The Best Free Obsidian AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Obsidian

The best free alternative to Obsidian is Logseq, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Obsidian and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Obsidian are Zettlr, sNotes – Students Notes, Joplin and Notion.

filter to find the best alternatives

Obsidian alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools but may also be Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Obsidian.
Obsidian iconObsidian
  893
  • ...

Obsidian is a note-taking app that lets you create a personal knowledge graph with ease. It is designed for non-linear thinking and allows you to easily link your notes together wiki-style.

More about Obsidian
More about Obsidian
Obsidian alternatives page was last updated Aug 11, 2024
  Suggest Alternatives
  1. Logseq icon
    Logseq icon

    Logseq

     246 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Logseq is a platform for knowledge sharing and management. It focuses on privacy, longevity, and user control. Notice: the backend code will be open-sourced as soon as we’re sure that the backend service meets the security standards.

    117 Logseq alternatives
    Logseq screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Logseq screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Bidirectional links
    2.  Graph view
    3.  Outliner
    4.  Local Storage
    5.  Backlinks
    6.  Knowledge base
    7.  Support for MarkDown
    8.  Knowledge Management
    9.  Note organization
    10.  Full-Text Search
    11.  Hyperlinks
    12.  Dark Mode
    13.  Wiki
    14.  Backlink
    15.  PDF annotation
    16.  Subtasks
    17.  Syntax Highlighting
    Logseq iconObsidian Icon

    Logseq VS Obsidian

    Is Logseq a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Logseq as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
       
    Comment summary: Logseq offers a different note-taking experience than Obsidian, with a focus on journaling connections and graph visualizations. Users appreciate Logseq being free, open-source, and suitable for offline use, but some criticize its limited file management and bugs. While Obsidian is praised for stability across platforms and effective sync features, Logseq is noted for being a strong personal knowledge management solution and a valuable FOSS alternative.
    jchalifour

    Logseq is incredibly innovative and it respects my privacy and freedom by providing Free and open source software as opposed to proprietary tools.

    Top positive comment •Feb 17, 2021
    7
    Power User

    I found Obsidian to be a far more stable application than Logseq, which is important as I am switching platforms frequently and need something which functions properly and reliably on Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, and Linux. I decided to pay for Obsidian's sync feature and it has been smooth as butter - probably using a cloud drive would have worked well, but I find that convenience at a reasonable cost for an application I use daily is perfectly acceptable.

    Top negative comment •Oct 2, 2023
    1
    Farrukh

    LogSeq is not giving you as Freedom as you may find in Obsidian and Joplin. It is mostly bounded to connecting your notes to a Journal, while in others, you have to freedom to create your notes, journals, etc. independent of each other, in any structure you may like.

    Negative comment •Aug 11, 2024
    -2
    Show more comments
    3 of 12 comments
    Obsidian Icon
    Logseq icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Logseq is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Logseq is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to Obsidian.

    • Logseq is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Obsidian.

    • Logseq is Free and Open SourceObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
  2. Zettlr icon
    Zettlr icon

    Zettlr

     206 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    From idea to publication in one app: Zettlr accompanies you while writing your blog post, newspaper article, term paper, thesis, or entire book.

    159 Zettlr alternatives
    Zettlr Main Window (dark mode)

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Zettlr Main Window (light mode)
    The Berlin Theme (dark mode)
    +5
    The Berlin Theme (light mode)

    Properties

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Works Offline

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Zettelkasten note method
    3.  File Tagging
    4.  Multiple export options
    5.  Zotero integration
    6.  Note organization
    7.  Link files
    8.  Built-in themes
    9.  Export to LaTeX
    10.  Syntax Highlighting
    11.  Tasklists
    12.  Interactive tables
    13.  Hierarchical Structure
    14.  Write files in markdown
    15.  Upload images
    16.  Dark Mode
    17.  Sync with Nextcloud
    Zettlr iconObsidian Icon

    Zettlr VS Obsidian

    Is Zettlr a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Zettlr as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
       
    Comment summary: Zettlr is recognized as a strong open-source alternative to Obsidian, appreciated for its simplicity and open-source nature. It offers many beneficial features like backlinking, although some users miss Obsidian's community plugins and graph visualization. While it's not considered a complete replacement for Obsidian, Zettlr's straightforward design is praised. However, some critics find it basic and not competitive enough against Obsidian's advanced capabilities.
    Sam Lander

    There are better open-source alternatives, like Zim Wiki or Joplin.

