# Obsidian vs Standard Notes (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified October 23, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose Obsidian if you want a linked personal knowledge base stored as plain markdown files on your own device, extended by 7,647 community plugins, with optional Sync from $4/user/month billed annually. Choose Standard Notes if you want free end-to-end encrypted sync across unlimited devices, a web app, and fully open-source AGPL-3.0 code you can self-host. The deciding factor is local files versus encrypted sync: the free Obsidian app has no built-in sync or web version, while Standard Notes syncs for free but keeps richer editors and file storage on a paid plan whose current price could not be verified.

**Choose Obsidian if:** You want every note to stay a plain markdown file in a normal folder that any text editor or backup tool can open, even without Obsidian; You want to reshape the editor with Obsidian's 7,647 community plugins and 755 themes for research, writing, tasks, or visualization; You think in connections and want bidirectional links, an interactive graph view, and Canvas whiteboards built in; You want to publish notes as a website, which Obsidian Publish does for $8/site/month billed annually; You want to work fully offline with no account, since the Obsidian app needs no sign-up and Obsidian states its apps collect no telemetry

**Choose Standard Notes if:** You want free end-to-end encrypted sync across unlimited devices, which Standard Notes includes on its free tier while Obsidian Sync starts at $4/user/month; You need to reach notes from a browser on machines where you cannot install software, since Standard Notes has a web app and Obsidian has none; You want fully open-source client and server code under AGPL-3.0 that you can audit or self-host; You want a low learning curve and a deliberately minimal plain-text editor rather than a plugin ecosystem to configure; You already rely on Proton services, since Proton AG has owned Standard Notes since April 2024

## At a glance

|  | Obsidian | Standard Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free tier · paid from $4/mo | Free |
| License | Freemium | Open source |
| Best for | individuals building a long-lived personal knowledge base who want their notes to stay plain markdown files they can read, back up, and move without the app | privacy-focused professionals and journalists who want a fully open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes app they can self-host instead of trusting a vendor's servers |
| Ratings | Product Hunt 4.9/5 (173 reviews) · Capterra 4.8/5 (47 reviews) · Trustpilot 3.2/5 (17 reviews) | Capterra 4.5/5 (14 reviews) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Obsidian | Standard Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting price | Yes (free app, no sign-up) | Yes (free plan) |
| Free tier | Yes (full app without limits; no sync included) | Yes (unlimited encrypted notes synced across unlimited devices) |
| Paid plan price | Yes (Sync from $4/user/mo billed annually ($5 monthly)) | Unknown |
| Cross-device sync | Partial (paid Sync from $4/user/mo, or your own iCloud, Dropbox, or Git setup) | Yes (free, end-to-end encrypted, unlimited devices) |
| Platforms | Partial (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android; no web version) | Yes (web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) |
| License | No (closed-source apps; open file formats) | Yes (open source (AGPL-3.0), 6.6K GitHub stars) |
| Self-hosting | Partial (notes live in a local folder; no server to host) | Yes (self-hostable sync server) |
| End-to-end encryption | Partial (AES-256 on paid Obsidian Sync) | Yes (client-side encryption for all synced notes, free plan included) |
| Editor on the free plan | Yes (markdown editor, extendable with plugins) | Partial (plain-text and basic editors; rich text, markdown, and code editors on the paid plan) |
| Plugins and themes | Yes (7,647 plugins and 755 themes) | Partial (fewer third-party integrations) |
| Links, graph view, and whiteboards | Yes (bidirectional links, graph view, Canvas) | Unknown |
| Version history | Yes (1 month (Sync Standard) or 12 months (Sync Plus)) | Yes (extended history on the paid plan) |
| Publish notes as a website | Yes (Publish at $8/site/mo billed annually) | Unknown |
| Real-time collaboration | Partial (shared vaults on paid Sync only) | Unknown |
| Learning curve | Partial (moderate) | Yes (low) |
| External rating (Capterra) | Yes (4.8/5 from 47 reviews) | Yes (4.5/5 from 14 reviews) |

## Is Standard Notes more private than Obsidian?

Standard Notes is more verifiably private, because its end-to-end encrypted client and server code is open source under AGPL-3.0, while Obsidian keeps notes as local files and states it cannot access them, but its apps are closed source.

Standard Notes encrypts every note on the device before syncing, so neither Standard Notes nor its owner Proton AG can read the content, and privacy-focused users can run their own Standard Notes server. Obsidian takes a different route: notes never need to leave the device, Obsidian states its apps collect no telemetry, and Obsidian Sync adds AES-256 end-to-end encryption for users who pay for it. Anyone can inspect Standard Notes' code on GitHub; Obsidian publishes open file formats and plugin repositories but not its application source.

## Obsidian vs Standard Notes pricing: which costs less?

Both are free to start, but Standard Notes includes encrypted sync across unlimited devices for free, while Obsidian charges $4/user/month billed annually for Sync Standard or leaves users to build their own sync setup.

Obsidian's paid products are optional services: Sync Standard at $4/user/month billed annually ($5 monthly) for 1 vault and 1GB, Sync Plus at $8 ($10 monthly) for 10 vaults and 10GB, and Publish at $8/site/month ($10 monthly). A $25 Catalyst license and a $50/user/year commercial license are optional, and Obsidian's FAQ says the commercial license is not required for work use. The Standard Notes paid plan adds extended history, extra editors, two-factor authentication, and encrypted file storage, but its current price could not be verified.

