- Price
- Free · Sync $4/mo
- Status
- Active · since 2020
- Maker
- Obsidian
- Facts checked
Image: Obsidian — official share image, used for identification
Obsidian at a glance: 8.5/10 (Excellent). Free, local-first Markdown notes you will always own. Price: Free · Sync $4/mo. Best for: Writers, researchers and privacy-minded note-takers who want local, linkable Markdown notes they own. Biggest drawback: Confusing onboarding (vault creation) and a steep learning curve.
Verdict
Obsidian gives away the whole app, keeps your notes as plain Markdown files on your own device, and lets thousands of community plugins bend it to any workflow. It asks for patience in return: setup is confusing, there is no web app and no built-in AI, and collaboration needs paid Sync or third-party tools.
Get it if
You write or research a lot, care about privacy and longevity, and enjoy shaping your own system.
Skip it if
You need real-time team collaboration, a browser version, or something that works perfectly on day one.
Overview
Obsidian started in 2020 (co-founder Erica Xu; CEO Steph Ango, per its About page) and has stuck to a simple promise: notes are Markdown files stored on your device, they work offline, and you can open them in any other editor. Bidirectional links, a graph view and Canvas turn those files into a connected knowledge base.
The app is free for personal and work use — the official FAQ says a $50/year commercial license is optional. Paid add-ons cover what local files can’t: Sync ($4/user/month yearly) with end-to-end encryption and shared vaults, and Publish ($8/site/month yearly) for putting notes on the web.
Zapier’s comparison highlights the upside — fast, private, endlessly customizable — and the cost: vault setup confuses newcomers and the learning curve is steep. TechRadar’s 2022 review flagged the missing web version, which Obsidian’s download page confirms is still the case.
What it does
- Notes are stored on your device and work offline
- Open file formats (Markdown plain text), so your notes are never locked in
- Thousands of community plugins and themes
- Bidirectional links, graph view and Canvas for visual mapping
- Obsidian Sync: end-to-end encryption, version history, shared vaults (paid)
- Obsidian Publish: publish a site with graph and full-text search (paid)
- Web Clipper and a CLI (both listed in the site navigation)
From Obsidian (official).
Plans & platforms
| Pricing model | Free app + optional add-ons |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Full app, personal and work use |
| Sync add-on | $4/user/mo yearly ($5 monthly) |
| Publish add-on | $8/site/mo yearly ($10 monthly) |
| Offline | Yes — local files |
| Data format | Plain-text Markdown |
| Web app | No |
Pricing as listed by Obsidian pricing page. Prices change; check before you buy.
The good
What reviewers say
Zapier calls out Obsidian’s plain-text Markdown files and offline-first storage as the reasons it is fast, private and low on lock-in risk, while warning about a steep learning curve.
Score breakdown
Five criteria, each 0–10, weighted into the overall score (see weights).
Questions people ask
Is Obsidian worth it in 2026?
We rate Obsidian 8.5/10 (Excellent). Obsidian gives away the whole app, keeps your notes as plain Markdown files on your own device, and lets thousands of community plugins bend it to any workflow. It asks for patience in return: setup is confusing, there is no web app and no built-in AI, and collaboration needs paid Sync or third-party tools.
How much does Obsidian cost?
Obsidian app: $0; Catalyst: $25 one-time; Commercial license (optional): $50 per user/year. Prices from Obsidian’s official pricing page, checked Oct 31, 2026.
What platforms does Obsidian run on?
Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
What are the best alternatives to Obsidian?
Granola (8.2/10, Free · $14/user/mo); Notion (8.0/10, Free · Plus $10/mo).
Is there a Obsidian discount or coupon?
40% off Obsidian Sync & Publish for education and nonprofits.
Sources
- Obsidian Pricing obsidian.md · accessed Oct 31, 2026
- Obsidian homepage obsidian.md · accessed Oct 31, 2026
- Download Obsidian obsidian.md · accessed Oct 31, 2026
- About Obsidian obsidian.md · accessed Oct 31, 2026
- Obsidian vs. Notion (Zapier, updated Oct 2026) zapier.com · accessed Oct 31, 2026
- Obsidian review (TechRadar, Stefan Ionescu, 2022-08-04, 4.5/5) techradar.com · accessed Oct 31, 2026
