Best Note Taking Apps · pricing · Updated June 2026
Obsidian pricing (2026)
Obsidian starts at $0/mo (Free), across 4 plans. Best for Privacy-focused knowledge workers. Every figure links to Obsidian's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $0/mo (Free)
- Free tier: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- Best for: Privacy-focused knowledge workers; Researchers and academics (Zettelkasten/PKM); Developers who prefer plain-text Markdown; Offline-first power users; Users wanting no vendor lock-in
Obsidian plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | flat | The Obsidian app itself is free for personal use with no sign-up and no limitations. Sync and Publish are paid add-ons (separate plans below). | obsidian.md |
| Sync | $5 | −20% | per_seat | $5 USD per user/mo billed monthly; $4 USD per user/mo billed annually. Cross-device syncing, end-to-end encryption, version history, shared-vault collaboration, priority support. | obsidian.md |
| Publish | $10 | −20% | flat | $10 USD per site/mo billed monthly; $8 USD per site/mo billed annually (priced per published site, not per user). Web publishing with no technical knowledge required, customizable themes, graph and full-text search, priority support. | obsidian.md |
| Commercial license | Quote-only | — | per_seat | Required for using Obsidian for work at companies of 2+ people. Priced at $50 USD per user per year (annual-only, no monthly option), so monthlyUsd is null; development support, featured organization status, bulk purchase available. | obsidian.md |
Last verified 2026-06-13. Prices read from obsidian.md/pricing on 2026-06-13. Live page rendered Sync $5/mo monthly and $4/mo annual, Publish $10/site/mo monthly and $8/site/mo annual, and a Commercial license at $50 USD per user per year; all figures confirmed verbatim on the served page.
Capabilities
Integrations: iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive (via community plugins), Git (community plugin), Zotero (community plugin), Obsidian Publish (paid add-on), Obsidian Sync (paid add-on), Dataview plugin, Templater plugin, Excalidraw plugin.
Key features: 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.
Plan limits: Free app: local storage only, no cross-device sync (Sync add-on required); Free app: no web publishing (Publish add-on required); Sync: version history included but retention period not specified on pricing page; Publish: priced per site, not per user; Commercial license required for company use (2+ employees).
Frequently asked questions
How much does Obsidian cost?
Obsidian starts at $0/mo (Free); it has 4 published plans. Verified 2026-06-13.
Is Obsidian cheaper billed annually?
Yes. Obsidian publishes a 20% discount for paying annually (on the Sync plan). Verified 2026-06-13.
What are cheaper alternatives to Obsidian?
Cheaper note taking apps than Obsidian (entry $0/mo) include Bear at $2.99/mo. Verified 2026-06-13.
Does Obsidian support HIPAA?
Obsidian HIPAA support: —. SOC 2: —. GDPR: —.
Does Obsidian have a free plan?
Obsidian free tier: Yes.
Obsidian vs alternatives
Compare all note taking apps → · Obsidian alternatives → · Open data · MCP
Cheaper note taking apps alternatives
- Bear from $2.99/mo