Local-first markdown note-taking that is free to use, with optional paid sync.
- Starting price
- Free; Sync from $4/user/month
- Pricing model
- Free
- User rating
- 4.5 / 5
- Best for
- Local, plain-text notes you own outright
Obsidian keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your own disk. There is no database, no proprietary format and no requirement to be online. That single decision explains everything else about it.
Who Obsidian is for
People building a knowledge base they expect to keep for decades. Because the files are ordinary Markdown, anything you write remains readable if Obsidian disappears tomorrow.
The plugin ecosystem is enormous, which is both the appeal and the catch. Obsidian rewards tinkering and punishes people who just want something that works out of the box.
What Obsidian costs
The app is free for personal use, with no account and no limits. Most people never pay anything.
Sync is $4 per user a month billed annually, or $5 monthly, and gives end-to-end encrypted syncing across devices. Publish is $8 per site a month annually, or $10 monthly.
Commercial use requires a licence at $50 per user a year. Catalyst is a one-off $25 supporter payment for early access, not a requirement.
Obsidian pricing and plans
Personal
$0
free, no sign-up
No limits and no account required.
- All core features
- Unlimited local vaults
- Full plugin and theme access
- Files stay on your own disk
Sync
$4
per user, per month, billed annually
$5 a month billed monthly.
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Version history
- Sync across unlimited devices
- Selective folder sync
Publish
$8
per site, per month, billed annually
$10 a month billed monthly.
- Publish a vault as a website
- Custom domain
- Graph view and search
- Password protection
Commercial licence
$50
per user, per year
Required for business use.
- Everything in Personal
- Legal commercial use
- Priority support
Pricing checked against the official Obsidian pricing page on 5 September 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you buy.
What Obsidian actually does
- Notes stored as plain Markdown on your own disk
- Bidirectional links and a graph view
- Over a thousand community plugins
- Custom themes and CSS
- Canvas for visual thinking
- Local-first, works fully offline
- Optional end-to-end encrypted sync
- Publish a vault as a public site
Pros and cons
What works well
- Free for personal use with no limits
- Notes are plain Markdown you own outright
- Works entirely offline
- Over a thousand community plugins
- Sync is cheap and end-to-end encrypted
What to watch out for
- Commercial use needs a $50 per user annual licence
- Plugin ecosystem invites endless tinkering
- No real-time collaboration
- Mobile sync effectively requires the paid add-on
- Very small third-party review sample
Obsidian FAQs
Is Obsidian free?
Yes, for personal use, with no account, no limits and no time restriction. Sync and Publish are optional paid add-ons.
Do I need to pay for Sync?
No. You can sync a vault yourself with iCloud, Dropbox or Git. Obsidian Sync at $4 a month adds end-to-end encryption and version history without that setup.
Do I need a commercial licence?
If you use Obsidian for work at a company with two or more people, yes. It is $50 per user a year.
Where are my notes stored?
In a folder on your own device as plain Markdown files. Nothing is required to leave your machine unless you turn on Sync or Publish.
What happens if Obsidian shuts down?
Your notes remain readable. They are ordinary text files, editable in any editor, which is the main reason people choose it.
Is it better than Notion?
Different. Obsidian is local, private and file-based. Notion is collaborative, database-driven and cloud-native. Obsidian wins on ownership, Notion on teamwork.
How steep is the learning curve?
The basics take minutes. The plugin ecosystem is where people lose weeks, so start with the defaults and add plugins only when something genuinely annoys you.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, on iOS and Android, free for personal use. Getting your vault onto the phone is where most people end up paying for Sync.
Where does the 4.5 rating come from?
It is the aggregate score from 12 reviewers on G2, checked 12 August 2026. The sample is very small, so treat it as a weak signal.
Weighing up other options? Read the 7 best Obsidian alternatives.
Ready to try Obsidian?
Go to Obsidian