What is Obsidian?
Pros from reviewers
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Speed and simplicity: Obsidian enables fast note-taking in a simple markdown format, including Latex, and offers efficient retrieval through fuzzy filename matching, full-text search, or tags
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Cloud syncing convenience: Obsidian allows for easy synchronization across different devices, making it possible to take notes anytime, anywhere
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Community-driven plugin development: The Obsidian community actively develops new plugins, enhancing the app's intuitiveness and feature richness
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Versatile features for knowledge management: Obsidian's features like note-linking and backlinking, along with its graph view, make it an excellent tool for organizing and visualizing a wide range of information
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Local storage and markdown support: Obsidian supports markdown for easy note formatting and allows users to store all their notes on their own computer, offering reassurance in case of discontinued app updates.
Cons from reviewers
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Lack of real-time collaboration: Despite its many features, Obsidian does not support real-time collaboration, making it less effective for teams that require simultaneous editing and updating of notes
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Inability to create forms: Obsidian is excellent for text-centric tasks, but it falls short when it comes to creating forms, limiting its utility for certain tasks
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Limited formatting options: While Obsidian supports markdown, its formatting options are not as accessible or easy to use as some other note-taking apps
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Learning curve: New users, especially those unfamiliar with markdown or similar note-taking apps, may find Obsidian challenging to learn and get used to
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Inefficient device synchronization: While Obsidian does offer device synchronization, the free option through Google Drive is not very efficient and the paid option can be quite expensive.
Main features
Starting Price
Free Plan
Markdown editor
Bidirectional linking
Tags and categories
Local storage
Graph view
Starting Price
N/A
Free Plan
No
Markdown editor
Bidirectional linking
Tags and categories
Local storage
Graph view
How Obsidian compare to similar software?
Product
Price
N/A
Free plan
No
Main features
Pros
Cons
Alternatives
Deal
No available deal at the moment
While note-taking features are central to both Obsidian and Notion, Notion positions itself as a productivity app with additional project management and note-taking features. In comparison, Obsidian focuses on note-taking and organization functionality. As a result, Notion offers a wider range of core features, although, in theory, the potential functionalities of Obsidian’s community-developed plug-ins are limitless.
The main difference between Obsidian and Notion is their online/offline functionality. Notion requires an internet connection to use it at its fullest capacity. The app stores your notes and related information on its servers, encrypting network traffic, database credentials, and stored data. As a result, Notion automatically saves your notes and syncs them across your devices when connected to the internet. Compared to Notion, Obsidian stores your notes locally on your device, meaning the company doesn’t have access to them. But this also means your notes are not...
Who is Obsidian best for according to our reviewers?
Students: Obsidian is beneficial for students, particularly those in technical fields like computer science, as it allows them to manage and organize a wide range of information. It supports Markdown, which simplifies the process of formatting notes and including media. However, there is a learning curve, especially for those unfamiliar with Markdown
Small Teams: Obsidian is suitable for small teams that don't require real-time collaboration. It supports local first, offline use, and has excellent graph and document organization. However, setting up team collaboration can be challenging due to its lack of seamless integration
Writers and Researchers: Obsidian is a powerful tool for writers and researchers, allowing them to manage their work effectively. It is straightforward, adaptable, expandable, and works well both offline and online. However, syncing between devices requires a cloud service or payment for Obsidian sync.
