FUTO Notes vs Obsidian
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
Where they differ
- FUTO Notes is free. Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on).
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- FUTO Notes is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Obsidian also covers linked notes and whiteboard.
At a glance
| FUTO Notes | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) |
| Free plan | Every feature is free. The FAQ says version 1.8.0 has no paid tier, no license key and no in-app purchase, and no account is needed. | 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 | FUTO | Dynalist Inc. |
| Price read from | notes.futo.tech | obsidian.md |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FUTO Notes
- People who want Markdown notes as plain files on every device
- Self-hosters comfortable running a small sync server
- Obsidian users who want another app for an existing vault
Obsidian
- People who want their notes as plain Markdown files they control
- Building a linked personal knowledge base that works offline
- Users who like to customize an app with plugins and themes
Worth knowing
FUTO Notes
- Syncing between devices needs a server you run yourself; FUTO does not offer a hosted sync service today.
- Sync carries Markdown notes and images only. PDFs and other files stay on the device they are on.
- The source is public, but the licenses are not OSI-approved: modifying and redistributing the code is limited to non-commercial use.
- The download page labels the builds a beta release, and the app is available in English and Simplified Chinese only.
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
FUTO Notes
- Plain Markdown files
- Each note is one .md file named after its title, and each folder in the app is a real folder on disk. There is no database, so any text editor can open the notes.
- Markdown styled as you type
- Headings, bold text, checklists, tables, wikilinks and fenced code are formatted while you write, with the syntax fading out of view.
- Apps for five platforms
- Native iOS and Android apps use the same editor as the desktop app, which is built on Tauri for Linux, macOS and Windows. Search runs on the device.
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Notes and images are encrypted on the device with AES-256-GCM before upload, along with file names and folder paths. The server stores only ciphertext.
- Self-hosted sync server
- Sync goes through a server you run yourself, installed with one command using Docker. The docs cover reverse proxies, backups and storage growth.
- Works with an Obsidian vault
- On desktop the app opens an Obsidian vault folder where it is. Notes, folders, wikilinks, tags, checklists and tables carry over; embeds, aliases and plugins do not.
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
FUTO Notes
FUTO Notes$0
The full app on iOS, Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, plus the sync server to host yourself.
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
FUTO Notes
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.
