Notion vs Obsidian
A source-aware comparison of pricing, documented capabilities and workflow fit.
Short answer
Notion is a hosted workspace: pages, databases, shared docs, wikis and team permissions live in the cloud, with real-time collaboration and an API. Obsidian is a local-first note app: notes are plain Markdown files on your disk, linked into a graph and extended by community plugins, with sync and publishing as optional paid services. Notion is for teams that need one shared source of truth; Obsidian is for individuals who want ownership of their files, offline access and a personal knowledge graph.
Notion is the pick when
- a team wiki, docs and databases everyone edits together
- structured databases with relations, rollups and views
- it should work the same in a browser on any machine
Obsidian is the pick when
- your notes must be plain files you own and back up yourself
- offline-first and private by default
- linked thinking, backlinks and a plugin ecosystem
Written by hand from both vendors’ own documentation, checked 2026-09-15. Sources: Notion, Obsidian. Prices below come from the pricing we track. How we score tools.
What Notion is
What Notion isNotion is a modular workspace that combines notes, projects, wikis, and databases into a single, highly flexible interface. Its 'block-based' architecture allows you to build a system that fits your exact needs—from a simple personal journal to a complex corporate product roadmap. Notion serves as the 'collective brain' for teams, ensuring knowledge is centralized and accessible. With relational databases, formulas, and custom views (Kanban, Calendar, Timeline), it allows you to build custom software without ever writing code.
What Obsidian is
What Obsidian isObsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files. It is often described as a 'second brain' because it allows you to link notes together, creating a web of thoughts. Unlike cloud-based tools, your data is 100% yours and lives on your hard drive. With its incredible 'Graph View,' you can visually see the connections between your ideas, making it a favorite for researchers, writers, and students who value privacy and long-term data durability.
Who it is for: people who want a personal knowledge base they own outright. Notes are plain Markdown files in a folder on your disk, so they open in any editor, survive the company going away, and can be versioned with Git. The core app is free, including for commercial use, and the community plugin ecosystem adds tasks, calendars, Kanban boards, spaced repetition and much more.
Where it falls short: it is a single-user tool. Real-time collaboration in the Notion sense does not exist; the paid Sync service keeps one person's vault consistent across devices, and Publish turns notes into a website. Setup is a hobby in itself: a new user faces plugin choices, themes and linking conventions before the first useful note. Teams that need shared databases, comments and permissions should look at Notion or a wiki. Individuals who value ownership and links between notes over polish tend not to leave once they settle in.
Side by side
| Notion | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| How to start | Free tiernot a monthly price | Free tiernot a monthly price |
| Public API | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Open source / self-hostable | No | No |
| SSO (SAML) | Yes | No |
| Visit | Notion ↗ | Obsidian ↗ |
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What Notion is built to do
- Relational Databases
- Connect different tables to manage complex data networks like a pro.
- Notion AI
- Summarize notes, draft text, and get insights from your page data automatically.
- Synced Blocks
- Update content in one location and have it reflect across all pages instantly.
- Web Publishing
- Turn any Notion page into a professional-looking website with one click.
What Obsidian is built to do
- Graph View
- A dynamic, interactive map visualizing all the links between your notes.
- Backlinks
- See every other note that mentions or links to the one you are currently reading.
- Canvas
- An infinite space to visually arrange your notes, images, and links.
- Community Plugins
- Extend functionality with tools for calendars, task management, and more.
Choose Notion if
- One person taking notes and building a personal system — the free plan is unlimited for individuals
- Small teams that can live with 5 MB file uploads and 7-day history
- Teams that want docs, wiki and light project tracking in one place
Skip Notion if
- You are a team of two or more — the free plan's block allowance becomes limited the moment you add a member
- You upload real files: the free plan caps uploads at 5 MB each
- You want full Notion AI: it is a limited trial on Free and Plus, included only from Business ($20/member/mo)
Choose Obsidian if
- Personal note-taking that stays in local Markdown files — free, with no sign-up
- People who want to own their notes rather than rent access to them
- Users happy to sync with their own tooling instead of paying for the official service
Skip Obsidian if
- You want official cross-device sync included — Sync is a separate $4/user/mo billed annually ($5 monthly)
- You need to publish notes as a website: Publish is $8/site/mo billed annually ($10 monthly)
- You are using it inside a company — the commercial licence is $50/user/year
Evidence and freshness
Where a claim on this page comes from a vendor page, it is linked here.
Notion: pros & cons
- Infinite Flexibility: Build the exact system your team needs from the ground up.
- Aesthetic Design: A clean, minimalist UI that encourages deep focus and organization.
- Massive Community: Thousands of free templates and guides are available for instant setup.
- Advanced Databases: Create intelligent systems by linking different data sets together.
- Learning Curve: Mastering advanced database and formula features can take time.
- Mobile Performance: Large or complex pages may load slowly on mobile devices.
- Offline Mode: Still limited compared to native apps like Evernote or Obsidian.
Obsidian: pros & cons
- Total Privacy: Your notes live on your device, not on someone else's server.
- Graph View: A beautiful visual map of how your ideas and notes are connected.
- Highly Customizable: Thousands of community plugins and themes to make it your own.
- Markdown Native: Future-proof files that can be opened by almost any text editor.
- Steep Learning Curve: Mastery of linking and plugin management takes effort.
- Sync Cost: Official cloud syncing between devices requires a paid 'Sync' subscription.
- Mobile Setup: Managing local files on mobile devices can be technically tricky.
Our verdict on Notion
Free tier covers personal use; plans step up by member count. Fits teams that want docs, databases and projects on one canvas — skip it for offline-first note keeping.
Our verdict on Obsidian
Personal use on every device is free; the commercial-use license and Sync are paid add-ons. Fits private, local-first knowledge bases — skip it for live team docs.
Published plans, side by side
Every figure below was read from the vendor's own pricing page and is shown with the sentence it came from. Where a vendor publishes no plan prices, we say so rather than guess.
Notion
- Free$0/user/mo
Free $0/member/month
- Business$20/user/mo
Plus $10/member/month, Business $20/member/month, Enterprise custom
Obsidian
- Sync$4/user/mo billed annually
Sync $4/user/mo annual or $5 monthly
- Publish$8/mo billed annually
Publish $8/site/mo annual or $10 monthly
Notion vs Obsidian: common questions
- Does Notion or Obsidian have a free plan?
- Both do: Notion has a free tier with limits, and Obsidian has a free tier with limits.
- Which is cheaper once you start paying, Notion or Obsidian?
- Obsidian has the cheaper first paid step: Sync at $4/user/mo billed annually, against Business at $20/user/mo for Notion. Both figures come from the vendors' own pricing pages.
- What is the difference between Notion and Obsidian?
- On the criteria we check, only Notion has public api and sso (saml); both offer mobile app. The table above lists every criterion side by side.