Dynalist Inc in a few pages, for writers, partners and anyone curious: the facts, the people, the money, the products and the news. Put together by ToolGPA, not by Dynalist Inc.
Obsidian is made by Dynalist Inc., a small team that says it is paid for by its users rather than investors. The app is free to use; the company earns money from Sync and Publish subscriptions and from optional Catalyst and Commercial licenses.
Chief executive
Steph Ango
Ownership
Privately held
Unofficial. Put together by ToolGPA from Dynalist Inc’s own pages, news reports and our own grades, read Oct 18, 2026. Not made, paid for or approved by Dynalist Inc. toolgpa.com
Part 01 · Company
The company
Who they are, the facts in one place, and the people who run it
In a sentence
Obsidian is made by Dynalist Inc., a small team that says it is paid for by its users rather than investors. The app is free to use; the company earns money from Sync and Publish subscriptions and from optional Catalyst and Commercial licenses.
In a paragraph
Steph Ango is its CEO; Shida Li and Erica Xu are co-founders. A small team, in its own words, with help from contributors and volunteers.
Free to quote. Please link to toolgpa.com so readers can check the facts.
Fact sheet
Company
Dynalist Inc
Team
A small team, in its own words, with help from contributors and volunteers
Website
obsidian.md
Products we list
Obsidian
Ownership: Privately held
Its About page says Obsidian is independent and 100% supported by its users, not investors. Its privacy policy names Dynalist Inc. as the company that develops Obsidian.
Every announced round, who put money in, and what it was last valued at
Self-funded
By its own account: no outside investors
No outside investors: its About page says Obsidian is 100% supported by its users, not investors, and its pricing page calls it 100% user-supported.
What they make
Obsidian, as ToolGPA grades it: five subjects, a letter for each, and a GPA.
Obsidian
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device
#2 of 147 note-taking appsFrom $4 per user / month, billed annuallyFree plan4.5 on the App Store
3.6GPA
Our pick for people who want their notes as files they own. Want your notes to still open in twenty years?
AValue
AFree
AFeatures
BEase
BPlatforms
What reviewers praise: Commenters value that notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder they control, saying it keeps them from being tied to the app and lets them use Git or other editors. Community plugins come up in reviews across several years as the way people adapt the app to how they work.
Obsidian’s grade as a badge for its own site, free: it updates itself and links to the review. Code at toolgpa.com/badges.
Part 04 · News
News and contacts
What they have announced lately, and every official channel
This media kit is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Dynalist Inc’s pages, news reports, investors’ announcements and public filings said on the dates shown, with our own grades. It is not made, paid for or approved by Dynalist Inc, and Dynalist Inc’s names and logos are trademarks of their owner. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; no one can pay for a grade. Product pictures are Dynalist Inc’s own, from its website and app-store listings.
