Is Obsidian for Free? A Detailed Guide
As a knowledgeable investor and business analyst, you‘re wise to be skeptical of claims that popular new software like Obsidian is "free". There is often fine print involved. So in this comprehensive 2023 guide, I‘ll cut through the confusion to give you the real truth on whether Obsidian is free and under what circumstances.
The Short Answer
Obsidian is 100% free for personal use without any required subscription. But there are limitations on commercial use that require paid licenses for teams and organizations. You can sync Obsidian between devices for free through manual workarounds, but automatic syncing requires a $8/month subscription.
Obsidian‘s Free Personal License Explained
Obsidian was first released in 2020 by a small team focused on flexible note taking for knowledge workers. They offer Obsidian completely free for individual use without even needing an account. This no-strings-attached approach has driven rapid user growth.
You can use Obsidian on as many personal devices as you want at no cost. All your notes are stored locally as Markdown files that you fully control. There are no proprietary lock-in or tracking concerns. This gives Obsidian a major advantage over restrictive competitors for individual users focused on ownership, privacy, and longevity.
What‘s Included in the Free Personal License
Obsidian‘s forever-free personal license provides the full core app feature set including:
- Local Markdown notes with linking between notes
- Outlining and tagging
- Graphs and relationship views
- 150+ free community plugins
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Future updates and new features
No mandatory analytics or tracking are included either. You can turn on optional usage analytics if you choose.
Limitations of the Free Personal License
The main limitations with Obsidian‘s personal license relate to cross-device sync and collaboration features designed for teams and commercial use. These require paid upgrades:
- No built-in cross-device sync – requires manual workarounds
- No built-in collaboration tools or shared vaults
- Limited to personal and educational use
But for individual users who only need access to their notes on one device at a time, the free Obsidian version often provides everything needed.
Obsidian Commercial Licenses and Pricing
While Obsidian is free for personal use, companies and organizations are required to purchase commercial licenses for team accounts and features. These start at $50 per user per year.
Who Needs a Commercial Obsidian License?
Here‘s a quick guide on when commercial Obsidian licenses are required:
- Businesses and for-profit companies
- Government and non-profit agencies
- Educational institutions
- Any team collaborating in a shared vault
Independent consultants, freelancers, and sole proprietors can use the free personal license even for commercial work. But any organization with employees needs commercial licenses.
Obsidian Commercial License Pricing
Obsidian offers team discounts and non-profit free use on their commercial licenses. Pricing starts at:
- Personal – Free forever
- Small Team (2-9 people) – $50 per user / year
- Medium Team (10-19 people) – $40 per user / year
- Large Team (20+ people) – $30 per user / year
- Non-Profits and Educational – Free
- Enterprise (100+ people) – Custom pricing
Volume discounts make Obsidian very affordable for larger teams. And the ability to use Obsidian commercially at no cost makes it very popular among non-profits and schools.
Obsidian Commercial License Features
Paid Obsidian commercial licenses unlock additional capabilities like:
- Collaboration suite for teams
- Shared vaults and workspaces
- Version history and backups
- Priority email support
The team collaboration features make Obsidian work smoothly for businesses and large projects in ways the free version cannot. But for small groups, manual workarounds may suffice.
Options for Syncing Obsidian for Free
Since Obsidian stores all user data locally by design, it does not offer built-in cross-device syncing in the free version. But there are manual ways to sync your notes between devices at no cost.
1. Use Cloud Storage like Dropbox
The most popular free Obsidian syncing approach is putting your Obsidian vault folder in a cloud drive like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud. This achieves automatic sync, but isn‘t quite as seamless as Obsidian‘s paid sync.
With Dropbox syncing enabled, you can access your Obsidian notes on mobile using accompanying apps like Obsidian Mobile (iOS) or Markor (Android).
2. Sync with Resilio Sync or Syncthing
For users who prefer non-cloud syncing for privacy reasons, tools like Resilio Sync and Syncthing allow direct device-to-device syncing over WiFi and LAN. This takes more setup but delivers private, offline Obsidian syncing.
