Obsidian

Local Markdown notes with backlinks.

Visit official site
Official siteobsidian.md
Price tierFreemium
PlatformsDesktop, iOS, Android
LicenseProprietary
Since2020
OriginCanada
StatusActive
CategoryNotes

Obsidian is a Notes tool from Canada, first released in 2020. Local Markdown notes with backlinks. Status: Active.

Obsidian is Freemium. Confirm the current plan on the official site before you quote a number.

What holds up: Obsidian runs on Desktop, iOS, Android.

What does not: Obsidian is proprietary. If the vendor shuts the account, you do not have a license to run the service yourself. Obsidian dates from 2020. Newer tools have fewer years of file formats and fewer written guides.

The closest listed alternative is Logseq: Outliner that stores plain Markdown files.

Other tools compared in the same sitting: Notion (2016, Freemium): Docs, databases, and wikis in one workspace. Roam Research (2019, Paid): Networked outliner that popularized backlinks.

Where to compare

10 alternatives to Obsidian. Open that page to compare them.

Catalogued 2026-11-09.