Obsidian vs QOwnNotes
We give Obsidian a 3.4 GPA and QOwnNotes a 3.6, out of 4.0. QOwnNotes grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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
QOwnNotes
Open-source Markdown notes app with Nextcloud and ownCloud support
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAObsidianVery good | 3.6GPAQOwnNotesExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe app is free and Sync is $4 a month if you want it. You only pay for the extras you'll really use. | AFree and open source under the GPL. The project says it generates no revenue and runs on donations through PayPal, GitHub Sponsors and Liberapay. There's nothing to buy. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app, free, with no account and no limits. You're even allowed to use it at work without paying. | AThe full desktop app, the Web Companion extension and the Android app are all free. No paid tier exists, so there's no limit to run into. |
| Features | ALinked notes, a graph view, a canvas, and thousands of plugins and themes. It can become almost anything. | AHierarchical tags, subfolders, [[Note]] links with backlinks, AES-256 encryption for single notes, and a browser clipper. With Nextcloud or ownCloud you can restore old versions and trashed notes and share notes publicly. Scripts install from an in-app repository, and there's a built-in MCP server. |
| Ease of use | CThis is the hard part. You start with an empty folder, and even fans say it took them a while to get comfortable. | BNo store rating to go on, so a B is our ceiling. On a computer it's install, pick a folder, write. It gets more involved once you want sync, since the app doesn't sync by itself and leans on a Nextcloud or ownCloud client. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a web clipper. No web app though, and the phone app is weaker than the desktop one. | BLinux, macOS and Windows, a Chrome and Firefox extension, and hooks into Nextcloud, ownCloud, OpenAI and Groq. The Android app is an APK from GitHub that needs a Nextcloud server running Notes, and the site lists no iOS app. That keeps it off the A. |
| Best for | notes you own as plain files | Markdown notes on a desktop, paired with Nextcloud |
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: Obsidian and QOwnNotes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on). QOwnNotes is free.
- Only Obsidian lists an iOS app.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- QOwnNotes is open source, according to its own site.
- Obsidian also covers whiteboard.
- QOwnNotes also covers web clipper.
At a glance
| Obsidian | QOwnNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) | Free |
| Free plan | 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 and open source under the GPL. The project says it generates no revenue and accepts donations through PayPal, GitHub Sponsors and Liberapay. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dynalist Inc. | Patrizio Bekerle |
| Price read from | obsidian.md | qownnotes.org |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
QOwnNotes
- Nextcloud or ownCloud users who want a desktop Markdown notes app
- People who keep notes as plain files that any editor can open
- Users who want to script and rearrange their notes app
Worth knowing
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.
QOwnNotes
- The app does not sync notes or attachments itself; syncing across devices depends on a Nextcloud or ownCloud sync client or another file-sync tool.
- The Android app is installed as an APK from its GitHub release page and needs a Nextcloud server running the Notes app. The site lists no iOS app.
- The browser extension works only while the desktop app is running.
- Current builds need Windows 10 or macOS 13 or later; the older Qt5 builds cannot use the built-in updater.
Key features
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.
QOwnNotes
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are plain-text Markdown files in a folder you pick, so existing text files work without an import and any other editor can open them.
- Nextcloud and ownCloud integration
- Restores older note versions and trashed notes from the server, shares notes publicly, creates Nextcloud Deck cards and manages server to-do lists.
- Tags, subfolders and wiki links
- Hierarchical tags and note subfolders, plus optional [[Note]] links with autocomplete, heading anchors, aliases and backlinks.
- Web Companion browser extension
- A Chrome and Firefox extension clips selected text or a screenshot of a page into a note and manages bookmarks kept in notes.
- Scripting and AI support
- Scripts install from an in-app repository. Opt-in AI support takes Groq and OpenAI keys, and a built-in MCP server lets outside agents search and fetch notes.
- Optional note encryption
- AES-256 encryption of individual notes is built in, and scripts add Keybase or PGP as alternative encryption methods.
Plans
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.
QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes$0
The full desktop app for Linux, macOS and Windows, plus the Web Companion extension and the Android app.
Ways to pay less
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.
QOwnNotes
No public discounts listed.
