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About Obsidian
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a free and flexible note-taking app designed for your private thoughts. It stores every note locally on your device, so you can access them instantly even offline. No one else can read your notes — not even Obsidian.
What problem does Obsidian solve?
Most note apps lock your data in proprietary formats or require a subscription. Obsidian uses open file formats (plain Markdown), so you own your data forever and are never locked in. It helps you think better by letting you link ideas, visualize connections in a graph, and organize knowledge with plugins tailored to your workflow.
Who is it for?
Obsidian is ideal for writers, researchers, students, project managers, and anyone who builds a personal knowledge base or a second brain. It is not designed for teams needing real-time collaborative editing (use Notion or Coda instead), nor for users who prefer a fully hosted cloud-only experience.
Real use cases
Use Obsidian to create a personal Wikipedia of linked ideas, journal daily, manage projects, compile research notes with backlinks, or build a Zettelkasten system. The graph view reveals hidden connections between your notes, sparking new insights.
Key features
- Private by design — All notes are stored locally on your device; no one else can access them, not even Obsidian.
- Free without limits — No sign-up required, no strings attached. Use the full core app for free forever.
- Thousands of plugins & themes — Customize the app to fit your thinking style, from task management to daily notes.
- Open file formats — Notes are plain Markdown, so you’re never locked in and can move to any tool.
- Bidirectional links & graph view — Link any note to any other and visualize connections to discover new relationships.
- Offline first — Work on your notes without an internet connection; sync is optional.
- Knowledge base & project management — Organize personal notes, research, journals, and projects all in one app.
SaaSpartout Score
7.3
/10
Editorial score from our review methodology — not user ratings.
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Obsidian Pricing
Obsidian pricing: Free. Billing model: Free.
For comparison: the median starting price in Task & Notes is $8.17/month, measured across 20 tools we track. See the full SaaS Pricing Index →
Free Plan
Price: $0. All core features included — offline notes, linking, graph view, plugins, themes, no sign-up required, no time limits. Optional paid add-ons (Obsidian Sync, Obsidian Publish) available separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is Obsidian really free?
Yes, the core Obsidian app is completely free with no limits, no sign-up required, and no strings attached. Optional add-ons like Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish are paid separately.
How much does Obsidian cost?
The core app is free. Optional subscriptions: Obsidian Sync (synced notes across devices) and Obsidian Publish (host your notes as a website). Exact pricing is available on the Obsidian pricing page.
What is Obsidian used for?
Obsidian is a private, offline note-taking app for personal knowledge management, journaling, research, project management, and building a second brain with linked notes.
What are the main alternatives to Obsidian?
Popular alternatives include Notion (team collaboration, web-first), Roam Research (block-based outliner), Logseq (open-source, outliner), and Bear (Apple-only, minimal notes). Each has different privacy, pricing, and features.
Who is Obsidian best for?
Obsidian is best for individuals who value privacy, offline access, and long-term ownership of their notes. It's ideal for writers, researchers, students, and knowledge workers. It is less suited for teams needing real-time collaboration.
Does Obsidian have a mobile app?
Yes, Obsidian offers free mobile apps for iOS and Android that sync with your desktop via optional Obsidian Sync or third-party cloud services.
