Notion is a cloud-based all-in-one workspace with databases, wikis, and collaboration tools, while Obsidian is a local-first markdown editor designed for knowledge management through interconnected notes. Notion excels at team collaboration and structured data, whereas Obsidian prioritizes privacy, speed, and personal knowledge graphs.
Notion vs Obsidian — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Notion if you need team collaboration, structured databases, and an integrated workspace for projects, documents, and CRM-style tracking. Choose Obsidian if you prioritize privacy, speed, own your data, and want to build a personal knowledge management system with minimal recurring costs.
All-in-one workspace combining databases, documents, wikis, and task management with flexible templates.
Privacy-first, offline note-taking app with bidirectional linking and extensive customization for knowledge management.
Structured comparison data for Notion vs Obsidian with 458 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)
Monthly Cost Per User (Team Plan, Annual Billing)
Maximum Concurrent Users Per Board/Workspace
Total Cost of Ownership (50 Users, Annual)
Notion vs Obsidian — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Notion vs Obsidian.
Notion has limited offline access—you can view cached pages but cannot create or edit content offline. Obsidian works entirely offline since all data is stored locally on your device. If offline access is critical, Obsidian is the clear winner.
Notion is purpose-built for teams with real-time multi-user editing, comments, permissions, and guest access. Obsidian is designed for individual use; team collaboration requires third-party tools like GitHub or manual file syncing. For teams, Notion is essential.
Is my data private in Notion and Obsidian?
Obsidian is completely private—all data stays on your device and you own it entirely. Notion's data is stored on Notion's cloud servers, which encrypts data in transit and at rest, but Notion accesses your data to provide features. For maximum privacy control, Obsidian wins.
Which is faster for note-taking and knowledge management?
Obsidian is significantly faster due to local-first architecture (typically 50-200ms app launch vs Notion's 2-4 seconds). For users managing thousands of notes or working on slower internet, Obsidian's instant performance is a major advantage.
Obsidian stores everything as markdown files you can access directly—zero vendor lock-in. Notion allows CSV/markdown exports but is slower and less portable. Obsidian provides superior data portability and ownership.