A detailed comparison of Notion and Obsidian to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs, project management, and wikis.
Local-first markdown note-taking with graph view and 1,000+ plugins.
| Plan | Notion | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Personal use, unlimited blocks | ✓ Full app free for personal use |
| Lowest Paid | $10/user/mo | $50/yr (sync) |
| Enterprise | $15/user/mo | Custom |
| Feature | Notion | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Block-based editor | ✓ | — |
| Databases | ✓ | — |
| Wiki pages | ✓ | — |
| Templates | ✓ | — |
| API access | ✓ | — |
| AI assistant | ✓ | — |
| Calendar view | ✓ | — |
| Kanban boards | ✓ | — |
| Web clipper | ✓ | — |
| Team spaces | ✓ | — |
| Local-first markdown | — | ✓ |
| Graph view | — | ✓ |
| Bi-directional links | — | ✓ |
| 1,000+ plugins | — | ✓ |
| Dataview queries | — | ✓ |
| Canvas mode | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.5 | ⭐ 4.7 |
Choose Notion if: You need teams and individuals wanting a flexible all-in-one workspace. Notion excels with its incredibly flexible and beautiful design.
Choose Obsidian if: You need knowledge workers and researchers wanting a powerful, private, local-first note-taking system. Obsidian stands out with its your data, your files and incredibly customizable.
Best free option: Both Notion and Obsidian offer free tiers. Notion offers "Personal use, unlimited blocks" while Obsidian offers "Full app free for personal use".
It depends on your needs. Notion is better for teams and individuals wanting a flexible all-in-one workspace, while Obsidian is better for knowledge workers and researchers wanting a powerful, private, local-first note-taking system. Both are excellent tools rated 4.5 and 4.7 respectively.
Notion starts at $10/user/mo while Obsidian starts at $50/yr (sync). Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Obsidian's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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