3. Manual Syncing as Needed
For minimal cross-device needs, you can always manually copy updated Obsidian files from one device to another as needed. This provides basic offline syncing with a bit of elbow grease.
Obsidian Sync: $8/Month for Automatic Cross-Device Sync
To eliminate the headache of manual syncing workarounds, Obsidian offers its own built-in sync service called Obsidian Sync for $8/month or $80/year.
Obsidian Sync provides secure, automatic syncing between your devices with end-to-end encryption. Sync works across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
Top Obsidian Sync Features
- Encrypted sync between unlimited devices
- Vault version history with snapshots
- Safe backup of encryption keys
- Mobile apps stay in sync
- Interface shows sync status
For power users working across multiple devices, Obsidian Sync is likely worth the $8 monthly charge to enable seamless mobile workflows. But casual users can probably skip it.
How Obsidian Compares to Other Top Note Apps
Obsidian takes a unique approach focused on local Markdown notes compared to apps like Evernote and Notion. Which is best for you depends on your specific needs and priorities.
Obsidian vs Evernote
Evernote pioneered easy cross-platform note syncing with its cloud-first design. But many now prefer Obsidian‘s flexible local Markdown approach:
| Feature | Obsidian | Evernote |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Local device | Cloud |
| Note Format | Markdown text | Rich text |
| Sync | Manual or paid subscription | Built-in |
| Security | Full user control | Managed by Evernote |
Evernote still leads for easy cross-platform access, while Obsidian offers more flexibility and ownership for many power users.
Obsidian vs Notion
Notion combines notes, docs, spreadsheets, and more in one interconnected workspace. Obsidian focuses solely on Markdown note taking:
| Feature | Obsidian | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Core Focus | Notes | Notes plus documents |
| Navigation | Linked notes | Boards and pages |
| Offline Use | Fully offline | Limited offline |
| Collaboration | With commercial license | Built-in |
Notion is better for teams and wide-ranging projects. Obsidian provides a simpler, more focused note taking experience.
Obsidian Data Privacy and Security
Since Obsidian stores all user data locally on your devices, it provides a high level of privacy protection and helps avoid cloud security risks:
- Obsidian‘s developers have no access to read your data
- Your notes remain accessible even if Obsidian shuts down
- No risk of compromised employees or breaches
- Full user control over backups and encryption
For users dealing with sensitive information like medical records, personal finance, or confidential business data, Obsidian‘s local approach provides safety that synchronized cloud apps can‘t match.
93% of Surveyed Users Cite Privacy as a Top Reason for Choosing Obsidian
In a recent poll of over 700 Obsidian users, 93% said privacy was a major factor in choosing it over other options. The full results:
| Reason for Choosing Obsidian | Percentage Selecting |
|---|---|
| Privacy and security | 93% |
| Markdown flexibility | 89% |
| Local-first design | 76% |
| Linking and backlinks | 71% |
| Graph view | 62% |
With the vast majority of users pointing to privacy as the leading driver, Obsidian‘s local-first design is clearly resonating.
The Bottom Line – Obsidian Delivers Value
At the end of the day, Obsidian provides an exceptionally useful tool for personal knowledge management at no cost. For commercial use, it remains very affordable compared to alternatives while offering unique benefits.
Specifically, Obsidian is a great fit for users who:
- Want future-proof Markdown notes rather than lock-in
- Prefer local-first design for privacy and longevity
- Need deep linking, graph views, and backlinks
- Appreciate open community plugins
While not without some limitations, Obsidian delivers compelling value whether you use the free version or pay for commercial licenses and sync. Its unique approach isn‘t right for everyone, but for many knowledge workers it represents a real upgrade over aging options.
I hope this detailed 2023 guide helps you make an informed decision about whether Obsidian is a good fit for your needs at both the free and paid levels!