Obsidian
Obsidian
★ #5 in ProductivityLocal Markdown vaults: links, plugins, a graph you own — Roam's more file-native cousin, and the vault behind Obsidian Copilot.
Product preview
Overview
Obsidian is Roam if the files must be yours: a vault of Markdown, plugins, a graph. Copilot sits on it; this is the vault.
Sync is yours to buy. The product is the disk. If PKM should be files, this is the graph. If it should be a hosted outline, Roam.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Markdown you actually own
- A plugin city
- Graph on disk
- Freemium vault
Cons
- You configure everything
- Sync is extra
- Not a hosted wiki
Who it's for
A local Markdown vault
Plugins on a graph
Leaving Roam for files
The vault under Copilot
Bottom line
The local vault — Obsidian if PKM should be files, Roam if it should be hosted.
Key Features
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Frequently asked questions
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a Productivity tool developed by Obsidian. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Canada / remote. Local Markdown vaults: links, plugins, a graph you own — Roam's more file-native cousin, and the vault behind Obsidian Copilot.
Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian uses a freemium model: a free tier is available, and paid plans unlock more usage and advanced features.
Is Obsidian open source?
No — Obsidian is proprietary software.
What are the best alternatives to Obsidian?
Notable Productivity alternatives include Notion AI, Grammarly, Canva AI. Browse all 4 tools in our Productivity category for a full overview.
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Basic Info
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Rating
- ★ 4.8 (18,000 reviews) Ratings explained
- Platforms
- DesktopiOSAndroid
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Canada / remote
- Last verified
- 2026-09-11
