Web-based Obsidian AlternativesFiltered by 'Support for MarkDown'

Obsidian is not available as a web app but there are plenty of alternatives that runs in the browser with similar functionality. The best Online alternative is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Obsidian and loads of them are available as a web app so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Online alternatives to Obsidian are Notesnook, Notion, Standard Notes and Simplenote.

filter to find the best alternatives

Obsidian alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Free + Ad-free + No Tracking + Privacy focused, Android + Open Source, Windows, Linux and Note-taking. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Obsidian.

More about Obsidian

Obsidian alternatives page was last updated May 10, 2026

Joplin
924 likes
Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.
173 Joplin alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
AppImageHub
Snapcraft
Google Chrome
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
Cloudron
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Termux
Mozilla Firefox
+7
Is Joplin a good alternative to Obsidian?

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13comments
Joplin vs Obsidian Comments

Top Positive Comment
Guest
Feb 28, 2023
1
It's open source, allows crypto your md notes on some cloud storage
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Top Negative Comment
andgregorik
Oct 31, 2020
24
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.
Guest
Positive commentMay 7, 2025
1
embedded synchronization, clipper, encryption. No useless for personal notes graphs
Review by a new / low-activity user.
3 of 13 comments
Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary
Joplin is Lightweight, Minimalistic and DecentralizedObsidian is not according to our users
Notesnook
207 likes
Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.
363 Notesnook alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Pakistan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
Flathub
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
+6
Is Notesnook a good alternative to Obsidian?

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5comments
Notesnook vs Obsidian Comments

Top Positive Comment
jchalifour
Jun 7, 2023
2
Notesnook respects its users by providing the software as open source, Obsidian does not.
edwardixon
Positive commentOct 27, 2025
0
Cheapest sync! Greatest mobile apps! App notes you actually want to use Easy text formatting. Simple to use. Simple, good notes experience
Soup
Positive commentJan 4, 2025
0
It's very good for taking notes, however there's no "graph" layout like obsidian does. Maybe in the future it will get that feature.
3 of 5 comments
Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary
Notesnook is LightweightObsidian is not according to our users
Notion
669 likes
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.
329 Notion alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Software as a Service (SaaS)
+9
Is Notion a good alternative to Obsidian?

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8comments
Notion vs Obsidian Comments

Top Positive Comment
Gregor Zobjak
Aug 20, 2023
2
Notion is online only so I don't can access my note when I'm offline + very closed system with a proprietary file format
Top Negative Comment
passawitkaovilai
Mar 3, 2021
25
Because Notion is online only, it can have high latency when pulling databases of pages which Obsidian have no issues with.
begorim451
Negative commentJan 5, 2025
0
notion requires account registrating, requires internet connection, not as much customizable as obsidian. however notion is easier to use and looks aesthetic
3 of 8 comments
Notion is Freemium and ProprietaryObsidian is also Freemium and Proprietary
Notion is CustomizableObsidian is not according to our users
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Capacities
Capacities offers a revolutionary note-taking experience by utilizing a network-based structure for knowledge capture and organization. Users create unique entities like ideas and questions in a graph view, fostering personalized...

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Learn More
Standard Notes
701 likes
Secure note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, unlimited syncing across all platforms, offline access, detailed organization through tags, strong passcode and biometric protections, and premium features like encrypted files, themes, web clipper, super note types, and hardware key support.
188 Standard Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
+1
Is Standard Notes a good alternative to Obsidian?

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3comments
Standard Notes vs Obsidian Comments

Aaron
Negative commentOct 23, 2022
9
Note-linking is a subscription only feature
hex111
Positive commentOct 7, 2021
4
i feel better paying for open source user friendlier projects, wysiwyg is just necessary for people to reasonably shift from the data robbery monopolies.
Sam Lander
CommentMay 13, 2025
0
Standard Notes is not really an alternative to Obsidian. Standard Notes is open-source, more secure/private, and more simple.

Standard Notes can be used across multiple devices and syncs.

Obsidian telephones home constantly, even if you turn off updates and community plugins. But Obsidian is a very beautiful markdown app, that does more than just note-taking or to-do lists like Standard Notes.
Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary
Standard Notes is Minimalistic, Security-focused and CustomizableObsidian is not according to our users
Simplenote
609 likes
Cloud-based, open-source note-taking app supporting plain text notes, lists, and ideas with real-time sync, multi-device support, version history, markdown, tagging, collaborative editing, no ads, and free registration required for all cloud features.
168 Simplenote alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
+3
Is Simplenote a good alternative to Obsidian?

