Obsidian vs Typora
We give Obsidian a 3.4 GPA and Typora a 3.2, out of 4.0. Obsidian grades higher on the free plan. Typora grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Typora
Minimal Markdown editor that renders formatting as you type
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAObsidianVery good | 3.2GPATyporaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$14.99 once, before tax, for one person on up to 3 devices, with no subscription or renewal fee. That's less than two months of a typical $10 a month writing tool. Major updates, such as a move from 1.x to 2.x, aren't included. |
| 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. | CNo free plan. You get a 15-day free trial before a licence is needed, and a purchase can be refunded within 30 days if it isn't for you. |
| Features | ALinked notes, a graph view, a canvas, and thousands of plugins and themes. It can become almost anything. | AMarkdown formats in place as you type, with no preview pane. Tables resize by dragging, code highlights in around 100 languages, and math and Mermaid diagrams are drawn from text. It exports PDF, docx, LaTeX and Epub, and has focus and typewriter modes. |
| 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. | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a desktop app you install, and there's no mode switch to learn: what you type turns into the finished page. It works on ordinary files in any folder. |
| 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. | BMac, Windows and Linux, with one licence good for all three. But it's desktop only, with no mobile or web version listed, and it leaves syncing to services such as Dropbox or iCloud. |
| Best for | notes you own as plain files | Markdown that looks finished as you type |
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 Typora. How we grade
Where they differ
- Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on). Typora starts at $14.99 one-time, before tax.
- Obsidian has a free plan. Typora does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Typora can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Obsidian also covers notes, linked notes and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Obsidian | Typora | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on) | $14.99 one-time, before tax |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial before a license is needed. Purchases can be refunded within 30 days. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dynalist Inc. | appmakes (Qiyun (Shanghai) Technology Ltd.) |
| Price read from | obsidian.md | store.typora.io |
| 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
Typora
- People who write Markdown and want to see formatted text as they type
- Technical notes that mix code blocks, math and Mermaid diagrams
- Buyers who prefer a low one-time price to a subscription
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.
Typora
- Desktop only: downloads are offered for macOS, Windows and Linux, with no mobile or web version listed.
- A license covers one person on up to 3 devices at a time, and no bulk or organization-wide license is offered.
- Under the license agreement, free updates do not include major updates such as a move from 1.x to 2.x.
- Typora is file-based and does not store documents; syncing between devices is left to services such as Dropbox or iCloud.
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.
Typora
- Live preview editing
- Formats Markdown in place while typing, with no separate preview window or mode switch, so the document looks the same when writing and when reading.
- Tables, code, math and diagrams
- Tables resize by dragging, code fences highlight around 100 languages, MathJax handles equations, and flowchart, sequence and Mermaid diagrams are drawn from text.
- Image handling
- Images are inserted by drag and drop and shown inline, can be resized with an img tag, and on macOS can be uploaded to a cloud server through the iPic service.
- File tree and outline panels
- A file tree and an article list organize files in any folder, and an outline panel lists a document's headings for jumping to a section.
- Import and export
- Exports to PDF with bookmarks, and imports or exports other formats including docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki and Epub.
- Focus mode, typewriter mode and themes
- Focus mode blurs every line but the current one, typewriter mode keeps the active line in the middle of the window, and themes are configured with CSS.
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.
Typora
Typora license$14.99
one-time purchase, per user, before tax
Activates Typora on up to 3 devices for one person across macOS, Windows and Linux, with no expiry, subscription or renewal fee.
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.
Typora
No public discounts listed.
