Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking app that stores notes as plain markdown files on the local device and links them into a personal wiki. It is used for journals, research notes, knowledge bases and project planning.
#9 in Productivity ToolsNote-Taking AppsFree plan
Who it's for
Best for
Students who keep lecture notes linked across a whole degree
Researchers and writers building a long-term linked knowledge base
Not for
Teams that need built-in reminders, task lists and shared calendars
Phone-first note takers who want an app as quick as Apple Notes on mobile
Free plan$0
Sync$5/seat/mo
Publish$10/mo
Features
Local private storage
Notes are stored privately on the device and stay readable offline, so the vault remains self-contained and needs no account.
Links between notes
Linking connects ideas, places, books and other topics across notes, so a personal wiki grows out of ordinary writing.
Graph view
An interactive graph shows the relationships between notes, surfacing hidden patterns in a large collection.
Canvas
Canvas is a limitless space for research, brainstorming, diagramming and laying out ideas on one surface.
Plugins and themes
Thousands of community plugins and themes reshape the editor, so the app can be fitted to a particular way of thinking.
What users say
Pros
- Notes live as plain markdown files on the local disk and stay readable outside the app.
- Migrating a whole Evernote archive out and cancelling the old subscription went smoothly.
- Linking notes and following backlinks turns a flat pile of files into a browsable personal wiki.
- Keeping a daily note in the same vault made note-taking a habit that finally stuck.
- The paid sync service keeps edits appearing instantly across Mac, Windows and Android.
- Community plugins extend the vault into kanban boards, Mermaid diagrams, task dashboards and calendars.
Cons
- Reliable syncing between devices needs a paid subscription or a self-hosted plugin setup that takes hours to get right.
- The mobile app is clunkier than the desktop version, and plugin-heavy vaults crawl when opening on a phone.
- Community plugins stop working after updates, and a broken plugin can stop the desktop app from loading.
- Task lists, reminders and calendars stay basic, so those jobs still go to a separate app.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 50k
Alternatives
Rank#9 in category#1 in category#16 in category#19 in category
Free planYesYesYesYes
ProLocal markdown files, linked notes, daily notes, fast syncFree, instant syncing, simple, private, quick capture, smart tagsMarkdown notes, nested tags, large libraries, fast iPhone captureLinked databases, custom AI agents, device sync, team sharing
Better forQuick note capture with free iCloud syncing, document scanning, and Apple Pencil support
Weaker atWorking across Windows and Android devices or managing notes as portable plain-text files