A detailed comparison of Obsidian and Notion to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Local-first markdown note-taking with graph view and 1,000+ plugins.
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs, databases, and project management.
| Plan | Obsidian | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Full app free for personal use | ✓ Unlimited blocks, 10MB uploads |
| Lowest Paid | $50/yr (sync) | $10/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
| Feature | Obsidian | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Local-first markdown | ✓ | — |
| Graph view | ✓ | — |
| Bi-directional links | ✓ | — |
| 1,000+ plugins | ✓ | — |
| Dataview queries | ✓ | — |
| Canvas mode | ✓ | — |
| Block editor | — | ✓ |
| Databases | — | ✓ |
| Notion AI | — | ✓ |
| Templates | — | ✓ |
| API | — | ✓ |
| Offline mode | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.7 | ⭐ 4.6 |
Choose Obsidian if: You need knowledge workers and researchers wanting a powerful, private, local-first note-taking system. Obsidian excels with its your data, your files and incredibly customizable.
Choose Notion if: You need teams wanting a flexible workspace that combines documentation, databases, and project management. Notion stands out with its extremely flexible and beautiful ux.
Best free option: Both Obsidian and Notion offer free tiers. Obsidian offers "Full app free for personal use" while Notion offers "Unlimited blocks, 10MB uploads".
It depends on your needs. Obsidian is better for knowledge workers and researchers wanting a powerful, private, local-first note-taking system, while Notion is better for teams wanting a flexible workspace that combines documentation, databases, and project management. Both are excellent tools rated 4.7 and 4.6 respectively.
Obsidian starts at $50/yr (sync) while Notion starts at $10/mo. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Notion's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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