Notion vs Obsidian
Updated June 2026 · A structured head-to-head comparison.
The verdict
Choose Notion for team wikis, databases, and collaboration in the cloud. Choose Obsidian for private, local-first personal knowledge management in plain Markdown. Notion is better for teams; Obsidian is better for individual researchers who value ownership and speed.
Notion vs Obsidian: side by side
| Dimension | Notion | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Cloud | Local files (Markdown) |
| Collaboration | StrongWinner | Limited |
| Privacy / ownership | Cloud-hosted | Local-firstWinner |
| Databases | YesWinner | Via plugins |
| Price (personal) | Free / $10 user/mo | Free (sync $4/mo) |
Notion key facts
- Vendor
- Notion Labs, Inc.
- Pricing
- Freemium — Free – $10/user/mo
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mac, Windows, Ios, Android, Api
- Best for
- Startups, Knowledge Workers, Solopreneurs
- Editor rating
- 4.6 / 5
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA, USA
Obsidian key facts
- Vendor
- Obsidian
- Pricing
- Freemium — Free – $4/mo
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, Linux, Ios, Android
- Best for
- Researchers, Writers, Power Users
- Editor rating
- 4.7 / 5
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Remote