NoteDiscovery vs Obsidian
We give NoteDiscovery a 3.0 GPA and Obsidian a 3.4, out of 4.0. Obsidian grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
NoteDiscovery
Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base that runs in the browser
Obsidian
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device
How we grade them
| 3.0GPANoteDiscoveryVery good | 3.4GPAObsidianVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT licence. The site says there are no paid tiers, no accounts and no telemetry. You'd only pay if you rent a server or deploy through PikaPods, which is a separate hosting service. | AThe app is free and Sync is $4 a month if you want it. You only pay for the extras you'll really use. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full app is free and there's nothing above it to upgrade to. Install it with Docker, or run it directly with Python 3.8 or higher. | AThe whole app, free, with no account and no limits. You're even allowed to use it at work without paying. |
| Features | BAn editor with split and preview modes, [[wikilinks]], a backlinks panel, a graph view, tags, templates, LaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams and a sketch editor. That's a good spread. But text search covers what's inside notes only, not file or folder names, and it's set up for a single user. | ALinked notes, a graph view, a canvas, and thousands of plugins and themes. It can become almost anything. |
| Ease of use | DYou must host it yourself. There's no hosted version from the maker, so step one is a server and a Docker container. Want more than one user? The README points you to a reverse proxy with OAuth or SSO. | CThis is the hard part. You start with an empty folder, and even fans say it took them a while to get comfortable. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web app you can install as a PWA on a phone or computer, with a built-in MCP server that hooks it up to Claude Desktop, Cursor, Ollama and Open WebUI. There are no native desktop or mobile apps. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a web clipper. No web app though, and the phone app is weaker than the desktop one. |
| Best for | reaching a folder of Markdown notes from any browser | 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: NoteDiscovery and Obsidian. How we grade
Where they differ
- NoteDiscovery is free. Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on).
- Only NoteDiscovery lists a web app.
- Only Obsidian lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- NoteDiscovery is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- NoteDiscovery also covers templates.
- Obsidian also covers whiteboard.
At a glance
| NoteDiscovery | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the MIT license. The site states there are no paid tiers, no accounts and no telemetry; you run it on your own server. | 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 |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Gamosoft | Dynalist Inc. |
| Price read from | notediscovery.com | obsidian.md |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
NoteDiscovery
- Self-hosters who want notes kept as Markdown files on their own server
- People with an Obsidian vault who want to reach it from a browser
- Connecting a personal note collection to AI assistants over MCP
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
NoteDiscovery
- There is no hosted version from the maker and no cloud sync: you run a server yourself or deploy through PikaPods, a separate hosting service.
- There are no native desktop or mobile apps; it is used in a browser and can be installed as a progressive web app.
- Password protection is off by default and is one password built for single-user use; the README suggests a reverse proxy with OAuth or SSO for multi-user setups.
- Text search covers note contents only, not file or folder names.
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
NoteDiscovery
- Markdown editor with live preview
- Edit, split and preview modes with auto-save, code highlighting, LaTeX math through MathJax and Mermaid diagrams.
- Wikilinks, backlinks and graph view
- Notes link with [[wikilink]] syntax, a backlinks panel shows which notes point at the current one, and an interactive graph maps the connections.
- Plain-file storage
- Notes are Markdown files in normal folders, so an existing Obsidian vault can be dropped in and the files open in any other Markdown editor.
- Built-in MCP server
- A Model Context Protocol server lets assistants such as Claude Desktop and Cursor search, create, edit and organize notes.
- Tags and templates
- Tags are set in YAML frontmatter and can be combined with text search. New notes can start from templates with dynamic placeholders.
- Drawing editor and public sharing
- Sketches are saved as PNG files beside the notes, and a note can be shared through a token-based link or exported as standalone HTML.
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
NoteDiscovery
NoteDiscovery$0
The full self-hosted app, installed with Docker or run directly with Python 3.8 or higher.
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
NoteDiscovery
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.
