Notion vs Obsidian
Notion and Obsidian both hold your notes, and the choice between them is less about features than about where the files live. Notion keeps everything in its own cloud workspace and is built for teams; Obsidian keeps plain markdown files on your own disk and is built for one person thinking.
Which should you choose?
Choose Notion if
- Startups and small teams that want docs, wiki and light project tracking in one place
- Individuals building a personal knowledge system
- Teams that value templates and a large ecosystem
Choose Obsidian if
- Researchers, writers and developers building a personal knowledge base
- Privacy-conscious users who want local-only data
- Power users who like to customize their tools
Cheapest to start
Not confirmed
Free plan
Notion, Obsidian
Highest editor rating
Notion · 4.7
| Compare | Notion |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | No |
| Starting price | From $12/mo |
| Editor rating | 4.7 |
| Ease of use | Easy (4/5) |
| Category | Productivity |
| Pricing model | Free plan for individuals; Plus is $12 per seat per month ($10 billed annually), Business is $24 ($20 annually) and includes Notion AI; Enterprise pricing is custom. |
| Plans |
|
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension, API |
| Integrations | Figma, GitHub, Google Workspace, Jira, Make, Slack, Zapier |
| Best for |
|
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
| AI assistant | Yes |
| API access | Yes |
| App marketplace | No |
| Browser extension | No |
| Calendar view | Yes |
| Comments & mentions | Yes |
| Databases & tables | Yes |
| Desktop app | No |
| Gantt & timeline | Yes |
| Guest & client access | Yes |
| Import & export | No |
| Kanban boards | Yes |
| Mobile app | No |
| Offline mode | No |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes |
| Roles & permissions | Yes |
| Templates | Yes |
| Workflow automation | Yes |
Common questions
- Does Notion or Obsidian have a free plan?
- Both do. Notion and Obsidian each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
- Which is easier to use, Notion or Obsidian?
- In VERILO's editorial assessment Notion is the easier of the two, scoring 4 out of 5 against 3 for Obsidian. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.
Our verdict
Obsidian is far cheaper at $4 per month against Notion's $12, and both have usable free plans — but Obsidian suits teams of up to about ten while Notion scales to a thousand. Notion is the easier of the two, scoring 4 out of 5 for ease of use against Obsidian's 3. VERILO rates Notion 4.7 and Obsidian 4.5. Choose Notion if other people need to read what you write; choose Obsidian if you want your notes to outlive any company.