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The best Obsidian alternatives in 2026

Seven Obsidian alternatives for people who want a web app, sync without a paid add-on or more structure than a set of Markdown files. Each pick says who it suits, what it costs and where it stops.

Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 7 tools · How we pick

Obsidian's app is free, so the reasons to look elsewhere are about what sits around it. There is no web app. Sync between devices is a paid add-on from $4 per user a month billed annually, and its Standard tier covers 1 vault with 1 GB of storage and a 5 MB file size limit. Publishing notes to the web is billed separately, at $8 per site a month on annual billing.

The other reason is fit. Obsidian is a set of Markdown files that you shape with plugins and themes, and some people would rather have typed data, real-time collaboration or a browser version from the start. The seven alternatives below fall into two groups. Logseq, Reflect, Anytype and Bear stay close to Obsidian's Markdown and local-first roots, while Capacities, Notion and Heptabase are built around typed objects, shared workspaces and whiteboards.

The order below runs from the alternatives that suit the most people to the more specialized ones. Prices were read on the date shown on each tool's page, which also names the page each figure came from.

Replacing Obsidian?Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device. Free plan · from $4/mo.

Obsidian details

The shortlist

  1. 1LogseqBest open-source alternative
  2. 2CapacitiesBest for free sync and a web app
  3. 3NotionBest for working with other people
  4. 4AnytypeBest for built-in encrypted sync
  5. 5BearBest Markdown editor for Apple devices
  6. 6HeptabaseBest for thinking on whiteboards
  7. 7ReflectBest for daily notes on a Mac

The picks in detail

  1. 01

    Logseq

    Best open-source alternativeOpen-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files

    Logseq shares Obsidian's approach: notes are plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files on your own device, connected through references, backlinks and a knowledge graph. It is open source under AGPL-3.0 and works as an outliner, so notes are nested blocks that can each be referenced or embedded elsewhere. Unlike Obsidian it has a web app alongside its desktop and mobile apps. The app is free, with no commercial license needed for company use.

    Worth knowing: Sync is paid here too: Logseq Sync is in beta and limited to Open Collective backers paying $5 or $15 a month, and the database version, Logseq 2.0, is also still in beta.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
    Logseq pricing and detailslogseq.com
  2. 02

    Capacities

    Best for free sync and a web appObject-based note-taking app with daily notes and backlinks

    Capacities covers two things Obsidian charges for or lacks: sync across devices is part of the free Basic plan, and there is a web app next to the desktop and mobile ones. Notes are typed objects, such as people, books and projects, linked in both directions with a backlinks panel and a graph view, and daily notes collect quick thoughts. Offline mode lets you open, create and edit content without a connection.

    Worth knowing: Capacities is built around typed objects instead of files and folders, it is not end-to-end encrypted, and tasks, smart queries and the AI assistant need Pro at $9.99 a month billed yearly.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $9.99 per month, billed yearly
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    Capacities pricing and detailscapacities.io
  3. 03

    Notion

    Best for working with other peopleWorkspace for docs, wikis, databases and projects with built-in AI

    Notion is the alternative when your notes stop being only yours. Several people can edit the same page, leave comments and @-mention each other, and databases and wikis turn pages into shared trackers and team documentation. It runs in a browser as well as on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and the Free plan gives one person unlimited pages and blocks with 10 guests.

    Worth knowing: On the Free plan you choose which pages to download for offline use and blocks are limited once a second member joins, and there is no Linux desktop app.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $10 per member / month, billed yearly
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    Notion pricing and detailsnotion.com
  4. 04

    Anytype

    Best for built-in encrypted syncLocal-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace for notes and data

    Anytype shares two of Obsidian's traits, local-first storage and end-to-end encryption, and sync is part of the free app: the free tier includes 100 MB of remote storage, which only files such as images and videos count toward, and paid memberships add more. Sync can also run peer-to-peer over a local network or through your own infrastructure. Notes are objects with types and properties, viewable as a calendar, gallery or kanban board, and there is a Linux app.

    Worth knowing: Like Obsidian it has no browser version, and in September 2026 the team announced a successor, Anytwo, and said development of the current app will slow down.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $4 per month, billed yearly ($5 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
    Anytype pricing and detailsanytype.io
  5. 05

    Bear

    Best Markdown editor for Apple devicesMarkdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links

    Bear suits people who mainly want to write in Markdown. It is a focused editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad with nested tags, wiki links and backlinks, and it has a migration guide for Obsidian. Sync runs through your own iCloud account with Bear Pro at $29.99 a year, less than Obsidian Sync costs at $4 per user a month billed annually.