Vim Enthusiasts: Obsidian is lightweight and user-friendly, with excellent vim support, making it a great choice for vim enthusiasts. However, its lightweight nature might make it feel less organized than other options
Knowledge Workers: For individuals who need to manage a large amount of information, Obsidian is a great tool. It allows users to take notes quickly in a simple markdown format, retrieve them through various methods, and sync across different devices. However, the graph view can be overwhelming and could use improvements
Obsidian Reviews
4.8
Obsidian rating
4.7
Ease of use
4.6
Customer service
4.6
Value for money
4.7
Likelihood to recommend
4.5
Features
21 Obsidian Reviews
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Katherine S
Transformative Note-Taking: Obsidian's Linking Feature Enhances Lecture Review
As a student, Obsidian has transformed the way I take and review lecture notes. The linking feature helps me see connections between different topics
August 25, 2024
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Gary F
Excellent Tool for Knowledge Management, Though Slightly Expensive and Requires Manual Effort
I appreciate the speed of Obsidian. Since everything is stored locally, I don't have to worry about pages not loading or lack of internet access. Pages are cached in the background and load instantly when needed, making switching contexts immediate and content creation very fast. The concept of a knowledge graph seems more like a "marketing concept" to me, and I'm uncertain about its usability. However, since everything is done locally, backing up or syncing across devices requires a lot of work - something I would expect the product to handle like Notion does. I chose Obsidian because it's fast, easy to use, and requires minimal setup to start writing. In my opinion, it's best for personal knowledge management, less so for a team knowledge base.
August 18, 2024
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Lawrence Martinez
Active and Supportive Obsidian Community
The community around Obsidian is active and supportive, providing a wealth of resources and assistance when needed
August 12, 2024
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Abigail Jones
Obsidian's Markdown Support Simplifies Note Formatting for Writers
As a writer, I appreciate the markdown support in Obsidian. It allows me to format my notes easily and efficiently
August 4, 2024
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Amy S
Essential Tool for Knowledge Retention and Structuring
As a computer science student, I find Obsidian incredibly useful for managing knowledge. Its versatile features are perfect for organizing a wide range of information. I particularly enjoy the note-linking feature, which allows me to connect notes and create a knowledge web. The backlinking feature is also helpful as it shows which notes link to a specific note. I appreciate Obsidian's graph view, which provides a visual representation of the relationships between notes. This helps me identify key concepts and their connections. I also value the ability to customize the graph view to suit my needs. Obsidian's support for Markdown is excellent, simplifying the process of formatting my notes and including images, tables, and other media. However, there is a learning curve with Obsidian, especially if you're not familiar with Markdown or haven't used a similar note-taking app before. It can take some time to get used to.
July 27, 2024
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Judy Smith
First Impressions and Evolution: My Journey with Obsidian Knowledge Management Tool
In general, I find Obsidian to be a pleasant user experience, particularly for individual users or small teams that don't need real-time collaboration. However, as I often conduct meetings with live notes, the lack of support for this in Obsidian is a drawback. While it does offer ObsidianSync and Git support, these don't allow for real-time editing. I understand this might be a trade-off between local first storage and real-time collaborative support, but I'm aware of alternatives that manage to combine both. Aside from this, I think Obsidian is a great tool for knowledge management. It supports local first, offline use, has excellent graph and document organization, and is multi-platform, including mobile. It also supports LaTeX for technical elements. However, its lack of real-time collaboration is a significant drawback for me. Additionally, I'm not particularly impressed with the education discounts it offers.
July 20, 2024
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Anouk
Revolutionizing Note-Taking with Linking and Graph View
its linking feature has revolutionized the way I connect and recall information. The graph view provides a visual representation of my notes, which has been invaluable in my research work
July 16, 2024
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Zachary G
Obsidian: Unparalleled Knowledge Management Software
I've been searching for a good note-taking and knowledge management system for years, trying out various apps like Evernote, Simplenote, Gnome Notes, Google Keep, and more, but none of them met my needs. I even thought about creating my own app. Then, I discovered Obsidian and it completely blew me away. My productivity skyrocketed after I started using it for everything, from notes on string theory and machine learning to cooking recipes. I would never go back to any other system. What I appreciate about Obsidian is the speed at which I can take notes in a simple markdown format, including Latex, and retrieve them through fuzzy filename matching, full-text search, or tags. The ability to sync across different devices with a great mobile app is wonderful. The extension system is very handy for adding features, and the open file format gives me reassurance in case the developers stop updating the app. The only downside I've found is.
July 7, 2024
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Angela
Obsidian: A Powerful Tool for Idea Organization
I've found Obsidian to be an incredibly powerful tool for organizing my thoughts and ideas
June 29, 2024
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Harold J
Great Experience Doing Business with Them
I have a great experience doing business with them.
