Foam vs Obsidian (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Obsidian: it is second in our ranking of note-taking apps, and it grades higher too, 3.6 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Obsidian grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Obsidian
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device
Which one is for you
Pick Foam if
- Fits if you already live in VS Code and keep notes as Markdown files
- Works for people who want notes in Git with no vendor lock-in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there isn't one
- Not for you if you don't use VS Code, since it runs only inside that editor
- Watch out: it is a code editor with notes added, which is heavy for a quick shopping list
- Watch out: it sends anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting
Pick Obsidian if
- Fits if you want your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you control
- Works for people who are offline a lot, since everything lives on the device
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a notes app that works on day one, as you start with an empty folder
- Not for you if you need your notes in a browser, since there's no web app at all
- Tight if you want phone and laptop in sync for free: Sync is $4 a month, or you set up iCloud or Dropbox
- Not for you if you mostly write on an iPhone or iPad, where reviewers report slow opening and crashes
- Watch out: Sync at $4 is 1 vault, 1 GB and 5 MB files, Sync Plus is $8, and a published site is $8 more
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFoamGood | 3.6GPAObsidianExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source with no subscription. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free. | AThe app is free in full, in a category whose middle plan is $6 a month. Sync is $4 a month on yearly billing ($5 monthly), which is mid-pack here, and Publish is $8 a site on top. Past 1 vault or 1 GB you need Sync Plus at $8. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free, with no plan limits and no paid tier. | AThe whole app is free, with no account, no cap on notes, vaults or devices, and no license needed for work. Money buys sync and publishing only. You can sync yourself with iCloud or Dropbox, though reviewers report stuck files that way. |
| Features | CWikilinks, backlinks, a graph view, daily notes, templates and Git-based sync. It has no mobile app, and the docs offer capture from a phone only as a workaround through other apps. | ALinked notes with a graph view, an infinite canvas, local Markdown files and a web clipper, plus thousands of community plugins and themes on an open API, more than Logseq or Anytype list. Sync and publishing cost extra, and there's no web app. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install VS Code and the extension, and it works as plain files and commands, which suits developers more than most note-takers. | B4.5 from about 2,700 App Store ratings, which is the B band. That score is for the phone app, the weaker side of it. And you do start with an empty folder: even people who give it five stars say it took a while to get comfortable. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, Windows and Linux desktops only, through VS Code. A command-line tool with an MCP server exists, but nothing for phones or the web. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a web clipper for four browsers. No web app at all, which is what keeps it off an A, and the listing shows no integrations beyond the clipper and Git-style file sync. |
| Best for | linked Markdown notes inside VS Code | notes you own as plain files |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Foam and Obsidian. How we grade
Price against what you get
Foam has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Obsidian starts at $4 a month for each person and scores 3.3.
Obsidian scores higher, and starts $4 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Foam for less, and 4 score higher than Obsidian for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Foam is open source, according to its own site.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Foam also covers daily notes and templates.
- Obsidian also covers notes and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Foam | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) |
| Free plan | Everything is free; the project says it has no subscriptions. | The app is free without limits on desktop and mobile, with no sign-up, and a commercial license is not required for work use. Sync and Publish are optional paid add-ons. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Foam | Dynalist Inc. |
| Price read from | docs.foam.md | obsidian.md |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Foam
- It runs inside VS Code, so you install the editor as well as the extension.
- The docs describe mobile capture as a workaround through other apps; there is no Foam mobile app.
- It collects anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting.
Obsidian
- There is no web app; Obsidian runs as desktop and mobile apps only.
- Obsidian Sync is a paid add-on, from $4 per user / month billed annually.
- Sync Standard covers 1 vault with 1 GB of storage and a 5 MB file size limit; larger limits need Sync Plus.
- Publishing notes to the web is billed separately from Sync, at $8 per site / month on annual billing.
Key features
Foam
- Wikilinks and backlinks
- Link notes with double brackets; a Connections panel shows what links to the current note.
- Graph view
- Visualize how your notes connect to one another.
- Daily notes and templates
- Create timestamped daily notes and standard note templates.
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are ordinary Markdown files you own, with embeds, block anchors, tags and footnotes.
- Git and publishing
- Sync through source control and publish to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel and other hosts.
- Command line and MCP server
- A CLI includes an MCP server for AI clients; it is read-only unless writes are allowed.
Obsidian
- Local Markdown files
- Notes are saved on your device as plain-text Markdown files, so they stay readable in other editors and available offline.
- Links and graph view
- Notes link to one another, and a graph view draws the relationships between them so related ideas are easier to find.
- Canvas
- An infinite board for laying out notes, diagrams and research side by side while brainstorming.
- Plugins and themes
- Thousands of community plugins and themes, built on an open API, change how the app looks and behaves.
- Sync (paid add-on)
- End-to-end encrypted sync across devices with version history and shared vaults that update in real time for a team.
- Publish and Web Clipper
- Publish turns notes into a hosted site, priced per site. The Web Clipper extension saves web pages from Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.
Plans
Foam
Foam$0
Free, open-source VS Code extension. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free.
Obsidian
Obsidian app$0
The full app with local Markdown notes, links, graph, canvas, plugins and themes. No account needed.
Sync Standard$4
per user / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)
Encrypted sync for 1 vault with 1 GB of storage, a 5 MB maximum file size and 1 month of version history.
Sync Plus$8
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Sync for 10 vaults with 10 GB of storage (upgradable to 100 GB), 200 MB maximum file size and 12 months of version history.
Publish$8
per site / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Publishes selected notes as a website with a custom domain, password protection, graph view and full-text search.
Catalyst$25
one-time payment
Optional supporter license with early access to beta versions, community badges and exclusive channels.
Commercial$50
per user / year
Optional license for organizations that want to support development. It is not required to use Obsidian at work.
Ways to pay less
Foam
No public discounts listed.
Obsidian
- Annual discount
20% lower price with annual billing
Sync is $4 per user / month billed annually versus $5 billed monthly, and Publish is $8 per site versus $10: a 20% saving on each.
- Education
40% off Sync and Publish for students and faculty
Students and faculty members of schools and universities can apply for 40% off Obsidian Sync and Publish from their account dashboard, using a school email.
- Nonprofit
40% off Sync and Publish for nonprofits
People who run or work at a nonprofit organization can apply for 40% off Obsidian Sync and Publish, using their organization email.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foam or Obsidian?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foam is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4 a month for each person for Obsidian. Foam is free, and Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on).
Which has a free plan, Foam or Obsidian?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foam and Obsidian have a free plan.
Which platforms do Foam and Obsidian run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.