    Worth knowing: Bear is offered only for Apple devices, and the free version does not sync between them; note encryption and export to PDF, HTML and DOCX also need Pro.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year
    Runs on
    macOS, iOS, Browser extension
    Bear pricing and detailsbear.app
  6. 06

    Heptabase

    Best for thinking on whiteboardsVisual notes app that arranges linked cards on whiteboards

    If the canvas is the part of Obsidian you use most, Heptabase is built around that idea: every note is a card, and cards are arranged on whiteboards and connected with bi-directional links. It adds PDF highlighting, a daily journal and AI that explains PDFs and YouTube videos, and it has a web app alongside Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. People you invite can collaborate in real time for free.

    Worth knowing: There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial Pro is $8.99 a month billed yearly, and Heptabase says it does not currently offer educational or nonprofit discounts.

    Price
    $8.99 per month, billed yearly ($107.88)
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    Heptabase pricing and detailsheptabase.com
  7. 07

    Reflect

    Best for daily notes on a MacOpen-source daily notes app with backlinks and local Markdown

    Reflect keeps Obsidian's storage model, plain Markdown files in a folder you choose with no account, and puts a daily note at the center. The Mac app is free and open source, Apple Calendar events appear beside the daily note and can be turned into meeting notes, and sync runs through iCloud Drive or Git. AI is optional: you add your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter key.

    Worth knowing: Only the Mac app is free: the iPhone and iPad app is $9.99 a month or $99 a year, and there is no web, Windows or Android version.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $9.99 per month, or $99 per year, for the iPhone and iPad app
    Runs on
    macOS, iOS, Browser extension
    Reflect pricing and detailsreflect.app

How to choose

Decide whether you still want local files

Logseq and Reflect keep notes as plain Markdown files on your own device, as Obsidian does, and Anytype stores content locally and encrypts it before it syncs. Bear syncs through your own iCloud account. Capacities is built around typed objects, Notion around pages and databases, and Heptabase around cards on whiteboards.

Check what sync costs

Obsidian Sync starts at $4 per user a month billed annually. Capacities includes sync on its free Basic plan, and Anytype's free tier comes with 100 MB of remote storage for files. Reflect syncs through iCloud Drive or Git. Bear needs Pro for sync, at $29.99 a year, and Logseq Sync is a beta open to backers paying $5 a month. Heptabase has no free plan at all.

Do you need a web app or Linux?

Obsidian has no web app. Logseq, Capacities, Notion and Heptabase all run in a browser; Anytype, Bear and Reflect do not. If you rely on Obsidian's Linux app, Logseq, Capacities, Anytype and Heptabase have one too, while Notion points Linux users to its browser version and Bear and Reflect are for Apple devices only.

Notes for yourself, or with other people?

Notion is built for co-editing, with comments and @-mentions. Heptabase lets the people you invite edit shared whiteboards and cards for free, and Anytype has shared channels with viewer, editor and admin roles. Capacities limits sharing to view-only access, and Logseq's real-time collaboration sync belongs to its database version, which is still in beta.

Common questions

Is there a free alternative to Obsidian?

Obsidian's own app is free; what costs money is Sync and Publish. Among the alternatives, Logseq is free and open source, Capacities Basic is free with sync included, Anytype is free with unlimited private spaces, Notion's Free plan gives one person unlimited pages, and Reflect's Mac app is free. Heptabase has no free plan.

Which Obsidian alternatives have a web app?

Logseq, Capacities, Notion and Heptabase can all be used in a browser. Anytype, Bear and Reflect, like Obsidian, have no web app.

Which Obsidian alternatives are open source?

Logseq is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, and Reflect's Mac app is open source under the MIT license. Anytype's desktop client is published under a source-available license, and its team has announced a move to the MIT license.

Which Obsidian alternatives store notes as Markdown files?

Logseq saves notes as plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files on your device, and Reflect keeps plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. Bear is a Markdown editor and can export notes to Markdown, among other formats.

Which Obsidian alternatives sync without a paid add-on?

Capacities includes sync across devices on its free Basic plan. Anytype's free tier includes 100 MB of remote storage, which only files such as images and videos count toward. Reflect syncs through iCloud Drive or Git, and its Mac app is free. Bear and Logseq both charge for sync.

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