Lazy vs Obsidian

Lazy

• Mac users who save articles, threads and quotes while they work
• People who want capture and linked notes in one tool
• Readers who want Kindle highlights next to their own notes

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

Lazy

• There is no free plan: after a 14-day trial it costs $6 or $12.50 a month billed yearly, and the terms give no refunds unless the law requires them.
• The download page offers Mac builds only (Apple Silicon and Intel); no Windows, Linux or Android version is listed.
• AI answers and chat with the knowledge base need the Lazy AI plan.
• The offline mode is listed for notes 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.

Lazy

Capture without switching apps

One keyboard shortcut saves an idea, link or tweet from whatever app is in front, so taking a note does not mean leaving the work in progress.

Universal clipper

Clipping is not limited to the browser: information can be saved from the app you are working in, covering articles, Twitter threads, videos and more.

Networked note-taking

Captures and notes live in one space where they can be connected to each other, with unlimited notes and file uploads on both plans.

Kindle highlights and Notion

Kindle highlights sync into Lazy, and captures can be sent on to Notion. Both are included in the Lazy Capture plan.

Lazy AI

The Lazy AI plan answers questions using your own captures as context and lets you chat with your knowledge base from the desktop.

Offline mode and iOS capture

Notes can be written without a connection, and an iOS capture option covers ideas that arrive away from the computer.

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.

Lazy

• Lazy Capture$6

  per month, billed yearly ($8 billed monthly)

  Lazy Capture, networked note-taking, unlimited notes and file uploads, offline mode for notes, Kindle highlights sync, capture to Notion and iOS capture.

• Lazy AI$12.50

  per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)

  Everything in Lazy Capture, plus Lazy AI, context-aware answers from captures, chat with your knowledge base and priority access to new AI features.

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.

Lazy

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing costs less per month

  The pricing page labels yearly billing a 25% saving. Lazy Capture drops from $8 to $6 a month, and Lazy AI from $15 to $12.50, about 17%.

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.