    Top positive comment •Jan 15, 2024
    2
    Hibiscus

    Very basic application. In no way a competition for Obsidian.

    Top negative comment •Jul 27, 2022
    4
    jrmz

    yep anoter stupid markdown app

    Negative comment •Sep 25, 2023
    -15
    Show more comments
    3 of 8 comments
    Obsidian Icon
    Zettlr icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Zettlr is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • Zettlr is Privacy focusedObsidian is not according to our users
  4. sNotes – Students Notes icon
    sNotes – Students Notes icon

    sNotes – Students Notes

     118 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Students Notes is a note-taking app designed for online learners to overcome information overload, organization, and memorization challenges.

    39 sNotes – Students Notes alternatives
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 1
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 2

    Properties

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Privacy focused
    6.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Knowledge base
    2.  Note organization
    3.  Hierarchical Structure
    4.  Handwritten Notes
    5.  Full-Text Search
    sNotes – Students Notes iconObsidian Icon

    sNotes – Students Notes VS Obsidian

    Is this a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about sNotes – Students Notes as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
    pogapiga

    sNotes offers a better way of organizing notes for students than Obsidian. It allows creating a hierarchy of notes that reflects the structure of the course material.

    Positive comment •Mar 2, 2024
    5
    jiliti_jimp

    students notes supports handwriting notes, unlike Obsidian.

    Positive comment •Mar 5, 2024
    3
    kenzo-simon

    I love the navigation system and the hierarchical organization of notes in sNotes.

    Positive comment •Feb 21, 2024
    2
    Obsidian Icon
    sNotes – Students Notes icon

    • Almost everyone thinks sNotes – Students Notes is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • sNotes – Students Notes is Free and ProprietaryObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • sNotes – Students Notes is Privacy focused and LightweightObsidian is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Notion icon

    Notion

    Enhance team collaboration and content organization with Notion. Experience real-time access, intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, and visually simple interfaces designed for productivity in managing tasks, notes, and databas...

    https://www.notion.so
    Learn More
  6. Joplin icon
    Joplin icon

    Joplin

     787 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.

    63 Joplin alternatives
    Desktop and mobile apps

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Example
    Cli version!
    +3
    Table inside table with KaTeX Math notations. (Live-editing with Vim)

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Web Clipper
    5.  Local Storage
    6.  Tagging
    7.  Android Sync
    8.  File Sync
    9.  Encrypted Notes
    10.  WebDAV Support
    11.  Write files in markdown
    12.  Synchronization
    13.  Multiplatform
    14.  Plugin system
    15.  Hierarchical Structure
    16.  Export to HTML
    17.  Save as Markdown
    18.  Cross-device syncing
    19.  Nextcloud integration
    Joplin iconObsidian Icon

    Joplin VS Obsidian

    Is Joplin a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Joplin as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
       
    Guest

    It's open source, allows crypto your md notes on some cloud storage

    Top positive comment •Feb 28, 2023
    1
    andgregorik

    Joplin has a fracture of the features of Obsidian which is no wonder since Obsidian aims to become a powerful desktop knowledge base, unlike Joplin. For one thing, Joplin focuses on mobile<->desktop syncing and not on effective internal linking. They're similar at first glance only.

    Top negative comment •Oct 31, 2020
    20
    Guest

    Joplin is free, offline and open source

    Positive comment •Jun 14, 2024
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 11 comments
    Obsidian Icon
    Joplin icon

    • Most users think Joplin is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Joplin is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Obsidian.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focusedObsidian is not according to our users
  7. Notion icon
    Notion icon

    Notion

     594 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Enhance team collaboration and content organization with Notion. Experience real-time access, intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, and visually simple interfaces designed for productivity in managing tasks, notes, and databases effectively. Ideal for teams of every size.

