Obsidian
Free tierThe free and flexible private note-taking app that sharpens your thinking
Free tier available·All audiences·API available
Key strengths
Local-first private storage with no cloud requirementThousands of community plugins and themesOpen file formats (plain text Markdown) preventing lock-inEnd-to-end encrypted sync across devicesBi-directional linking and graph visualizationOffline access
Free tier + paid plans · from $4 USD/mo
Founded 2020
Self-hostable
Facts verified against obsidian.md on
Recent changes
- Plans updated: Core app is free with no sign-up required. Optional add-ons: Sync at $4/user/month (billed annually) or $5/month; Publish at $8/site/month (billed annually) or $10/month; Catalyst one-time $25; Commercial license $50/user/year.
Get alerts when Obsidian changes
Free. We'll email you when pricing, the free tier, API access or open-source status changes.
No ratings yet
Obsidian exposes a JavaScript/TypeScript plugin API that allows developers to build custom plugins integrating deeply with the editor, file system, and UI. Key architectural points:
- Storage layer: All data is plain Markdown files on the local filesystem; no proprietary database or binary format.
- Plugin system: Community plugins are distributed via the in-app plugin browser; the project is open source with 22,499 GitHub stars.
- Sync add-on: Uses end-to-end encryption for cross-device synchronization ($4/user/month billed annually, or $5/month).
- Publish add-on: Hosts a subset of your vault as a public or private static site ($8/site/month billed annually, or $10/month).
- Licensing: Free for personal use; Commercial license at $50/user/year; Catalyst one-time $25 for insider builds.
- Offline-first: Full functionality without a network connection; sync is an optional layer, not a requirement.
Developers building on Obsidian should consult the official plugin API documentation and the community plugin repository for conventions, manifest schemas, and contribution guidelines.
Alternatives
See all alternatives