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Obsidian

Private, local-first notes stored as plain Markdown files.

Free plan + paidNote-taking apps
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About Obsidian

Obsidian is a note-taking app that keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your own device. Notes link to each other with double-bracket links, and a graph view shows how ideas connect. A large community plugin ecosystem adds features such as task lists, calendars and spaced repetition. Because the files are ordinary text, you can back them up, sync them with any tool and open them in other editors. The app is free for personal use, and optional paid services add end-to-end encrypted sync and web publishing.

Best for: People who want to own their notes as local Markdown files.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Notes are plain Markdown files you own
  • Works fully offline
  • Huge plugin ecosystem

Why people leave

  • Official sync is a paid add-on
  • Real-time collaboration is limited

Top Obsidian alternatives

See all 10
  1. 1Logseq logo
    Logseq

    Also local Markdown files and free, with an outliner instead of documents.

    76.8
  2. 2Joplin logo
    Joplin

    Open source with built-in encrypted sync options at no cost.

    72.8
  3. 3Anytype logo
    Anytype

    Local-first and encrypted, with database-style objects built in.

    70.9
  4. 4Notion logo
    Notion

    Better for team collaboration and databases, at the cost of local files.

    54.8
  5. 5Bear logo
    Bear

    Simpler, beautifully designed Markdown writing on Apple devices.

    54.0

Why people left Obsidian

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Obsidian, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Obsidian: common questions

Is Obsidian free?

Obsidian has a free plan and paid plans.

Is Obsidian open source?

No, Obsidian is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Logseq, Joplin and Reflect.

What platforms does Obsidian run on?

Obsidian is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Obsidian?

The highest-ranked Obsidian alternatives right now are Logseq, Joplin and Anytype. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 10 Obsidian alternatives