Obsidian

Obsidian is a free, local-first Markdown note-taking app with bidirectional linking, a plugin ecosystem, and optional paid sync and publish services.

Visit Obsidian

About

In practice. What you can do with Obsidian.

Obsidian keeps notes as plain Markdown files on your device, linked to each other and viewable as a graph, with a Canvas for freeform diagrams and daily notes for a running log. Its open plugin API and thousands of community plugins (Dataview, Kanban, Tasks, Calendar) let it grow into a personal system rather than staying a fixed note-taking app.

The core app is free, including for commercial use, so most solo users never pay. The only recurring costs are optional: Sync at $5/month for encrypted cross-device syncing and shared vaults, and Publish at $10/month per site to turn notes into a website. There's no built-in real-time collaboration, so teams that need to co-edit live will feel the gap.

Practical uses

Personal knowledge baseLink related project notes with backlinks and review the connections in the graph view.
Daily engineering logKeep a daily-notes routine with community Tasks and Kanban plugins to track open items.

Features & use cases

Knowledge management

Liens entre notes

Notes

For. What works in its favour.

Core app is free even for commercial use, with no feature limits and no sign-up required.
Notes stay as local Markdown files, so they remain readable and portable even without Obsidian.

Pays off from

6 minsaved a month

Obsidian costs $4/month. If your hour is worth $40, those 6 min cover it.

Your hour is worth$40/h

Against. What to plan for.

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.

Too expensive if

You use it less than once a month
obsidian (free) already covers the essentials for occasional use

Pricing. What does Obsidian cost ?

Free

Permanent free plan

No sign-up required
Full local Markdown app
No feature limits

Sync

ToolTrim reference price

$4/mo

Billed annually · $5/mo billed monthly.

End-to-end encrypted cross-device sync
Version history
Shared vault collaboration

Publish

$8/mo

Billed annually · $10/mo billed monthly. · Per site

Per site
Publish notes as a website
Customizable themes
Graph and full-text search

Checked on September 25, 2026Official pricing

Alternatives. What could replace Obsidian?

Notion3.6/5 · Very goodFree, then from €11.50/moAll-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis and databases, with a generous free plan and per-seat paid tiers.

Logseq3.8/5 · Very goodFreeLogseq is a free, open-source local-first knowledge graph app with an outliner and optional cloud sync.

Roam Research3.2/5 · GoodFrom €11.81/moRoam Research is a networked note-taking app built on bidirectional links, daily notes and block references.

Reflect3.2/5 · GoodFrom €8.59/moReflect is a networked note-taking app with backlinks, AI writing help and voice transcription, priced at one $12 monthly plan with no free tier.

Heptabase3.2/5 · GoodFrom €7.72/moHeptabase is visual note-taking software with infinite-canvas whiteboards and a built-in AI agent, sold only as a paid subscription after a 7-day trial.

Detailed comparisons

Obsidian vs Notion

Our verdict. What to know about Obsidian.

How the score breaks down

Added value

The core app is free even for commercial use, with paid add-ons limited to Sync ($5/month) and Publish ($10/month), so most solo users pay nothing.

Simplicity

Neutral score: time to reach a useful first result with linking and the plugin ecosystem is not covered by the collected sources.

Fit for purpose

It delivers local Markdown note-taking with linking and a graph view as advertised, without requiring third-party tools for the core workflow.

Performance

Canvas, daily notes, task tracking, and an open plugin API with thousands of community plugins push it well beyond a basic notes app.

Reversibility

Notes are stored as plain local Markdown files with one year of local version history, so data stays portable and readable without the app.

Decided? Visit Obsidian or compare alternatives

AI. What it changes for Obsidian.

AI augments this tool

Go further with AI

Obsidian benefits from third-party AI plugins (summarization, note-linking generation) built by its community, but remains fundamentally a local linked-notes system — AI adds capabilities, it doesn't change the tool's philosophy.

Can AI replace it?

Replace Obsidian with an AI? No: Obsidian's value is keeping notes local, under your control, with bidirectional links built over time — a personal thinking system AI doesn't replace. It can help summarize or link notes. Verdict: AI augments note usage, the thinking system remains personal.

Frequently asked questions. What people ask about Obsidian.

What is Obsidian used for?

Obsidian is a free, local-first Markdown note-taking app with bidirectional linking, a plugin ecosystem, and optional paid sync and publish services.

How much does Obsidian cost?

Obsidian costs $4/month (Sync plan). Price verified on September 25, 2026.

Is Obsidian suitable for beginners?

A developer or technical solo worker who wants notes stored as plain local Markdown files, extendable through a plugin API, rather than locked in a hosted app.

Is Obsidian worth the price?

The free core app covers a solo user with no cost; add Sync at $5/month ($4/month billed annually) only once you actually need encrypted cross-device access.

What are the best alternatives to Obsidian?

The main alternatives to Obsidian are: Notion, Logseq, Roam Research, Reflect, Heptabase. Free alternatives: Logseq.

Is there a free alternative to Obsidian?

Yes, obsidian is a free alternative to Obsidian.