Best Note Taking Apps · head-to-head
Notion vs Obsidian
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for note taking apps. Notion has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
Notion has the lower entry price — Notion starts at $0/mo, Obsidian at $0/mo. Free tier: Notion Yes, Obsidian Yes. HIPAA: Notion Yes, Obsidian —.
As of 2026-06-13 · figures link to their source below
Side by side
Notion
$0/mo entryObsidian
$0/mo entrySources — Notion: notion.com (verified 2026-06-13) · Obsidian: obsidian.md (verified 2026-06-13)
Key features
Notion: Flexible databases (tables, boards, calendars, galleries, timelines); Notion AI (doc generation, autofill, meeting notes); Notion Agent (Business+); Enterprise Search across workspace; SAML SSO and SCIM provisioning; Notion Calendar and Notion Mail; Customizable forms and public sites; API with 1000+ Zapier actions; Audit logs (Enterprise); Zero LLM data retention option (Enterprise)
Obsidian: Local-first Markdown files stored on device (no vendor lock-in); Bidirectional linking and graph view; Large community plugin ecosystem (1,000+ plugins); AES-256 end-to-end encrypted Sync; Web publishing via Obsidian Publish (custom domains, full-text search, graph); No account required for core app; Open format (plain .md files); Regular third-party security audits (Cure53, Trail of Bits); Canvas (infinite whiteboard); Daily notes and templates