June 22, 2024
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Johnny Williams
Obsidian: Empowering Personal Knowledge Management with Interlinked Notes
I've been using Obsidian for personal knowledge management and it's been fantastic. The ability to create a network of interlinked notes has helped me understand complex topics in a new light
June 16, 2024
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Kelly Brown
Obsidian: A Game-Changing Project Management Tool with Streamlined Workflow
I've been using Obsidian for project management and it's been a game-changer. The ability to link tasks and notes has streamlined my workflow
June 10, 2024
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Terry W
Excellent Solution for Speedy Note-Taking
I find the Obsidian app to be lightweight and user-friendly, with easy synchronization across different platforms. I especially like its excellent vim support, a great feature for vim enthusiasts like me. However, due to its lightweight nature, it might not feel as organized as Notion, and its formatting options aren't as accessible or easy to use. I switched to Obsidian because Notion's Linux support is poor and it has a long boot time. The only way to use Notion on Linux is through snap or a browser, which I find inconvenient.
June 4, 2024
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Willie F
Tech Savvy? Get More from Obsidian!
I think Obsidian is excellent for text-centric tasks, particularly note-taking and daily task tracking. However, I'm disappointed by its inability to create forms. Additionally, setting up team collaboration is challenging due to its lack of seamless integration for effective group work.
May 27, 2024
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Thomas Garcia
Customization and Plugins in Obsidian
The customization options in Obsidian are extensive, allowing me to tailor the software to my specific needs. The plugin system is a game-changer, extending the functionality of the software beyond its core features
May 21, 2024
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Lawrence Davis
Unbeatable Service Experience
I highly recommend Obsidian, it's the best service I've ever used. Sincerely, Esther from Restaurant Frederikshøj, Aarhus.
May 13, 2024
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Zoe M
Peace of Mind: Obsidian's Local Storage Ensures Data Security and Control
The local storage feature of Obsidian gives me peace of mind knowing that my data is secure and within my control
May 4, 2024
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Pamela
Seamless Adaptability: Impressive Flexibility of Obsidian
The flexibility of Obsidian is impressive. Whether I'm working on a research project or planning a novel, it adapts to my needs seamlessly.
April 27, 2024
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Andrea Garcia
Obsidian: My Go-To Tool for Knowledge Management
The learning process for Obsidian can be intimidating due to its plugins and Markdown basics. However, after thorough research, I discovered that choosing Obsidian was completely worthwhile. I appreciate its clean appearance, speed, offline functionality, and high customizability. Community plugins usually address any missing features. However, the search function is subpar, particularly for multi-word terms, and tables don't work well even with plugins. The mobile app could also benefit from some enhancements.
April 22, 2024
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Johnny
Effective Tool, Yet Lacks User-Friendly Appeal
The Obsidian interface is somewhat unappealing and takes some time to get used to. The company doesn't offer comprehensive tutorials, making it challenging to fully understand how to use this tool without assistance from its community who share tips and videos on YouTube. However, it's continually improving due to regular updates. In my view, it's the best tool in its category, surpassing others like Logseq and Notion, which I've used before. I value that Obsidian supports markdown and allows you to store all your notes on your own computer. It also offers a broad selection of plugins and has a supportive community. However, if you want device synchronization, you'll have to pay for it. There's a free option through Google Drive, but it's not very efficient. The paid option is quite expensive annually. I switched to Obsidian because Notion doesn't let you host your data on your computer and it frequently suffers server crashes, which made me lose trust in it.
April 16, 2024
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James Williams
Obsidian: My Lifeline for Sanity
I've been using Obsidian for more than three years and I'm continually discovering new features. I find it great for my writing and research. It's straightforward, adaptable, expandable, and it simply works. It's irrelevant whether I'm offline or online, or if I'm using my phone, desktop, or laptop. However, syncing between devices necessitates a cloud service or payment for Obsidian sync. I transitioned to Obsidian from Notion because Notion was becoming slow and bloated, and it didn't present my notes as neatly as Obsidian.
April 13, 2024