Obsidian review

Obsidian is the app for people who want their notes to last longer than any company. It stores notes privately on your device, works offline and uses open file formats, so a decade of notes stays readable even without the app. Its core idea is linking: you connect notes about people, books and ideas, then see the connections in an interactive graph, and Canvas gives you an open space for diagrams and research boards. Thousands of plugins and themes let you add task lists, calendars or spaced repetition. The app itself is free without limits and needs no sign-up. The cost comes with convenience. Obsidian Sync, which adds end-to-end encryption, version history and shared vaults, is $4 a month billed annually or $5 monthly, and Publish is $8 per site a month on annual billing. New users should also expect a learning curve, because the app starts plain and you shape it yourself.

Who it is for

Researchers, writers and power users who want local files, linked notes and plugins.

Price

Free app; Sync from $4 per user per month billed annually or $5 monthly; Publish from $8 per site per month billed annually.

Sync $4 USD Per user, per month, billed annually
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Notes stored privately on your device and available offline
• Links between notes and an interactive graph of connections
• Canvas, an infinite space for research and diagrams
• Thousands of community plugins and themes
• Optional Sync with end-to-end encryption and version history

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free without limits, with no sign-up required
• Strength: Open file formats mean you are never locked in
• Strength: Sync adds shared vaults for collaboration
• Weakness: Syncing between devices through Obsidian costs $4 a month or more
• Weakness: Plugins and folders take setup before the app feels finished
• Weakness: Publishing notes to the web is a separate $8 a month service

Key facts

• App price: Free, no sign-up
• Sync: $4 a month billed annually, $5 monthly
• Publish: $8 per site a month billed annually
• Commercial license: Optional, $50 per user per year
• Storage: Local files in open formats

Where it ranks

Obsidian is No. 4 in our Best Note Taking Apps verdict.