This v2md review looks at an iPhone and Apple Watch app that turns voice memos into Markdown notes for Obsidian. It launched in mid-2025 to a rough reception over its price. A year and at least 25 updates later, it is a different app. Here is what it does now, what it costs, and who should pay for it.
Based on the App Store listing, the full version history, 25 App Store ratings and two large Reddit threads from the Obsidian and iOS communities. Prices checked 26 September 2026.
Key Takeaways
- v2md records up to 2 hours, transcribes it with AI models, titles it and saves a .md file for Obsidian or any Markdown app. (App Store)
- Prices in 2026: $4.99 a week, $7.99 a month, $47.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime. There is no free tier. (App Store)
- The launch price was about $10 a month, and Obsidian users called it “horrendously overpriced”. (Reddit)
- Since February 2026 the app sends audio to an online transcription model, and long jobs finish in the cloud. Only your notes stay on the device. (version history)
- Flow Tags, added in 2026, run your own prompt on each recording: meeting notes, tasks or a summary, straight into a daily note or Apple Reminders. (version history)
1What is v2md?
v2md is an iPhone and Apple Watch app from Singapore-based Botisan AI. You tap record, speak, and it transcribes the audio with AI, gives it a short title and saves it as a Markdown file. You choose the folder, so the note lands straight in your Obsidian vault or another Markdown app.
The core is simple: record, transcribe, export. Around it, v2md has grown a set of power features. Flow Tags apply an instruction to a recording, such as “turn this into meeting notes with action items”. Exports can be appended to an existing file or to today’s daily note, with the date in the filename (App Store).
The Apple Watch app is the feature buyers mention most. You can start a recording from a watch complication or the Action Button, and it syncs to the phone for transcription. The app needs iOS 18.6 and watchOS 11.6 or later. There is no Mac or iPad version.
If you prefer to keep everything on your own server, our Scriberr review covers a self-hosted transcription tool. For meetings on a Mac, our Prismical review looks at a note-taker that runs Whisper locally.
2What changed since launch (2025 to 2026)
A lot. v2md launched in June 2025 as a basic recorder with a steep subscription. Through 2026 it added long-audio transcription, Apple Watch shortcuts, Flow Tags, Apple Reminders sync, daily-note exports and mixed-language support. The developer ships an update every week or two.
| When | Version | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | Launch | Shared on r/ObsidianMD at about $10 a month; pushback on price |
| Jan 2026 | Promo | Free lifetime membership for a few days (was $69.99) |
| Feb 2026 | 2.2.x | New model for recordings over an hour, widgets, watch complications, lock-screen record button |
| Mar 2026 | 2.2.5 – 2.3.1 | Flow Tag prompts and export folders, Apple Reminders sync, external microphones, cloud processing for long jobs |
| Apr 2026 | 2.3.3 | Watch quick-record on the Action Button, Shortcuts actions, separate audio folder |
| Aug 2026 | 2.4.1 – 2.5.0 | Append to daily notes, audio export off, playback controls, Flow Tag templates, mixed languages |
| Sep 2026 | 2.5.2 | Date-based filenames so notes sort by date |
Sources: App Store version history, r/ObsidianMD, r/iosapps.
Several of these came straight from reviews. In January a buyer asked for Shortcuts support, and the developer said it was coming. The Shortcuts actions and watch quick-record shipped in April. That pace is a good sign for a small app, and it shows in the reviews: 25 ratings, averaging 4.6.
3Is v2md private?
Partly. v2md needs no account and keeps your notes and recordings on your phone. But transcription is not on-device: since February 2026 your audio is compressed and sent to an online AI model, and long recordings finish processing in the cloud. The App Store label lists usage data that is not linked to you.
The listing says “no data stored in external servers”. That fits the notes themselves. The release notes, though, describe audio going to “our online transcription model” and long jobs that “continue securely in the cloud” (App Store). The listing does not say how long that audio is kept.
This was also the sharpest point in the 2025 Reddit thread. One of the top replies argued the app is no more private than a Shortcut, because the audio still goes to an AI provider (Reddit). If your recordings hold patient, client or legal details, choose a tool that transcribes locally. For a wider look at trusting small apps, see our Huntarr incident write-up.
4What users say about v2md
App Store buyers are mostly happy: 4.6 stars from 25 ratings. They like the Apple Watch app, Flow Tags and the lifetime option. The complaints are a transcription bug after one update, missing Mac and iPad apps, and, from the Obsidian community in 2025, the price.
Other buyers praise the Apple Voice Memos sharing and the “zero data collection” lifetime option, and ask for iPad and Mac versions. One review is harsh. After an update, a lecture transcription took ages and repeated a single word about 2,000 times. The developer replied that recent tweaks had made things worse and asked for the recording to fix it (App Store).
