Obsidian review

Obsidian is the best app here for people who want to own their notes. Everything is a Markdown file on your own device, so there is no lock-in, and the app is free without limits, with no sign-up required. Links between notes, a graph view and full text search make it strong for research and long-term knowledge bases, and a large library of community plugins can add calendars, task lists and more. The paid pieces are optional. Sync costs $4 per user per month billed annually and adds end-to-end encrypted sync, version history and shared vaults. Publish costs $8 per site per month billed annually. Commercial use does not require a license, though a $50 per user per year license is offered. The trade-off is effort. A good Obsidian setup takes time, and teams that need real-time collaboration will be happier in Notion.

Who it is for

Writers, researchers and developers who want private notes stored as plain files.

Price

Free app; Sync from $4 per user per month billed annually; Publish $8 per site per month billed annually.

Sync $4 USD Per user, per month, billed annually
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 4, 2026.

Key features

• Notes stored as local Markdown files
• Sync add-on with end-to-end encryption and version history
• Publish add-on for putting notes on the web
• Graph and full text search
• Community plugins and themes

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free without limits and no sign-up required
• Strength: Your notes stay as plain files you control
• Strength: Optional paid services are cheap
• Weakness: Syncing across devices costs extra or needs your own setup
• Weakness: Plugins add power but also setup time
• Weakness: Collaboration is limited compared with Notion

Key facts

• Core app: Free, no sign-up required
• Commercial license: Optional, $50 per user per year
• Refunds: Full refund within 7 days for Sync and Publish

Where it ranks

Obsidian is No. 2 in our Best Note-Taking Apps verdict.