Obsidian vs Tangent Notes
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
Tangent Notes
Open-source Markdown notes app that maps the path between notes
Where they differ
- Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on). Tangent Notes is free.
- Only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Tangent Notes is open source, according to its own site.
- Obsidian also covers whiteboard.
At a glance
| Obsidian | Tangent Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The whole app is free. The site describes it as open source under the Apache 2.0 license and says it will always be free. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dynalist Inc. | Taylor Hadden |
| Price read from | obsidian.md | tangentnotes.com |
| 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
Tangent Notes
- Writers who follow links from note to note and want to keep their place
- Obsidian users who want another editor for the same linked files
- People who want Markdown notes with no account or server
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.
Tangent Notes
- Desktop only: iOS and Android support is listed under "Much Later" on the roadmap.
- The download page calls the app an open alpha, and the roadmap says it is still in active development.
- There is no built-in sync or collaboration; the site points to Git, iCloud, Drive or Dropbox for syncing the files.
- Export to HTML or simplified Markdown is still on the roadmap.
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.
Tangent Notes
- Thread View
- As you follow and create links, the notes behind you stay open as horizontally sliding panels, so you can move back and forth along the path you took.
- Map View
- A branching map of nodes and connections is built automatically from your writing and navigation, giving an overview of where you have been.
- Markdown styled as you type
- Markup is hidden once you move on and reappears when you return. Headers, highlights, lists, YAML front matter, LaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams and highlighted code blocks are supported.
- Wiki links and backlinks
- Double-bracket links connect notes by filename with autocomplete, and each note knows what links to it. Links in notes that come from Obsidian keep working.
- Tags, to-dos and queries
- Notes take nested tags and to-do checkboxes, and a custom query language finds notes by links, tags, to-dos or text. Queries can be saved and reused inside other queries.
- Keyboard control and focus mode
- Nearly every action has a customizable shortcut, with a command palette for the others. Focus mode narrows the view to one note, paragraph or sentence.
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.
Tangent Notes
Tangent$0
The full desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, offered as an open alpha. Linux builds are also on Flathub.
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.
Tangent Notes
No public discounts listed.
