Obsidian
Free and flexible markdown note-taking app for private thoughts.
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a Note Taking tool. Free and flexible markdown note-taking app for private thoughts. Obsidian is freemium: it has a free plan plus paid upgrades. It is available on Windows. It is aimed at developers and productivity enthusiasts.
Obsidian is a free and flexible markdown note-taking app designed for private thoughts. It offers local-first functionality with a robust AI plugin ecosystem, supporting AI summarization, RAG, and intelligent note processing through community plugins.
Built for developers and productivity enthusiasts.
Key capabilities
Features
AI Plugin Ecosystem
Community plugins enable AI summarization, RAG, and intelligent note processing.
Local-First Functionality
Stores data locally for privacy and control.
Public API
Secure Sync
Instant Publish
Use cases
- Organize private thoughts using markdown formatting
- Leverage AI plugins for summarization and data analysis
- Sync notes securely across devices
Popular use cases
Who it's for
Pros & cons
Pros
- Public API available
- Free plan available
Cons
No documented limitations yet.
Pricing
Freemium.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free without limits. | Free |
Developer & API
Public CLI API available
Security & compliance
- Encryption
- Data deletion
As stated on Obsidian's website — not independently verified by AiByts.
FAQ
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a Note Taking tool. Free and flexible markdown note-taking app for private thoughts. Obsidian is a free and flexible markdown note-taking app designed for private thoughts. It offers local-first functionality with a robust AI plugin ecosystem, supporting AI summarization, RAG, and intelligent note processing through community plugins.
Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian has a free plan; advanced features require a paid plan.
How much does Obsidian cost?
Obsidian offers one plan: Free without limits. (Free).
Does Obsidian have an API?
Yes, Obsidian offers a public CLI API for building custom integrations.
What platforms does Obsidian support?
Obsidian is available on Windows.
Who should use Obsidian?
Obsidian is built for developers and productivity enthusiasts. Common uses: organize private thoughts using markdown formatting, leverage AI plugins for summarization and data analysis and sync notes securely across devices.
What are the best alternatives to Obsidian?
Similar tools on AiByts include ClickUp, Granola, AICamp, Fireflies and Krisp.
Obsidian news & updates
Obsidian October 2026
Take the State of Obsidian survey, build in public, and help improve plugins, themes, and community projects.
Obsidian Blog2 min readObsidian Sync audits by Cure53 and Trail of Bits
Two security audits of Obsidian Sync are now available. All findings have been addressed via remediations and disclosures validated by the respective auditors.
Obsidian Blog5 min readThe future of Obsidian plugins
Introducing the new Obsidian Community site and developer dashboard.
Obsidian Blog9 min readObsidian October 2025
Every October, the Obsidian community comes together to hack on plugins, themes, vaults, and other projects. Polish your creations, ship updates, or kick off a new project you've been eager to build!
Obsidian Blog2 min readLess is safer: how Obsidian reduces the risk of supply chain attacks
Supply chain attacks are malicious updates that sneak into open source code used by many apps. Here’s how we design Obsidian to ensure that the app is a secure and private environment for your thoughts.
Obsidian Blog3 min read
Obsidian is now free for work
Starting today, the Obsidian Commercial license is optional. Anyone can use Obsidian for work, for free. Explore organizations that support Obsidian on our new Enterprise page.
Obsidian Blog2 min read2024 Gems of the year winners
Today we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our fifth annual Gems of the Year awards! After our panel narrowed down the selection and the community voted on...
Obsidian Blog4 min read2024 Gems of the year nominations
2024 is over and that means it's time to nominate your favorite projects from the Obsidian community for our Gems of the Year awards! To nominate projects go he...
Obsidian Blog1 min readSecond audit of Obsidian apps completed by Cure53
A second audit of Obsidian apps finds that incremental updates since Obsidian 1.5.3 maintained the highest degree of attention to security, and that no new vulnerabilities were found.
Obsidian Blog2 min read
Obsidian Softwear: new Fractal t-shirts and hoodies
Fractal is the latest Softwear update. Our new tees and hoodies are silkscreened using high-opacity colors, with a design by VFX artist and Obsidian user, Shaun Yue.
Obsidian Blog2 min read
Save the web
Highlight and capture web pages in your favorite browser with the new Obsidian Web Clipper extension.
Obsidian Blog2 min readObsidian October 2024
This year Obsidian October is all about speed. Learn how you can adopt the latest APIs and get feedback from our team.
Obsidian Blog1 min readObsidian Sync now starts at $4 per month with the new Standard plan
Obsidian Sync is our approach to making the most intuitive and secure sync option. With the new Standard plan, we're excited to make Sync accessible to even more people.
Obsidian Blog2 min read
Announcing JSON Canvas: an open file format for infinite canvas data
The Obsidian Canvas file format is now called JSON Canvas and has its own site, specification, and open source resources.
Obsidian Blog2 min read2023 Gems of the year winners
It has been nearly four years since the first line of code of Obsidian was written on January 31st, 2020. Today we're thrilled to announce the winners of our fo...
Obsidian Blog3 min readNew security page and independent audit completed by Cure53
Independent audits help us ensure that our code and procedures meet the highest security standards. Our new Security page hosts audits completed by third parties, including our first report by Cure53 covering Obsidian apps.
Obsidian Blog2 min read2023 Gems of the year nominations
**(Update)** See [2023 Gems of the Year](https://obsidian.md/blog/2023-goty-winners/) for the final results! --- The year is almost over and that means it's tim...
Obsidian Blog1 min readNew Obsidian Sync plans: bigger, better, faster, smoother
Obsidian Sync now offers larger vaults, bigger files, regional servers, faster sync, and more flexible storage. New plans are launching in January, and you can join Sync now for a special holiday promotion.
Obsidian Blog4 min read
Details are compiled from Obsidian's website and public sources, last verified Oct 3, 2026. Features and pricing change — confirm on the official site before you buy.
Try Obsidian
Freemium
Tags
- Markdown
- Private Notes
- AI Plugins
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