Notion is a database wrapped in a wiki, and that’s exactly what some people don’t want. Obsidian stores markdown files in a folder you own, runs locally, and the plugin ecosystem turns it into whatever tool you need.
What you gain
- Plain markdown vault on disk, no proprietary format, no lock-in
- Backlinks, graph view, and canvas built in
- 1500+ community plugins for everything from Kanban to Zotero integration
- Free for personal use, no account required
What you give up
Real-time multi-user editing isn’t there; collaboration is awkward via shared folder or Git. Notion’s databases, relations, and rollups don’t have a clean equivalent. Mobile is fine but slower to open than Notion. You’re now responsible for backups.
The math
Obsidian is free for personal use, $50/year for commercial. Obsidian Sync is $48/year, or use iCloud, syncthing, or a Git repo for free. Notion Plus is $96/year per user.
Who should switch
Writers, knowledge workers, and anyone who wants permanent access to their notes. The plugin ecosystem is the killer feature. If your team needs shared databases more than personal notes, Obsidian isn’t the right tool.