EDIBLOG · 2026.05.10 · DEVTOOLS
Obsidian: The Markdown Note App That Lives on Your Disk
I rebuilt my note-taking stack recently. The core idea: every file lands on my own disk as plain .md. If Notion’s pricing keeps creeping up and cloud lock-in is wearing on you, this one’s worth a look.
01 · NOTION → OBSIDIANTwo apps, two starting points
Lumping these two into the same category never sat right with me. Notion descends from Google Docs. Obsidian descends from text files. The whole disagreement starts with where your data actually lives.
File format Proprietary blocks
Offline Limited
comparison
File format Standard .md
Offline Default mode
02 · PRICEPersonal cost is basically zero
Once I broke it down, personal use is free. If you use it commercially at work there’s a Commercial license ($50/user/year), and sync · web publishing are optional add-ons (Sync $4–$8/mo, Publish $8–$20/mo).
Free personal · full core feature set
A loose reference point against cloud SaaS like Notion Plus, which sits around $10/mo. Sync and web publishing add-ons cost extra, but if you want to stay free you can just bring your own sync via iCloud, Dropbox, or Git.
03 · AT A GLANCEThe four numbers that matter
price
format
plugins
(official)
These four boxes are the whole shape of Obsidian to me. Free core, standard Markdown for data, plugins for extension, optional paid sync. That’s the one-liner.
04 · FIT CHECKYou’ll probably like it if
-
You want notes to stay as files on your own disk
-
You’re a developer or writer who’s already comfortable in Markdown
-
You like a workflow built around linked notes and graph views
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You want to shape your own workflow with plugins
-
It’s weak if real-time team co-editing is a hard requirement
05 · CAVEATSThe honest weak spots
“An empty vault on day one can feel like a blank stare.”
The empty core is the philosophy, so onboarding is nowhere near as hand-holding as Notion. Sync, calendars, databases — you assemble those yourself with plugins. Also worth knowing up front: it’s closed-source, not open-source, and the mobile app isn’t quite as snappy as the desktop one. I don’t really file these as flaws — they’re more about whether you’re the kind of person who enjoys a tool you assemble with your own hands.
“What Obsidian sells isn’t features. It’s a promise that your notes belong to you.”
— Eddie · May 2026
If you’re brand new, a good first hour is create one vault, write five notes, and link two of them together. Save the plugins for later.
Obsidian home Pricing — free personal / commercial license / Sync / Publish Obsidian Help (official docs) Community Plugins (official marketplace)
Disclaimer: Pricing and plugin counts reflect official sources as of May 2026 and may change. No ads, no affiliate links.
This post is part of an English mirror of a Korean dev experiments blog. Cross-posted for the global developer audience.