Obsidian is a powerful knowledge management system for complex note-taking with local storage and linking capabilities, while Apple Notes is a lightweight, cloud-synced note app built into iOS/macOS for quick capture and basic organization. Obsidian requires learning and setup; Apple Notes works instantly but lacks advanced features.
Obsidian vs Apple Notes — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Local-first markdown editor with bidirectional linking, plugins, and complete data ownership.
Lightweight native note app with instant cloud sync across Apple devices and real-time collaboration features.
Note Linking & Backlinks. Local vs Cloud Storage. Setup & Learning Curve. Plugin/Extension Support. Cross-Platform Availability. Free vs Paid Cost. Collaboration Features
Choose Obsidian if you're building a research database, writing long-form content, managing complex projects, or need cross-platform access and data ownership. Choose Apple Notes if you want frictionless quick capture, real-time family sharing, and seamless Apple ecosystem integration without setup overhead.
Obsidian: Local device | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Free (sync $8-10/mo optional) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Minimal (plugin-dependent) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Complete (100%) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Basic (via plugins only) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 8/10 (gentle) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: No (plugin-based only) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 1000+ (community plugins) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: ~2.5M (estimated) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins only | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Limited (HTTP API beta) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Bootstrapped (private) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0 (not designed for teams) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Full (100% offline functionality) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: No native support | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 9 (advanced graph visualization) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 5-15 (markdown basics) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 7 (Obsidian Mobile, good) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Markdown + Attachments (fully portable) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 3+ million active users | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Local Markdown files | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Plain Markdown | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Native Markdown (always portable) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: No (free but proprietary) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: No (single-player by default) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Obsidian Sync ($4/mo) or iCloud/Dropbox | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via Outliner plugin | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Yes (via links) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Yes — link graph | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via Dataview plugin | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Yes (community + core) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via Spaced Repetition plugin | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 1,500+ community plugins | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins (Copilot, Smart Connections) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Obsidian Sync $4/mo | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: N/A (no team plan) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Free (with optional $50 Sync) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 5 (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 50+ official + 100+ community | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 10-15 minutes | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Standard markdown (high portability) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 70% feature parity (plugins limited on mobile) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Unlimited (device storage dependent) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Free (Sync $8/month optional) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0-96/year (depending on add-ons) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 1,000+ plugins | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Standard Markdown (.md files) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 5M+ downloads on mobile alone | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Built-in graph with plugin enhancements | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0/month (free tier) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0/year (or $120 with Obsidian Sync) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Limited to manual sharing; no native multi-user editing | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Local device or user-chosen cloud storage | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: iOS and Android available (limited features on free tier) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Unlimited (fully free tier) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0–$10/month (optional sync subscription) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0 (free core) or $120/year (with Sync) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 100% fully functional offline | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: ~1.5 million (2024 estimate) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 6 (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Complete local ownership; markdown files on your device | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $0 (free) or $49 one-time | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: $49 one-time lifetime | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: 1-2 (shared vault via third-party) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: Partial (Dataview plugin, limited querying) | Apple Notes: N/A
Obsidian: N/A | Apple Notes: iOS, macOS (2)
Obsidian: N/A | Apple Notes: Advanced with OCR
Obsidian: N/A | Apple Notes: Available (iPhone 12+)
Obsidian: N/A | Apple Notes: Apple ecosystem only
How to choose between Obsidian and Apple Notes
Obsidian vs Apple Notes — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Obsidian vs Apple Notes. Contains 85 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Obsidian vs Apple Notes — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Obsidian vs Apple Notes.
Can I use Obsidian on Android and Windows?
Yes. Obsidian is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. However, syncing between devices requires either the paid Obsidian Sync service ($11/month) or a third-party solution like iCloud, Dropbox, or Git. Apple Notes is Apple-only (iPhone, iPad, Mac).
Is Obsidian really free, or is there a catch?
Obsidian core is free forever with no ads. You only pay if you want Obsidian Sync ($11/month for encrypted cloud sync), Obsidian Publish ($10/month to publish notes as websites), or commercial licensing. Local use with manual sync (Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive) stays free.
Can I collaborate with others in real-time on Obsidian notes?
Not natively. Obsidian is designed for individual use. Real-time collaboration requires the paid Obsidian Sync service ($11/month) or workarounds like shared Dropbox folders (with sync delays). Apple Notes has native real-time collaboration on shared notes at no cost.
Will Apple Notes work if I switch to Android or Windows?
No. Apple Notes only works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can view notes via iCloud.com in a web browser, but there is no native Android or Windows app. Obsidian works everywhere.
Which is better for research and long-form writing?
Obsidian is significantly better for research due to bidirectional linking, the ability to link notes together, and visualize connections in a graph. It's built for building knowledge bases. Apple Notes is better for quick capture and simple lists, not interconnected research projects.
How to Choose Between Obsidian and Apple Notes
Note Linking & Backlinks: Obsidian has Full bidirectional linking with graph visualization, while Apple Notes has Basic folder/checklist organization only.
Local vs Cloud Storage: Obsidian has Local-first (encrypted, no account required), while Apple Notes has Cloud-only (iCloud sync).
Setup & Learning Curve: Obsidian has 30-60 minutes required, plugin ecosystem learning, while Apple Notes has Instant, zero learning curve.
Plugin/Extension Support: Obsidian has 900+ community plugins available, while Apple Notes has No plugin system.
Cross-Platform Availability: Obsidian has Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, while Apple Notes has Apple devices only (iPhone, iPad, Mac).
Free vs Paid Cost: Obsidian has Free core, optional Obsidian Sync ($11/month), while Apple Notes has Free (iCloud requires Apple device).
Collaboration Features: Obsidian has Limited (third-party via Sync add-on, $11/month), while Apple Notes has Real-time collaboration on shared notes.