    90 Notion alternatives
    Notion screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free Personal • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Notion screenshot 1
    Notion screenshot 2
    +9
    Notion screenshot 3

    Top Notion Features

    1.  Database Management Tool
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Wiki
    4.  Custom templates
    5.  Team Collaboration
    6.  Visual bookmarks
    7.  Relational Database
    8.  Knowledge Base structuring
    9.  Project Management
    10.  Data export/import
    11.  Kanban Board
    12.  Hyperlinks
    13.  Real time collaboration
    14.  Tablet support
    15.  Tables
    16.  Custom data fields
    17.  Multi-project management
    18.  Evernote import
    19.  Support for LaTeX
    Notion iconObsidian Icon

    Notion VS Obsidian

    Is Notion a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Notion as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
       
    Adam21

    Easier to use than obsidian, free online storage and the AI ??is really amazing

    Top positive comment •Mar 1, 2023
    1
    passawitkaovilai

    Because Notion is online only, it can have high latency when pulling databases of pages which Obsidian have no issues with.

    Top negative comment •Mar 3, 2021
    23
    Gregor Zobjak

    Notion is online only so I don't can access my note when I'm offline + very closed system with a proprietary file format

    Positive comment •Aug 20, 2023
    2
    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Obsidian Icon
    Notion icon

    • Most users think Notion is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Notion is the most popular SaaS alternative to Obsidian.

    • Notion is Free Personal and ProprietaryObsidian is also Free Personal and Proprietary
  8. Anytype icon
    Anytype icon

    Anytype

     201 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    E2E encrypted, local-first, p2p and open. A knowledge graph of your ideas, tasks, wikis, projects, and databases. Supported on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android & iOS. Offline access, markdown export, and on-device storage.

    100 Anytype alternatives
    Movie Database

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Daily Journal
    Habit Tracker
    +6
    Files

    Properties

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Decentralized
    4.  Ad-free

    Features

    1.  Project Management
    2.  End-to-End Encryption
    3.  Synchronization
    4.  Visual Organization
    5.  Knowledge Management
    6.  Support for MarkDown
    7.  Local Storage
    8.  Team Collaboration
    9.  Wiki
    10.  Cross-Platform
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Graph view
    13.  Direct P2P Sync
    14.  Bookmarks
    15.  Cloud Sync
    16.  Graph database
    17.  Full-Text Search
    Anytype iconObsidian Icon

    Anytype VS Obsidian

    Is Anytype a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Anytype as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
    jchalifour

    It provides a lot of flexibility to organize and arrange information in ways that aren't possible in Obsidian (at least not without many plugins). Its developers commit to open code, respecting their users' rights.

    Positive comment •May 21, 2024
    0
    baozidai

    Opensource. Graphview. And a lot of things like Notion.

    Positive comment •Mar 23, 2024
    0
    Obsidian Icon
    Anytype icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Anytype is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Anytype is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • Anytype is Privacy focused and DecentralizedObsidian is not according to our users
  10. Standard Notes icon
    Standard Notes icon

    Standard Notes

     634 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Standard Notes is a simple and private notes app. It allows you to write and sync your notes across all your devices, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, MacOS, and web browser.

    69 Standard Notes alternatives
    Standard Notes screenshot 1

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Free version.
    Cross-platform sync and end-to-end privacy
    +4
    Extensions and Themes

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Clean design
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Encrypted Notes
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Encrypted Backup
    6.  AES Encryption
    7.  Sync on many devices
    8.  Distraction-free Writing
    9.  Mobile friendly
    10.  Client side encryption
    11.  Simple text editor
    12.  Two-factor Authentication
    13.  Tag based
    Standard Notes iconObsidian Icon

    Standard Notes VS Obsidian

    Is Standard Notes a good alternative to Obsidian?
     
    Comments about Standard Notes as an Alternative to Obsidian
     
    Aaron

    Note-linking is a subscription only feature

    Negative comment •Oct 23, 2022
    4
    hex111

    i feel better paying for open source user friendlier projects, wysiwyg is just necessary for people to reasonably shift from the data robbery monopolies.

    Positive comment •Oct 7, 2021
    4
    Obsidian Icon
    Standard Notes icon

    • Most users think Standard Notes is a great Obsidian alternative.

    • Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • Standard Notes is Privacy focused and Security-focusedObsidian is not according to our users
7 of 82 Obsidian alternatives