You’ve got too many notes. They’re scattered everywhere. And you know something has to change. Notion and Obsidian are the two names that keep coming up. I’ve used both for months. Here’s what you should know.
Notion in short
Notion is an all‑in‑one workspace. Notes, databases, project management, wikis — it handles all of it. You build pages with blocks, drag things around, create tables that can also act as calendars. It looks clean. Teams like using it. Since November 2025, Notion even has AI Agents that handle tasks for you. And finally: full offline mode.
Obsidian in short
Obsidian is a note‑taking app that approaches things differently. Everything stays local on your computer. You write in Markdown. It automatically links your notes and shows them in a visual graph. Since November 2025, it also has “Bases” — a native database feature. It’s for people who take privacy seriously and want to truly own their data. Not for folks who prefer simplicity.
Notion vs Obsidian: the differences
The biggest difference? Where your data lives. Notion runs in the cloud. Everything sits on their servers. You log in, you work, it syncs automatically. Since August 2025 you can work offline too, but at its core it’s still cloud‑based. Obsidian does the opposite. Your notes are just files on your computer. Markdown files you can open with any text editor. No vendor lock‑in. No worrying about what happens if the company folds tomorrow.
That choice has consequences. Notion feels familiar right away. You click, you type, you drag things around. Obsidian asks you to learn Markdown. Double asterisks for bold. Hashes for headings. Double square brackets for links. You get used to it, but that first week? Frustrating.
Then the databases. Notion really shines here. You create a table, add properties, switch to a kanban board or calendar view with one click. Filters, sorts, relations between databases — it’s powerful. Until November 2025, Obsidian had nothing to counter that. But then came the “Bases.” Native database functionality with map views and list views. Honestly? It’s still not as advanced as Notion. But the gap has gotten a lot smaller.
Collaboration is a different story. Notion is built for teams. Real‑time editing, comments, mentions, permissions — it just works. You see what others are typing as they type. Obsidian? That’s mostly a solo workflow. You can share files via Dropbox or iCloud, but true real‑time collaboration? Forget it.
The speed difference is huge. Obsidian opens instantly. You click, you type. No load time. Notion needs to pull data from servers. You feel that, especially on mobile. The Obsidian app used to be painfully slow to start, but since the 2025 updates it’s much better. The Notion app still drags.
And then there’s the AI. Notion has integrated ‘Agents’ since September 2025. They can answer questions, write text, and carry out tasks. They’re part of the more expensive plans. Obsidian doesn’t have that. It does have 1,800+ community plugins. Some integrate AI tools, but it’s not native. Comes down to priorities: do you want built‑in AI or full control?
Pricing compared
Notion has a free plan. Pretty solid for individual use: unlimited pages and blocks. But only 5MB per file upload and 7 days of history. Want more? Plus costs $ 1 per month (annual plan) or $ 1 month‑to‑month. Business with those AI Agents? $ 1 per month on an annual plan.
Obsidian is free. Fully. All core features. No limits. Want cloud sync? That’s $ 1 per month (annual plan) or $ 1 month‑to‑month. Want to publish notes online? Publish is $ 1 per month (annual) or $ 1 month‑to‑month. But again: for local use you pay nothing.
Honestly? For individual use, Obsidian is cheaper. Unless you really need those AI Agents. For teams, Notion makes more sense, but you pay per person. Those costs add up fast.
Conclusion
Choose Notion if you work with others, rely heavily on databases, and like the new AI functionality. It’s more user‑friendly and looks better. The offline mode solves the biggest complaint.
Choose Obsidian if privacy and speed matter most. If you want your data stored locally. If you’re willing to learn Markdown. With Bases, the gap with Notion has gotten smaller. And it’s still free.
Me? I use Obsidian for personal notes and knowledge. Notion for projects that involve others. You don’t have to pick one. But if you do: Obsidian for thinkers, Notion for doers.
