Obsidian vs SiYuan
We give Obsidian a 3.4 GPA and SiYuan a 3.6, out of 4.0. Obsidian grades higher on the free plan. SiYuan grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
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
SiYuan
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAObsidianVery good | 3.6GPASiYuanExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | APRO Features is $64 once, shown as reduced from $96. That's less than a year of a typical note subscription, though you supply the S3 or WebDAV storage yourself. The ready-made route is the $148 lifetime subscription with 8 GB of official cloud. No refunds on either. |
| 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. | BThe app is free for local use, work included, and most features are in it. But sync and backup between devices are paid, so a free phone and a free laptop won't share notes. A trial subscription can be switched on in the desktop app, though its length isn't stated. |
| Features | ALinked notes, a graph view, a canvas, and thousands of plugins and themes. It can become almost anything. | AEverything is a block: more than 20 block types, references in both directions, a backlink panel and graphs of how notes connect. Databases have relations and rollups, and flashcards are scheduled with the FSRS algorithm. Paid sync is end-to-end encrypted. |
| 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 rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. It's a WYSIWYG editor, so notes look formatted as you type. The cheaper sync option does mean buying or setting up your own S3 or WebDAV storage, mind. |
| 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. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with OpenAI as the one integration on record. The browser is the fiddly one: it needs a self-hosted Docker server, or a desktop app on the same local network. |
| Best for | notes you own as plain files | block-linked notes kept on your own device |
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 SiYuan. How we grade
Where they differ
- Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on). SiYuan starts at $64 one-time payment (PRO Features).
- Only SiYuan lists a web app.
- SiYuan is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Obsidian also covers Markdown and whiteboard.
- SiYuan also covers databases.
At a glance
| Obsidian | SiYuan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) | $64 one-time payment (PRO Features) |
| 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: basic functions with local storage, including for commercial use. Data sync and backup between devices are paid features. |
| Free trial | None listed | A trial subscription can be enabled in the desktop app under Settings > Account; its length is not stated |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dynalist Inc. | Yunnan Liandi Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | obsidian.md | b3log.org |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 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
SiYuan
- People who want notes stored on their own device and usable offline
- Note-takers who link ideas at the block level and explore them in a graph
- Learners who want flashcards alongside their notes
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.
SiYuan
- Syncing devices costs money: $64 once to use your own S3 or WebDAV storage, or the subscription for the official cloud.
- The official cloud storage is limited to 8 GB per user.
- Refunds are not available after subscribing; the vendor suggests trying the trial subscription in the desktop app first.
- Browser access comes from a self-hosted Docker server or a desktop app on the same local network.
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.
SiYuan
- Block-based editor
- Everything is a content block. The WYSIWYG editor offers more than 20 block types and 10 inline types, and any block can be zoomed into on its own.
- Block references and backlinks
- Blocks link in both directions, a backlink panel surfaces mentions that can be turned into links, and global and block-level graphs show how notes connect.
- Databases
- Database views support relations that connect two databases, rollups across them and templates.
- Flashcards
- Built-in spaced repetition schedules card reviews with the FSRS algorithm.
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Paid options sync devices with end-to-end encryption, using either the official 8 GB cloud or S3 or WebDAV storage that you provide.
- Self-hosted server
- A Docker image runs SiYuan on your own server for use from a browser, with a lock-screen password controlling access.
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.
SiYuan
Free$0
Basic functions with local storage, described by the vendor as completely free.
PRO Features$64
one-time payment
Adds data sync and backup through your own S3 or WebDAV storage; no storage is included. Shown as reduced from $96.
Subscription$148
one-time payment for a lifetime subscription
PRO Features plus 8 GB of official cloud storage, official sync and backup, a cloud inbox and asset hosting. Shown as reduced from $296 for limited seats.
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.
SiYuan
- Lifetime license
Lifetime subscription at $148 for limited seats
A vendor post says the $148 lifetime price covers a limited number of seats, then reverts to $296, and that the lifetime option closes once all seats are sold.
