Obsidian review
7.9/10★★★★★Free local-first Markdown notes with AI through plugins such as Copilot
- Best for
- Power users who want local, private notes and full control over which AI they use
- Price
- Freemium · from $4/month
Free: The full app is free for personal use - Platforms
- iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Other
- Made by
- Dynalist Inc.
- App store ratings
- iOS 4.5★ (2.7K) · Android 4.3★ (18.8K)
What it is
Obsidian stores linked notes as Markdown files on your device and is free without limits, with paid Sync and Publish add-ons. It has no built-in AI; instead community plugins add it, led by Copilot for Obsidian, which offers semantic search, chat with your vault and automatic related notes using your own ChatGPT or Claude subscription, API keys or local models.
What the AI does
- Chat with your vault via the Copilot plugin
- Semantic search by meaning
- Automatic related-note suggestions
- Choice of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or local models
Pros and cons
- Free and fully local, with no lock-in
- Pick any AI model, including local ones
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Apps on every major platform
- No built-in AI; setup depends on third-party plugins
- Steep learning curve
- Sync between devices costs extra or needs a workaround
How it scores
Outstanding value and flexibility, but AI takes plugin setup and more technical comfort.
Feature checklist · 5 of 9
- Ask AI questions about your own notes (yes)
- AI writing help (draft, rewrite or summarise) (no)
- Records and transcribes audio or meetings (no)
- Handwritten notes with a pen or stylus (no)
- AI organises notes or surfaces related notes automatically (yes)
- Web clipper or quick capture from other apps (no)
- Works offline (yes)
- Useful free plan (yes)
- Apps for iPhone, Android and desktop (yes)
Alternatives
See all Obsidian alternatives, ranked →
- Microsoft OneNote 8.2/10Students and Microsoft 365 users who want free notes with optional Copilot
- Notion 8.1/10People and teams who want notes, docs and projects in one AI-powered workspace
- Craft 8.1/10Apple users who want polished, well-structured notes and docs with AI
- Goodnotes 8.0/10Students and tablet users who take notes by hand