Lockbook vs Obsidian

Lockbook

• People who want notes and files the provider cannot read
• Markdown writers who also sketch or keep files beside their notes
• Developers who want a command-line client and open formats

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

Lockbook

• The free plan holds 25 MB. The only paid plan is 30 GB for $2.99 a month, bought inside the app.
• The secret key is the only way into an account and cannot be recovered if it is lost.
• There is no web app: the site lists native apps for iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android, and a CLI.
• The site says the product is in its infancy; document history, comments and a browser clipper are listed as coming soon.

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.

Lockbook

End-to-end encryption

Content, including file names, is encrypted on the device. The vendor's staff can see only what the server needs, such as file counts, document sizes and the shape of the file tree.

Key-based accounts

Signing up takes a username and creates a secret key, shown as a 24-word phrase or a QR code. No email, phone number or password is collected.

Markdown editor and SVG canvas

Notes are written in Markdown and drawings are saved as SVG, both open formats that other tools can read. PDFs and images can be previewed.

Sharing and collaboration

A file or folder can be shared with read or write access, and the recipient can place it anywhere in their own file tree. Only the owner is billed for the space it takes.

Native apps, offline support and a CLI

Each platform has its own native client that works offline and syncs later. A command-line client keeps an encrypted local store and syncs on request.

Self-hosting

The server can run on your own infrastructure. Accounts on a self-hosted server cannot collaborate with users on the main Lockbook server.

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.

Lockbook

• Free$0

  25 MB of storage with sharing and collaboration, Markdown and drawing support, and offline mode.

• Premium$2.99

  per month

  30 GB of storage with the same features as Free. It is bought inside the app; the US App Store lists it as a $2.99 in-app purchase.

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.

Lockbook

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.