage (upgradable to 100 GB), 200 MB maximum file size and 12 months of version history.
Publish$8
per site / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Publishes selected notes as a website with a custom domain, password protection, graph view and full-text search.
Catalyst$25
one-time payment
Optional supporter license with early access to beta versions, community badges and exclusive channels.
Commercial$50
per user / year
Optional license for organizations that want to support development. It is not required to use Obsidian at work.

1Writer

No public discounts listed.

Obsidian

Annual discount
20% lower price with annual billing
Sync is $4 per user / month billed annually versus $5 billed monthly, and Publish is $8 per site versus $10: a 20% saving on each.
Education
40% off Sync and Publish for students and faculty
Students and faculty members of schools and universities can apply for 40% off Obsidian Sync and Publish from their account dashboard, using a school email.
Nonprofit
40% off Sync and Publish for nonprofits
People who run or work at a nonprofit organization can apply for 40% off Obsidian Sync and Publish, using their organization email.