On Reddit the picture changed with the price. At launch, the top replies on r/ObsidianMD called $10 a month “horrendously overpriced”. They pointed to free Shortcuts plus ChatGPT, or apps like Just Press Record, Noted and Funnel. In January 2026 the developer gave away free lifetime memberships on r/iosapps for a few days. That thread drew about 200 comments, with praise for the Watch app and one report of a paywall glitch (Reddit).
We saw the same pattern in our study of 806 Reddit threads on hidden-gem software. Small apps win people over by listening and shipping, and the Obsidian crowd is quick to push back on price.
5v2md pricing in 2026
v2md is free to download but needs a paid plan to use: $4.99 a week, $7.99 a month, $47.99 a year or $99.99 once for lifetime. The yearly plan is the cheapest way to try it for a season. The lifetime plan pays off after about two years of yearly billing.
| Plan | Price | Cost per year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $4.99 | about $259 | App Store |
| Monthly | $7.99 | $95.88 | App Store |
| Yearly | $47.99 | $47.99 | App Store |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-off | App Store |
The history matters here. The lifetime price was $69.99 in January 2026 and is $99.99 now, while the monthly plan dropped from about $10 at launch to $7.99. If you already know v2md fits your routine, lifetime is the better deal. If you are unsure, start with the yearly plan.
6v2md alternatives
The free route is an iOS Shortcut that records, sends the audio to a transcription service and saves a Markdown file. It costs time instead of money. Other paid apps Reddit users suggested are Just Press Record, Noted and Funnel. For fully local transcription, look at self-hosted or on-device tools.
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| v2md | Automatic voice-to-Markdown, Apple Watch, Flow Tags | Subscription or $99.99; cloud transcription |
| iOS Shortcut + AI service | Tinkerers who want it free | You build and maintain it; audio still goes to a provider |
| Just Press Record / Noted / Funnel | Alternatives named on r/ObsidianMD | Different focus; check Markdown export yourself |
| Self-hosted (e.g. Scriberr) | Full privacy | Needs your own server |
Our Scriberr review covers the self-hosted route in depth. If you mostly summarize videos and podcasts rather than your own voice, our TubeOnAI review is the better fit. For translating text on a Mac, see our Easydict review.
7v2md pros and cons
Pros
- Apple Watch recording with Action Button and complications (source)
- Flow Tags turn recordings into notes, tasks or summaries (source)
- Flexible Markdown export: daily notes, append, date filenames (source)
- No account; notes stay on your device (source)
- Frequent updates driven by user feedback (source)
8v2md review verdict (2026)
v2md has grown from an overpriced recorder into a capable voice-to-Markdown tool. The Apple Watch capture and Flow Tags do things a simple Shortcut does not, and the developer ships fast. The price is still steep for what is, at heart, a transcription app, and “private” only covers your notes, not the audio.
How we researched this review
- Read the App Store listing, the in-app purchase list, the privacy label and the full 2026 version history (26 September 2026).
- Read all visible App Store reviews and the developer’s replies.
- Read the June 2025 launch thread on r/ObsidianMD and the January 2026 promo thread on r/iosapps.
- Calculated plan costs from the listed prices for this v2md review.
- First published January 2026; fully updated 26 September 2026.
v2md FAQ
Is v2md free?
No. It is free to download, but the App Store listing says a subscription or lifetime purchase is required to use it. Plans start at $4.99 a week.
Does v2md work with Obsidian?
Yes. It saves Markdown (.md) files to a folder you choose, such as your Obsidian vault, and can append to today’s daily note.
Does v2md transcribe on-device?
No. Since February 2026 audio is sent to an online transcription model, and long recordings finish in the cloud. Notes and recordings are stored on your device.
Does v2md have an Apple Watch app?
Yes. You can record from the watch face or the Action Button, and recordings sync to your iPhone for transcription.
Is there a v2md app for Mac or iPad?
Not as of September 2026. It runs on iPhone (iOS 18.6+) and Apple Watch (watchOS 11.6+).
What is the bottom line of this v2md review?
v2md is a capable voice-to-Markdown app with a strong Apple Watch workflow, but it is pricey and transcribes in the cloud. Try the yearly plan before buying lifetime.
Is the v2md lifetime plan worth it?
If you will use it for more than about two years, yes: $99.99 once versus $47.99 a year. It equals about 12.5 months of the monthly plan.
Sources
- App Store — Transcribe Audio to Text: v2md (listing, prices, privacy label, reviews, version history; checked 26 Sep 2026). link
- v2md — official website. link
- Reddit r/ObsidianMD — “I built an app to take voice memos and save into Obsidian as Markdown” (Jun 2025). link
- Reddit r/iosapps — free lifetime promo thread (Jan 2026). link
AI assistance was used for research and drafting; every fact was checked against the listed sources. Prices and figures checked 26 September 2026.