Comparison in Note-taking

Notion vs Obsidian: which note app fits how you work?

Notion and Obsidian compared on where your notes live, offline use, collaboration, sync and price — facts verified on both vendors' sites.

By Hybridhand Editorial Updated Oct 6, 2026 2 apps fact-checked against vendor sources

The short answer

Use Obsidian if your notes are mainly personal and you want to own them: they're plain Markdown files on your device, it works fully offline, and the app is free. Use Notion if you work with a team and need shared pages, databases and AI features: it's free for individuals, $10 per member per month on Plus, and stored in Notion's cloud.

Storage: Obsidian = local Markdown files; Notion = Notion's cloud.
Offline: Obsidian works fully offline; Notion only for pages you mark offline.
Collaboration: Notion is built for teams; Obsidian is single-player first.
Linux: Obsidian has a Linux app; Notion doesn't.

Obsidian

Local-first Markdown notes with links, graph view and thousands of plugins.

Developer: Obsidian
First released: 2020
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Free plan: YesThe app is free without limits, including commercial use. Sync and Publish are paid add-ons.
Open source: No

Sync Standard $4/mo
Sync Plus $8/mo
Publish $8/mo

Checked against obsidian.md on Oct 6, 2026

Notion

All-in-one workspace of pages and databases, with built-in AI on Business.

Developer: Notion Labs, Inc.
Based in: San Francisco, California, USA
Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Free plan: YesUnlimited for individuals; limited block trial for shared workspaces; 5 MB per upload; 7-day page history.
Open source: No

Plus $10/mo
Business $20/mo
Enterprise Not published

Checked against notion.com on Oct 6, 2026

Comparison table

Notion vs Obsidian: which note app fits how you work?. Facts verified against each vendor's own pages on Oct 6, 2026.
App	Free plan	Paid from	Platforms	Open source	Storage	Offline	Sync	Real-time collaboration
Obsidian	Yes	$4/mo	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	No	Local Markdown files	Full	Paid Sync (E2EE) or your own cloud	Shared vaults via Sync
Notion	Yes	$10/mo	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web	No	Notion cloud	Pages marked offline	Built in	Yes, core feature

Where your notes live

This is the real difference. Obsidian reads a folder of Markdown files on your device — the files are your notes. Notion stores pages and databases on its servers, and you export them when you want a copy.

Price

Obsidian is free, and you pay only if you want its Sync ($4–$10 a month) or Publish. Notion is free for individuals, then $10 per member per month for Plus and $20 for Business, which adds Notion’s AI agent and meeting notes.

Who should pick which

Writers, researchers, students working alone: Obsidian.
Teams, wikis, project tracking: Notion.
Both: Many people keep personal notes in Obsidian and shared work in Notion.

Frequently asked questions

Is Obsidian free?

Yes. Obsidian is free without limits, including for commercial use. Obsidian Sync (from $4/month billed annually) and Publish (from $8/month) are optional paid add-ons.

Can Notion work offline?

Partly. Notion's desktop and mobile apps work offline for pages you mark as available offline; embeds, forms and buttons don't work offline.

Can I move my notes from Notion to Obsidian?

Yes. Notion exports to Markdown & CSV, which Obsidian can open as a vault. Database views and some block types won't carry over exactly.

Which is better for students?

If you take notes alone and want them to last, Obsidian. If you work on group projects, Notion's shared pages are easier.

Sources & methodology

Every price, plan limit and platform on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing, download, security or help pages, checked on the date shown next to each app. We don't publish benchmark scores we haven't measured. Read the full methodology.

Update history

Oct 6, 2026: First published.

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