Most note-taking apps force their way of working on you. Obsidian adapts to yours—it’s as simple or complex as you make it. Your notes stay as plain text files either way. No wonder I stopped switching.
4
File over app
Plain Markdown text that you’ll own
Obsidian’s CEO, Steph Ango, wrote about something he calls ‘file over app’ on his personal blog. His point was simple: if you want your work to last forever, save it in a format that’s easy to open and read, on a device you fully control.
Any longtime Evernote user who switched to a different note-taking app, like Obsidian, knows this pain. When you try to leave, exporting your notes would always require you to spend hours reformatting and fixing broken links. Your carefully organized system turns into a mess of files that don’t work the same way in other apps.
Obsidian, on the other hand, takes the local-first and open file formats approach. It stores your notes in plain text files on your computer or phone. They’re written in Markdown, which is basically text with a few simple formatting symbols. You can open these files in any text editor or on any computer, and you can even encrypt them using third-party apps like VeraCrypt.
This means you own your files completely and you’re never locked in. If Obsidian disappears tomorrow, you still have all your notes. If you want to switch to another app, any tool that supports Markdown can import your notes in minutes. And most modern note apps do support Markdown.
3
Linking notes
Your personal Wikipedia
Writers understand the power of links. We use them to connect ideas, cite sources, and guide readers through complex topics. Obsidian brings this same concept to your personal notes, but with a twist that makes it incredibly powerful.
You can link notes in Obsidian by putting double brackets around any [[phrase]]. So, when I’m writing about a project meeting, I just link to the project note. If I mention someone’s name, I link to their contact info. And when I come across something I know I’ve written about before, I link back to those earlier thoughts.
These aren’t just one-way references. Every link creates a connection that goes both ways. Open any note, and you’ll see all the other notes that mention it. This way, your notes build on each other instead of just piling up.
To simplify linking further, it’s like building your own personal Wikipedia. Each note becomes richer as it connects to others. Your understanding deepens as you see how different pieces of information relate.
The visual graph view shows all your notes as dots connected by lines. It looks like a constellation of your thoughts. While some may find it gimmicky, I find it useful for spotting isolated notes that need connecting or discovering unexpected relationships between topics.
2
Plugins
A lot of them
I started using Obsidian with zero plugins. And I think that’s the right way to begin with any tool that has a learning curve. It’s always a good idea to understand the basics before adding complexity.
But once you hit those daily friction points—those small annoyances that slow you down—plugins start making sense. I use a handful myself: Dataview for querying notes like a database, Templater for powerful templates, Auto Note Mover to automatically file notes in the correct folders, and Paste Image Rename so I don’t have to manually rename every screenshot.
The plugin ecosystem is massive, with dozens of plugins worth trying, but too many plugins can become a problem real-quick. It’s tempting to make Obsidian do everything from tracking your habits to managing your calendar and running your entire life.
Before you know it, you’d be spending more time tweaking the app than taking notes. Instead, start simple and add plugins only when you have a specific problem to solve.
1
Free without limits
You can even sync for free
Obsidian is entirely free for personal and commercial use. It doesn’t have any limits on notes, no restrictions on features, or any paywalls that you’ll discover after you’ve invested months building your system. You can use every single feature without paying a cent.
Even file syncing, usually the first thing apps charge for, can be free. Since your notes are just files in a folder, you can sync your Obsidian notes for free using any service you already have, including Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, or any service that syncs folders between devices.
Obsidian does offer its proprietary sync service for $5 per month if you want it. It handles conflicts better than DIY solutions, especially with plugins, and includes end-to-end encryption so even Obsidian can’t read your notes. But the point is you’re not forced to use it.
After years of app-hopping, I’ve settled on Obsidian. Yes, it has a learning curve, the options can be overwhelming, and it doesn’t include free sync out of the box.
But the trade-offs work for me. I control my notes completely, link ideas in ways that make sense to me, and customize my workflow however I want. Plus, I can read my notes using any markdown-supported text editor, even if my favorable thoughts on Obsidian change in the future.