TL;DR
Should I use Notion or Obsidian?
Pick Notion if you share pages with other people or want databases and built-in AI. Pick Obsidian if you want private notes saved as files on your own device. Both are free to start. Before you pay for either, use the free version for a week of real notes.
What's the difference between Notion and Obsidian?
Notion is an online workspace. You build pages, wikis and simple databases (tables you can sort, filter and link), and you can invite other people into the same space. The free plan is aimed at individuals and still includes databases, basic forms, simple websites and Notion Calendar.
Obsidian is a note-taking app that keeps your notes in a "vault," which is just a folder of files on your own device. The app is free without limits, and you don't need an account to use it. Obsidian says the app collects no telemetry (usage data sent back to the company). You pay only if you want extras, like syncing between devices or publishing notes as a website.
So the choice mostly comes down to where your notes live. Notion keeps them in a shared online workspace. Obsidian keeps them on your machine, and you decide whether they ever leave it.
Notion vs Obsidian at a glance
| Notion | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Online workspace for notes, docs, wikis and databases | Note-taking app that saves notes as files on your device |
| Free plan | Yes, for individuals. Solo workspaces get unlimited blocks; 5 MB file uploads, 7 days of page history, up to 10 guests | Yes. The app is free without limits, no sign-up needed |
| Cheapest paid option | Plus, US$10 per member/month billed yearly (US$120/year) or US$12 billed monthly | Sync Standard add-on, US$4/month billed yearly (US$48/year) or US$5 billed monthly |
| AI built in | Trial only on Free and Plus. Included on Business and Enterprise, with monthly AI credits | No AI plan from Obsidian. AI comes through community plugins or outside tools |
| Sharing with others | Built in: members, guests, private teamspaces on Business | Shared vaults come with the paid Sync add-on |
| Publish a website | Basic sites on Free; custom domain US$8/month billed yearly or US$10 monthly | Publish add-on, US$8 per site/month billed yearly or US$10 monthly |
| Student deal | Plus free with a school email (1-member limit) | 40% off Sync and Publish for students, faculty and nonprofit staff |
| Best for | Teams, shared projects and people who want AI inside their notes | Private notes, offline use and people who want to own their files |
How much do Notion and Obsidian cost?
Prices are in US dollars, before tax, checked November 9, 2026.
Notion pricing
Notion charges per member each month. Its pricing page says you save up to 20% by paying yearly.
| Notion plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | Databases, basic forms and sites, Notion Calendar, a trial of Notion AI |
| Plus | US$10 per member/month billed yearly (US$120/year), or US$12 billed monthly | Custom forms and sites, charts, larger file uploads, basic connections, still a trial of Notion AI |
| Business | US$20 per member/month billed yearly | Notion AI with monthly credits, Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, Enterprise Search (beta), SAML SSO, private teamspaces |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Everything in Business plus extra security and admin tools |
If you run out of AI credits on Business, Notion sells more at US$10 per 1,000 credits billed monthly, or US$13 per 1,000 on yearly credits paid upfront. A custom domain for a Notion site is US$8 a month per domain billed yearly, or US$10 billed monthly.
For one person who just wants more room than the free plan, Plus is the step up. For a broader look at Notion next to other note apps, see our notes and productivity tool list.
Obsidian pricing
The Obsidian app costs nothing. Everything below is optional.
| Obsidian add-on | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Sync Standard | US$4/month billed yearly (US$48/year), or US$5 billed monthly | 1 synced vault, 1 GB storage, 5 MB max file size, 1 month of version history, end-to-end encryption, shared vaults |
| Sync Plus | US$8/month billed yearly | 10 vaults, 10 GB storage (upgradable to 100 GB for US$16/month billed yearly), 200 MB max file size, 12 months of version history |
| Publish | US$8 per site/month billed yearly, or US$10 billed monthly | Turns notes into a website, with up to 4 GB hosting, custom domain and theme |
| Catalyst | US$25 one time | Early beta access and community badges |
| Commercial license | US$50 per user/year | An optional support license for organizations |
End-to-end encryption means your notes are scrambled before they leave your device, so only your devices can read them. Obsidian offers full refunds on Sync and Publish within 7 days.