## Which is better for building a knowledge base, Obsidian or Standard Notes?

Obsidian is better for a linked knowledge base, with bidirectional links, an interactive graph view, Canvas whiteboards, and 7,647 community plugins, while Standard Notes keeps a deliberately minimal, plain-text-first editor.

Obsidian stores each note as a markdown file, so a knowledge base built over years stays readable in any editor and can be backed up with any tool. That depth comes with a moderate learning curve. Standard Notes has a low learning curve and focuses on secure, durable notes rather than linking, and its listing notes fewer third-party integrations than mainstream note apps.

## Can Standard Notes replace Obsidian?

Standard Notes can replace Obsidian for people who mainly want private notes synced across devices, but not for users who depend on Obsidian's plugins, graph view, Canvas, or plain markdown files on disk.

Switching to Standard Notes gains free encrypted sync, browser access, and open-source code that can be self-hosted. The switch gives up Obsidian's 7,647 plugins and 755 themes, Obsidian Publish, and the local markdown folder, and markdown, rich-text, and code editors in Standard Notes require the paid plan.

## Strengths and weaknesses

### Obsidian

- Pro: The app is free without limits and needs no account; notes are stored locally as plain markdown files in open formats, so there is no lock-in.
- Pro: 7,647 community plugins and 755 themes let the editor be reshaped for research, writing, task management, or visualization.
- Pro: Works fully offline on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, with no server round-trip to open a note.
- Pro: Obsidian states notes stay on the device and are inaccessible to the company, its apps collect no telemetry, and Obsidian Sync is AES-256 end-to-end encrypted.
- Pro: Paid products are optional services rather than a feature wall: Sync from $4/user/month, Publish from $8/site/month, and a commercial license the FAQ says is not required.
- Con: There is no web version, so a vault is only reachable from a device where Obsidian is installed.
- Con: Cross-device sync is a paid add-on from $4/user/month, or a do-it-yourself setup on iCloud, Dropbox, or Git.
- Con: Real-time collaboration needs paid shared vaults on Obsidian Sync; there is no free multi-user editing.
- Con: Obsidian's own apps are not open source — obsidian.md publishes open file formats plus public release and plugin repositories, but not the application source.

### Standard Notes

- Pro: Fully open-source and self-hostable (AGPL-3.0), letting privacy-conscious users run their own server.
- Pro: End-to-end encryption means Standard Notes cannot read note content, even after the Proton acquisition.
- Pro: Native apps across web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from one shared codebase.
- Pro: Backed by Proton's infrastructure and funding since the April 2024 acquisition.
- Con: Free tier's default editor is intentionally plain and minimal compared to rich-text or block-based note apps.
- Con: Paid tier's exact current pricing is not clearly published on the marketing site without starting a signup flow.
- Con: Smaller user base and review footprint than mainstream note apps, meaning fewer third-party integrations.
- Con: Self-hosting the server requires technical setup that most users will skip in favor of the hosted service.

## Which fits your use case?

| Use case | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Researcher building a linked personal knowledge base over years | Obsidian | Obsidian combines bidirectional links, a graph view, Canvas, and 7,647 plugins, and stores every note as a portable markdown file. |
| Journalist who needs encrypted notes on every device at no cost | Standard Notes | Standard Notes' free tier syncs unlimited end-to-end encrypted notes across unlimited devices; Obsidian Sync costs $4/user/month billed annually. |
| Person who works from shared or locked-down computers | Standard Notes | Standard Notes runs in a web browser, while Obsidian has no web version and needs the app installed on each device. |
| Writer who wants notes to outlive any single app | Obsidian | Obsidian keeps notes as plain markdown files in a normal folder that stays readable if Obsidian ever disappears. |
| Privacy-focused user who wants to run their own sync server | Standard Notes | Standard Notes' client and server are open source under AGPL-3.0 and the server can be self-hosted. |
| Small team editing shared notes in real time | Obsidian | Obsidian Sync supports shared vaults for real-time collaboration on its paid plans; the Standard Notes listing data does not describe shared editing. |

## Migration FAQ

### Should I use Obsidian or Standard Notes?

Use Obsidian if you want a plugin-rich, linked knowledge base stored as markdown files on your device; use Standard Notes if you want free end-to-end encrypted sync, a web app, and open-source code you can self-host.

### Is Obsidian cheaper than Standard Notes?

Both are free to start, but Standard Notes includes encrypted sync across unlimited devices at no cost, while Obsidian Sync costs $4/user/month billed annually or $5 billed monthly. The price of the Standard Notes paid plan could not be verified.

### Can Standard Notes replace Obsidian?

Yes for private notes synced across devices. The Standard Notes listing data shows no equivalent to Obsidian's 7,647 plugins, graph view, Canvas, or Obsidian Publish.

### Is Obsidian open source?

No, Obsidian's apps are not open source, though notes are stored in open markdown formats and obsidian.md publishes public release and plugin repositories. Standard Notes is fully open source under AGPL-3.0, with 6.6K GitHub stars.

### Does Obsidian have a web version?

No, Obsidian has no web version, so a vault is reachable only on a device where the app is installed. Standard Notes runs in a browser as well as on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

## Neither a match?

- 9 alternatives to Obsidian: https://findalternative.to/obsidian
- 4 alternatives to Standard Notes: https://findalternative.to/standard-notes

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