Pricing Tiers
| Tier | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Personal) | $0/month | Core Obsidian app: local Markdown notes, graph view, plugins, themes, no sign-up required |
| Commercial | $50/year per user (~$4.17/month) | Legal license for commercial use, priority support (optional since Feb 2025) |
| Sync (Standard) | $4/month (billed annually) or $5/month (monthly) | Sync notes across devices, E2E encryption, version history, shared vaults, 1 GB storage |
| Sync (Plus) | $8/month (annually) or $10/month (monthly) | Enhanced Sync: up to 10 vaults, 10 GB storage, 12-month revision history (upgradable storage) |
| Publish | $8/month (annually) or $10/month (monthly) per site | Publish your notes as a website: customizable themes, graph & full-text search, priority support |
| Catalyst | One-time $25 | Support Obsidian; gain early access to beta versions, community badges, VIP channel access |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Tailored enterprise solutions, featured organizations (details via contact) |
Core Features & Capabilities
- Local Markdown storage: Your notes are stored as local Markdown files—fast, portable, and future-proof
- Bidirectional links & Graph view: Create links between notes and visualize relationships in an interactive graph
- Highly customizable with plugins & themes: Thousands of community plugins and themes plus core plugin support allow for tailored workflows
- Sync service: End-to-end encrypted synchronization with features like selective sync, shared vaults, version history, cross-platform support
- Publish service: Easy web publishing of notes with customizable themes and search, without technical setup
- Commercial & Catalyst licensing: Support development, get priority support or beta access via paid licenses (optional since Feb 2025)
- Cross-platform availability: Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) and mobile (iOS, Android) apps; no web-based app
- Data privacy & ownership: Files remain under your control, no tracking; fits a privacy-first, customizable ethos
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free core functionality with no limits or watermarks
- Flexible customization via robust plugin ecosystem and themes
- Strong privacy model: Local storage, no tracking, optional secure cloud services
- Cross-device sync and version control (when subscribed)
- Web publishing made simple, no technical know-how needed
- Optional licensing for commercial use, introduced to simplify pricing
Cons:
- No native web app — only desktop and mobile supported
- Paid add-ons can accumulate cost, especially for teams or heavy users
- Learning curve for customization, community-driven plugins may require effort to explore
- Support limited unless paid – free users rely on forums, paid users get priority support
Summary
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Ideal for | Users seeking local, privacy-focused note-taking with deep customization and long-term data ownership. Great for personal knowledge management, journaling, research, or structured workflows. |
| Best features | Extensive plugin ecosystem, graph-based note linking, encrypted sync, easy publishing, open data format, and cross-platform support. |
| Potential drawbacks | No web interface, costs add up for multiple premium services, and it might feel daunting to customize for beginners. |
Further reading
| obsidian.md | Obsidian Pricing | |
| techrepublic.com | TechRepublic - Obsidian Review | |
| en.wikipedia.org | Obsidian (software) - Wikipedia | |
| theverge.com | Decoder Podcast with Obsidian CEO | |
| theverge.com | Best note-taking apps - The Verge |