Obsidian vs AppFlowy
A detailed comparison of Obsidian and AppFlowy to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
💰 Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Obsidian | AppFlowy |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Free for personal use | ✓ Free (open source) |
| Lowest Paid | $50/yr (Sync) | Free |
| Enterprise | $50/user/yr (Commercial) | Cloud plans coming |
⚡ Feature Comparison
| Feature | Obsidian | AppFlowy |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown editing | ✓ | — |
| Graph view | ✓ | — |
| Backlinks | ✓ | — |
| Community plugins | ✓ | — |
| Themes | ✓ | — |
| Canvas | ✓ | — |
| Templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tags | ✓ | — |
| Search | ✓ | — |
| Local storage | ✓ | — |
| Block editor | — | ✓ |
| Databases | — | ✓ |
| Kanban boards | — | ✓ |
| Calendar view | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Plugins | — | ✓ |
| AI features | — | ✓ |
| Cross-platform | — | ✓ |
| Markdown | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.6 | ⭐ 4 |
Pros & Cons
Obsidian
Pros
- ✓ Local-first
- ✓ Highly customizable
- ✓ Free for personal use
- ✓ Plugin ecosystem
Cons
- ✗ No real-time collaboration
- ✗ Sync costs extra
- ✗ Steep learning curve
- ✗ Not web-based
AppFlowy
Pros
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Notion-like features
- ✓ Self-hostable
- ✓ Active development
Cons
- ✗ Still maturing
- ✗ Limited features
- ✗ No mobile app yet
- ✗ Small community
🏆 The Verdict
Choose Obsidian if: You need knowledge workers wanting local-first note-taking. Obsidian excels with its local-first and highly customizable.
Choose AppFlowy if: You need users wanting an open-source notion alternative. AppFlowy stands out with its open source and notion-like features.
Best free option: Both Obsidian and AppFlowy offer free tiers. Obsidian offers "Free for personal use" while AppFlowy offers "Free (open source)".
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Obsidian better than AppFlowy?
It depends on your needs. Obsidian is better for knowledge workers wanting local-first note-taking, while AppFlowy is better for users wanting an open-source notion alternative. Both are excellent tools rated 4.6 and 4 respectively.
Which is cheaper, Obsidian or AppFlowy?
Obsidian starts at $50/yr (Sync) while AppFlowy starts at Free. Both offer free tiers.
Can I switch from Obsidian to AppFlowy?
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying AppFlowy's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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