I use and really like Obsidian, but there is something about the UX that is often making me come back to Apple Notes: it feels easier/faster to create new notes, retrieve them and search in Apple Notes.

There’s too many considerations: “What should I name this note?” “What should I link this note to?” “What folder should this be under?”

W/ my obsidian setup, the note's name equalst its headline and I don't do a ton of linking for the sake of linking. I like to pick folders of broad realms or topics. But the act of creating a new note is no different than most tools, except maybe for Notes or Keep where you just hit plus and throw them pretty much in the same stack.

Hard agree. This type of app looks awesome in theory, but also makes me want to really organize my thoughts, make sure the tags are not too redundant, and think about how to merge with my previous notes (a lot of which is on paper). Then the perceived work involved for using such an app just for taking spontaneous notes become way too much.

I've tried many second-brain note apps, including Obsidian. What drew me to Reflect (away from Obsidian) was full functionality out of the box without the need for plugins. Some may like plugins, but for me, I got tired of having to update one or more plugins almost every time I opened the app. I shouldn't have to have plugins for what I consider core features. Reflect is fully functional without any plugins to update (or get compromised or stop getting updated). Plus, the design team is super thoughtful about what they incorporate. In my mind, they are just opinionated enough to make good calls and not bloat the program.