note-taking app · Obsidian

Obsidian

Free note app that keeps notes as Markdown files on your own disk, with paid end-to-end encrypted sync.

71/100

#3 of 10 note-taking apps
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

The app is free for personal and commercial use, with no account needed¹².
Notes are Markdown text files in a folder on your disk, so other editors can open them⁵.
Sync costs $4 a month billed yearly, or $5 billed monthly, with end-to-end encryption on by default^1,6.
Apps run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android; the download page lists no web app³.
Shared vaults take up to 20 people, but two people cannot edit the same note live⁷.

Obsidian suits people who want notes as plain Markdown files that stay readable outside the app⁵. The app is free, and paid Sync adds end-to-end encryption and version history^1,6. The catch: there is no free official sync, no web app listed, and no live co-editing^3,7,11.

Best for: People who want their notes as plain files they own.

Where the points come from

Systems22 of 25

Your data24 of 30

Features15 of 25

Price10 of 20

Systems 22 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Apps	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidThe download page lists apps for all five systems and no web app³.	15 / 18
Works offline	YesNotes are stored on your device, so you can open them even offline⁴.	7 / 7

Your data 24 of 30 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Notes as plain files	YesNotes are Markdown plain-text files in a folder on your disk; other editors can open them⁵.	10 / 10
Export everything to Markdown or HTML	YesEvery note is already a Markdown file in your vault folder⁵.	6 / 6
End-to-end encryption	YesSync uses end-to-end encryption by default; Obsidian says it cannot read your data⁶.	8 / 8
Open source	Not publishedObsidian does not say the app is open source; only the Web Clipper's code is public¹⁰.	0 / 6

Features 15 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Web clipper	YesThe free official Web Clipper works in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and other browsers¹⁰.	5 / 5
Linked notes	YesThe Backlinks core plugin shows every note that links to the active note⁹.	5 / 5
Real-time collaboration	NoObsidian says it does not yet support live editing of the same file⁷.	0 / 5
Tables and databases	YesBases shows notes as tables, cards, lists or kanban boards, with properties you can sort and filter⁸.	5 / 5
Handwriting and drawing	Not published	0 / 5

Price 10 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free sync	NoOfficial Sync is paid; the free app syncs only through other tools such as iCloud or Syncthing^1,11.	0 / 10
Cheapest paid plan	$4/moSync Standard, $4 a month billed yearly¹.	10 / 10

The rule behind each line: how we score note-taking apps.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Free1 person	Free^1,12	$0	Full app, no account needed
Sync Standard1 person	$4/month, billed yearly^1,2	$4	$5 billed monthly; 1 GB, 1 month of version history
Sync Plus1 person	$8/month, billed yearly²	$8	$10 billed monthly; 10 GB, 12 months of version history
Publish1 site	$8/month per site, billed yearly¹	$8	$10 billed monthly; publishes notes as a website

Students, faculty and non-profit staff get 40% off Sync and Publish. Sync and Publish can be refunded within 7 days¹.

Strengths

Notes stay as Markdown files on your disk, readable by other apps⁵.
Sync is end-to-end encrypted by default, so Obsidian says it cannot read your notes⁶.
Bases shows notes as tables, cards or boards you can sort and filter⁸.
The Backlinks core plugin lists every note that links to the open note⁹.
The official Web Clipper is free and works in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge¹⁰.

Limits

Official sync is a paid add-on; free sync means setting up iCloud, Git or Syncthing yourself^1,11.
Obsidian does not support live editing of the same file by several people⁷.
The download page lists desktop and mobile apps but no web app³.
Sync Standard holds 1 GB and keeps one month of version history².

What Obsidian says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

Obsidian says it is 100% supported by its users, not investors¹³.

Other note-taking apps

1
AnytypePeople who want Notion-style databases kept encrypted on their own devices
76/100
$4/mocheapest paid plan
2
LogseqPeople who want linked notes as plain files they control
72/100
$5/mocheapest paid plan
4
JoplinPeople who want free, open-source notes with encrypted sync
67/100
$2.67/mocheapest paid plan
5
Standard NotesPeople who want private notes synced free on every device
63/100
$7.50/mocheapest paid plan

Obsidian vs Anytype · Obsidian vs Logseq · All 10 note-taking apps

Sources

Pricing - Obsidian, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Obsidian Sync, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Download Obsidian, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Obsidian, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How Obsidian stores data - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Security and privacy - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Collaborate on a shared vault - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Introduction to Bases - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Backlinks - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Obsidian Web Clipper, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Sync your notes across devices - Obsidian Help, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
License Overview - Obsidian, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
About - Obsidian, Obsidian. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: obsidian.md · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Obsidian.