Obsidian

Free for personal, $50/user/yr commercial

About Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on local Markdown files. Your data stays on your device with no cloud lock-in. Features a graph view of connected notes, powerful plugins, and works completely offline. Free for personal use.

Highlights

• ✓ Local-first — your files are plain Markdown
• ✓ Works offline with no internet required
• ✓ Powerful plugin ecosystem (1000+ plugins)
• ✓ Graph view for visualizing note connections

Limitations

• ✗ No real-time collaboration (sync is separate paid feature)
• ✗ Steeper learning curve than Notion
• ✗ No built-in database or kanban views

Replaces

Detailed Comparisons