My stack
    Comparison

    Notion vs Obsidian

    Notion and Obsidian: two different approaches for similar needs.

    Notion logoNotionAll-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis and databases, with a generous free plan and per-seat paid tiers.€9.50/mo★ 3.6Obsidian logoObsidianObsidian is a free, local-first Markdown note-taking app with bidirectional linking, a plugin ecosystem, and optional paid sync and publish services.$4/mo★ 4.0

    Our verdict

    Notion logo

    Choose Notion

    You are a solo user, or a small team that needs shared docs, databases and light automation in one place.

    Watch out

    • Page limits on Free kick in as soon as a workspace has more than one member.
    • AI agent usage bills separately as credits, adding a variable cost on top of the seat price.
    Obsidian logo

    Choose Obsidian

    You want your notes as plain, portable Markdown files with linking and a plugin ecosystem, and you're comfortable setting up your own sync if you skip the paid option.

    Watch out

    • No built-in real-time collaboration; shared, co-edited vaults depend on the paid Sync service.
    • Cross-device syncing is not part of the free app and requires either the paid Sync add-on or a manual/third-party setup.

    Compare by use case

    Notion logoNotionObsidian logoObsidian
    Primary use caseYou are a solo user, or a small team that needs shared docs, databases and light automation in one place.You want your notes as plain, portable Markdown files with linking and a plugin ecosystem, and you're comfortable setting up your own sync if you skip the paid option.
    Real costNotion : €9.50/moObsidian : $4/mo
    Avoid ifYou need a dedicated heavy-duty project-management or BI tool at real scale.Your team needs built-in real-time co-editing; Obsidian has no live collaboration feature at any price.

    Pricing

    Entry prices of the paid plans. Check taxes, seat counts and limits with the vendor. Checked on 2026-09-25.

    Should you switch?

    Stay if

    You use Notion and you are a solo user, or a small team that needs shared docs, databases and light automation in one place.

    Switch if

    You want your notes as plain, portable Markdown files with linking and a plugin ecosystem, and you're comfortable setting up your own sync if you skip the paid option: Obsidian is built for that.

    Common questions

    Notion or Obsidian: which is cheaper?

    Notion : €9.50/mo; Obsidian : $4/mo.

    Notion or Obsidian: which should you choose?

    Choose Notion if you are a solo user, or a small team that needs shared docs, databases and light automation in one place. Choose Obsidian if you want your notes as plain, portable Markdown files with linking and a plugin ecosystem, and you're comfortable setting up your own sync if you skip the paid option.

    Sources, terms and methodology

    Recommendations are editorial judgements based on documented plans. No hands-on ToolTrim benchmark is presented here.

    Read the ToolTrim methodology →