When it comes to digital writing, finding the right tool can make all the difference for power users. While there is no shortage of writing tools out there, two popular contenders often top the list: iA Writer and Obsidian. The former is known for its minimalist and distraction-free environment, and the latter is a powerful knowledge base that leverages flexibility, customization, and the concept of networked thought. But which one is better?

In this post, I will compare Obsidian and iA Writer based on different factors like user interface, cross-platform availability, features, security, pricing, and more to help you make an informed decision in no time.

Cross-platform availability

Up until a recent incident, both iA Writer and Obsidian were neck-and-neck in terms of cross-platform availability. Thanks to a recent change in Google’s security policies, iA Writer was forced to cease its operations on Android. It is available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Windows only.

In comparison, Obsidian is accessible on practically all platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux. Go with Obsidian if your workflow includes Android or Linux system.

User interface

Since they are focused on power writers, both Obsidian and iA Writer deliver a clean UI and UX by default. If I had to pick one, I would go with iA Writer since it’s better designed and feels native. The out-of-box Obsidian UI is quite basic. However, here is where Obsidian’s flexibility comes into play.

Obsidian comes with a dedicated theme store to change the entire app's look, fonts, accent color, and iconography with just a single click. I used the Things theme (based on a popular task management app on Mac called Things 3) to give my Obsidian vault a neat makeover.

Note organization

Both Obsidian and iA Writer are quite identical in terms of note organization. They both support multiple folders and let you use tags to categorize your notes efficiently. With Obsidian, you do have the flexibility to create multiple vaults for different purposes.

iA Writer has a neat feature called smart folders. As the name suggests, you can create a smart folder with specific conditions and let the system organize all the relevant notes based on it. For example, you can create a smart folder called Finance and have it automatically add relevant files which contain text such as Money, Stock Market, Invoice, and more. There are multiple conditions you can set, and the possibilities are endless here.

Features

Now, let’s glance over some of the noteworthy features of iA Writer and Obsidian. I will first start with the former.

Focus mode

Focus mode is one of the best features of iA Writer. As the name suggests, it lets you create a distraction-free setup to focus on your writing. You can either focus on a sentence or paragraph, or even enable a typewriter mode.

iA Writer also has a neat add-on called authorship, which can track what you wrote versus pasted from other sources. You can easily differentiate borrowed content and make relevant changes to remain in control.

Custom templates

iA Writer offers a selection of built-in templates designed to enhance your writing experience and cater to different styles and needs. You can either pick one from the default options or head to the templates store on the web to explore more.

Now, let’s take a look at what’s special about Obsidian.

Plugins

Obsidian simply kills the competition when it comes to third-party plugins. The company has a robust following of passionate developers who offer hundreds of plugins to extend your Obsidian vault’s functionality. For instance, you can unlock Kanban boards, Excel-like advanced tables, and much more to supercharge your workflow.

Canvas

Obsidian supports an infinite canvas where you can use cards, different shapes, arrows, and more to freely brainstorm ideas, thoughts, and otherwise. You don’t need another whiteboard tool to get the job done, you can use the same right within your Obsidian vault.

Graph view

Both iA Writer and Obsidian support backlinks to connect your related notes and files. However, Obsidian is a step ahead, and you can check the relationship between such notes via a dedicated graph view.

Cloud sync

Both iA Writer and Obsidian are quite flexible here. When you create a new vault in Obsidian, you can pick any location on your device to save your folders and notes. For example, it can be in OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or a local folder. iA Writer, by default, uses iCloud to sync your files and folders. However, you can always use another cloud storage of your choice to get the job done.

Pricing structure

Here is where it gets interesting. All Obsidian core features are completely free to use. You have a couple of paid add-ons like Sync ($5 per month) and Publish ($10 per month) to unlock end-to-end encryption, the ability to publish your notes on the web, and more.

iA Writer works on a one-time purchase model. You need to make the one-time payment on the specific platforms on which you want to access iA Writer. It is priced at $50 on Mac, $50 on iPhone and iPad, and $30 on Windows.

Distraction-free writing vs. the power of connections

With built-in Markdown support and connections, both iA Writer and Obsidian have nailed the basics. However, their similarities end here. While iA Writer has a better writing environment with focus mode, syntax, and style check, Obsidian marches ahead with third-party plugins, themes, graphs, and a superior pricing structure with an ample free plan. Ultimately, the choice between iA Writer and Obsidian hinges on your individual writing style and objectives.

Obsidian is more than just a writing tool, though. You can use it to create a Personal Knowledge Management system as well - check out our separate guide to learn more.