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6comments
Simplenote vs Obsidian Comments

Top Positive Comment
Mayank-Arora
Mar 6, 2023
-1
Simplenote is love. You must try it once. I have SimpleNote installed on my Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iPad. It works on all browsers and all operating systems. It is so easy to take notes and have them sync across all devices and web. It is so easy to quickly get to your notes. I can't live without simplenote as I have so much dependency on this simple tool. Simplenote really makes it simpler to organize 'note taking' task.
Top Negative Comment
Niminae
Jan 31, 2023
3
The most prominent feature of Obsidian is bi-directional linking between notes. Simplenote is more akin to sticky notes; they aren't really similar at all.
Guest
Negative commentJan 21, 2026
0
Its too simple and is focused on simplicity unlike obsiidian
Review by a new / low-activity user.
3 of 6 comments
Simplenote is Free and Open SourceObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary
Simplenote is Lightweight and MinimalisticObsidian is not according to our users
AFFiNE
122 likes
Open-source, privacy-focused workspace combining note-taking, project and task management, Kanban board, interactive whiteboard, Pomodoro timer, Markdown support, offline access, real-time team collaboration with @mentions, goal tracking, subtasks, and customizable features.
190 AFFiNE alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Singapore
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
+3
Is AFFiNE a good alternative to Obsidian?
Bear
100 likes
Flexible note-taking and writing tool featuring advanced markdown with in-line images, cross-note links, live preview, hashtags, Focus Mode, plain text storage, iCloud sync, one-tap formatting, smart data recognition, and multiple export formats for portability.
279 Bear alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Italy
EU
Platforms
Mac
Online
iPhone
iPad
+5
Is Bear a good alternative to Obsidian?

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4comments
Bear vs Obsidian Comments

ChrisWayg
Positive commentJul 28, 2021
2
I have over 5,000 notes in Bear which were easy to export to Obsidian (except for creation date order). Bear is still easier to use for non-technical users and has a WYSIWYG editing experience, which is lacking in Obsidian. I am currently testing Obsidian, as it is cross platform, has more features and free sync options.
sCojQE5
Positive commentJan 6, 2021
1
Bi-directional linking and tags might be the only thing that relate these two, but it's more relation that every other entry on this list.
Power User
Negative commentOct 2, 2023
0
A note taking application isn't the same as a knowledge management application, even if both allow you to take notes. Bear works great as an editor, but it's not an Obsidian alternative.
3 of 4 comments
Bear is Freemium and ProprietaryObsidian is also Freemium and Proprietary
Bear is LightweightObsidian is not according to our users
La Suite Docs
24 likes
Collaborative platform for real-time note-taking, documentation, and wikis, featuring offline editing, granular permissions, AI-assisted writing, multiple export formats, user-friendly formatting, scalable team support, customizable templates, and open-source licensing.
101 La Suite Docs alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application types
Note-taking
Team Collaboration
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Docker
Python
Typescript
JavaScript
React
Django
Next.js
+2
Is La Suite Docs a good alternative to Obsidian?
Capacities
45 likes
Capacities offers a revolutionary note-taking experience by utilizing a network-based structure for knowledge capture and organization. Users create unique entities like ideas and questions in a graph view, fostering personalized and interconnected know-how beyond traditional folders.
116 Capacities alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Linux
iPad
+4
Is Capacities a good alternative to Obsidian?
Nuclino
137 likes
Nuclino is a unified workspace where teams can bring all their knowledge, docs, and projects together in one place. It’s a modern, simple, and blazingly fast way to collaborate, without the chaos of files and folders, context switching, or silos.
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Team Collaboration
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
iPad
Is Nuclino a good alternative to Obsidian?
Roam Research
60 likes
As easy to use as a word document or bulleted list, and as powerful for finding, collecting, and connecting related ideas as a graph database. Collaborate with others in real time, or store all your data locally.
193 Roam Research alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Is Roam Research a good alternative to Obsidian?

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3comments
Roam Research vs Obsidian Comments

DarkRedman
Positive commentJul 22, 2020
2
They're very similar because of the "second brain" method, backlinking, Zettelkasten support
Guest
Negative commentOct 12, 2020
1
Web-based vs local file storage
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Guest
Positive commentJun 24, 2020
-3
Cleaner interface, less bloated
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Roam Research is Paid and ProprietaryObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary
XWiki
99 likes
XWiki is the ultimate open-source structured wiki designed to enhance business collaboration and efficiency. Tailored for tech-savvy professionals, XWiki’s extensibility, customization, and flexibility make it indispensable for managing large projects and datasets, while...
136 XWiki alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (LGPL-2.1)
Application types
Team Collaboration
Note-taking
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Docker
+3
Is XWiki a good alternative to Obsidian?

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1comment
XWiki vs Obsidian Comments

Sam Lander
CommentJul 3, 2024
0
Obsidian is more of a personal knowledge-management tool, while XWiki is a more robust collaborative knowledge base useful for teams.
XWiki is Free and Open SourceObsidian is Freemium and Proprietary

12 of 61 Obsidian alternatives

Web-based Obsidian AlternativesFiltered by 'Support for MarkDown'

Alternatives list

Joplin

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Notesnook

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Notion

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Standard Notes

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Simplenote

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AFFiNE

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Bear

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La Suite Docs

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Capacities

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Nuclino

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Roam Research

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XWiki

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