Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace with advanced databases, collaboration, and project management features, while Obsidian is a local-first, privacy-focused note-taking app optimized for personal knowledge graphs and unstructured thinking. Notion excels for teams and complex data management; Obsidian shines for individual thinkers who prioritize offline access and data ownership.
Notion vs Obsidian — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Neither tool is objectively superior—they serve different needs. Notion dominates for teams, structured data management, and collaborative work, while Obsidian excels for individual knowledge management, privacy-conscious users, and offline-first workflows. Many power users leverage both tools together: Obsidian for personal thinking and graph development, Notion for team collaboration and final outputs.
Versatile all-in-one workspace combining documents, databases, wikis, and task management
Local-first markdown editor with bidirectional linking, plugins, and complete data ownership.
Structured comparison data for Notion vs Obsidian with 392 attributes.
Free Tier Monthly Recording/Creation Limit
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Maximum Database Rows (optimal performance)
Real-time Simultaneous Collaborators (unlimited tier)
Native Data Visualization (charts, pivots)
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Starting Price per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Notion vs Obsidian — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Notion vs Obsidian.
Yes, many power users maintain a hybrid workflow: Obsidian for personal thinking, knowledge development, and drafting using graph-based organization, then publish final outputs to Notion for team collaboration. This leverages each tool's strengths—Obsidian's local-first graph thinking and Notion's collaborative polishing and distribution.
Which tool is better for team collaboration?
Notion is significantly superior for team collaboration with native permissions, real-time editing, comments, and integrated task management. Obsidian has minimal collaboration features and requires third-party vault-sharing solutions, making it unsuitable for teams unless heavily supplemented with external tools.
What if I prioritize privacy and data ownership?
Obsidian is the clear choice for privacy-focused users. All data is stored locally on your device, giving you 100% ownership and control. Notion, being cloud-based, stores data on Notion's servers, meaning you sacrifice direct data control and face potential privacy considerations depending on your jurisdiction.
Notion includes a native AI assistant built directly into the platform for content enhancement and productivity. Obsidian relies entirely on community plugins for AI functionality, which requires additional setup and may not be as seamlessly integrated. Notion's native AI is more user-friendly out-of-the-box.
Is Obsidian really free while Notion costs money?
Yes, Obsidian offers a free version with all core features for local storage. Notion's personal plan costs $10/month, though it also offers a free tier with limited features. However, Notion's pricing scales for teams ($15-25 per member/month). For individuals focused on personal knowledge management, Obsidian's free offering is a significant advantage.