About Obsidian
Obsidian is the note-taking app for people who are serious about building a personal knowledge base. Notes are stored as plain Markdown files on your device — meaning you own your data completely and the files work in any text editor. The Graph View visualizes connections between notes, revealing patterns in your thinking. Backlinks, transclusion, and block references let you connect ideas non-linearly. Obsidian's plugin ecosystem has 1,500+ community plugins that extend it into a task manager, spaced repetition system, or even a CRM.
What's Great
- ✓Files stored locally in plain Markdown — zero vendor lock-in
- ✓Graph View reveals connections between your notes
- ✓1,500+ community plugins for extreme customization
- ✓Works offline — no internet required
Watch Out For
- !Steeper learning curve than Notion
- !Collaboration features require paid Sync plan
- !Mobile app less polished than desktop
Common Use Cases
Build a personal knowledge base that links ideas across domains like a second brain
Write research notes in Markdown that are accessible from any text editor forever
Create a Zettelkasten system where every idea connects to related concepts
Pricing Model
Freemium
Free plan available. Paid plans unlock advanced features and higher limits.
Category
Notes & Knowledge
Capture ideas, build a second brain, and turn notes into structured knowledge.
Tags