Over a year, the cheapest paid options come to US$120 for Notion Plus and US$48 for Obsidian Sync Standard. On both, the free version may be all you need.
Where does AI fit in each app?
Notion has AI built in, but the full version sits on the Business and Enterprise plans. Each Business member gets 1,500 Standard credits a month, where Notion picks the AI model, and 500 Select credits a month, where you pick the model or run Custom Agents you own. Free and Plus get only a trial of Notion AI.
Obsidian doesn't sell an AI plan. People add AI through community plugins, which are add-ons other users build, or by pairing Obsidian with a separate AI tool. Because your notes are plain files on your device, it's up to you which AI tool, if any, gets to read them.
If what you really want is an AI that reads your documents and answers questions about them, a research notebook may suit you better than either app. Our list of NotebookLM alternatives covers those.
Notion vs Obsidian for students
Both have a student deal. Notion gives students and educators the Plus plan free with a school email, limited to one member. Obsidian is already free, and students, faculty and nonprofit employees get 40% off Sync and Publish.
For class notes you write alone and keep for years, Obsidian's free app is hard to beat. For group projects where everyone edits the same pages, Notion's free Plus for students makes more sense.
Which one should you pick?
| If you want to… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Share pages and plan projects with other people | Notion | Members, guests and shared pages are built in |
| Keep private notes that live on your own device | Obsidian | Notes are files in a folder you control, and the app is free |
| Ask AI about your notes inside the app | Notion (Business) | AI credits are included per member; Free and Plus get a trial only |
| Take notes without making an account | Obsidian | No sign-up needed; your vault is a folder on your device |
| Track tasks, reading lists or clients in tables | Notion | Databases are on every plan, including Free |
| Spend as little as possible across devices | Obsidian | Free app; Sync Standard is US$48 a year if you need it |
Our verdict
Most people can decide in one question: do other people need to edit your notes? If yes, start with Notion. If no, start with Obsidian, since the app costs nothing and your notes stay as files on your own device.
Try the free version first either way. Pay for Notion Plus or Obsidian Sync only once the free version actually gets in your way.
— Artificially Nerdy
FAQ
Is Obsidian better than Notion?
It depends on what you need. Obsidian is better for private notes stored as files on your own device, with a free app and no account. Notion is better for shared pages, databases and AI inside your workspace.
Is Obsidian free?
Yes. The Obsidian app is free without limits and needs no sign-up. You pay only for optional add-ons: Sync starts at US$4 a month billed yearly (US$5 monthly), and Publish starts at US$8 per site a month billed yearly (US$10 monthly). Prices checked November 9, 2026.
Does Obsidian have AI like Notion AI?
Not from Obsidian itself. Its pricing page has no AI plan, so people add AI through community plugins or outside tools. Notion AI is built into Notion's Business plan (US$20 per member a month billed yearly) with monthly AI credits, while Notion's Free and Plus plans get only a trial.
Can I use Obsidian for work?
Yes. Obsidian allows commercial use of the free app. It sells an optional Commercial license at US$50 per user a year for organizations that want to support it, but you don't need one to use the app at work.
Sources
- Notion pricing: Free, Plus, Business and Enterprise plans, per-member yearly prices, plan features, extra credit pricing, custom-domain pricing and the student Plus offer (checked about 5:40am ET, November 9, 2026).
- Notion release notes, June 26, 2024: Plus at US$12 per member a month billed monthly, matching the current monthly Plus price in Notion's pricing page data (checked November 9, 2026).
- Notion AI FAQs: Notion AI is available on Business and Enterprise plans.
- What are Notion credits?: Standard and Select monthly credits per member.
- Notion AI: Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes and Enterprise Search features.
- Obsidian pricing: free app, Sync, Publish, Catalyst and Commercial license prices, student and nonprofit discount, refund window and commercial-use terms.
- Obsidian Sync: Sync Standard and Sync Plus limits, storage and Sync Plus yearly price.
- Obsidian Publish: Publish hosting and features.
- Obsidian blog: Standard plan: Sync Standard and Sync Plus plan details.
