20 Best Obsidian Alternatives & Competitors in 2024 (Free & Paid) (2024)

How often do we forget something important until a couple of hours before the deadline?

Too many times, if we’re being honest with ourselves.

Fortunately, we now have note-taking apps such as Obsidian to help us avoid these types of situations. Like most note-taking apps, Obsidian promises a simple way to note down everything you should remember to avoid forgetting any crucial details.

But is this markdown note-taking app the best in the market?

Today, we explore all the Obsidian alternatives you should know about.

What to Look for in Apps Like Obsidian?

Obsidian is a note-taking app designed for people to build their own personal knowledge management. With plugins, themes, and custom CSS available in its toolbox, you’re in control of your data and design.

Obsidian organizes all your notes in folders called vaults. You can have different vaults for different topics or projects. You can also link documents and notes through bi-directional linking to create a connected database that you can view as a knowledge graph.

This app works great for people who prefer the simple actions of capturing and storing notes. But if your goal is to create a system for sharable notes and tasks under one knowledge hub, you have other options!

20 Best Obsidian Alternatives in 2024 (Free & Paid)

1. ClickUp – Best AI-powered docs

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform where teams come together to plan, organize, and collaborate on work using tasks, Docs, Chat, Goals, Whiteboards, and more. Easily customized with just a few clicks, ClickUp lets teams of all types and sizes deliver work more effectively, boosting productivity to new heights!

Unlike Obsidian, ClickUp Docs makes it easy to co-author notes in real time or async so everyone has access to the most up-to-date information. Whether you’re writing throw-away notes or detailed action plans, using a ClickUp Doc will connect you to the rest of your tasks and projects!

Pair ClickUp Docs with ClickUp Brain, our AI-powered writing tool that can be used within Docs to summarize notes, create compelling copy, brainstorm, and more!

Try the free ClickUp Meeting Notes Template and deliver your best work with these time-saving features in Docs:

• Relate Docs and tasks to build connections and relationships between content and your work
• Bring your content from other apps to use rich formatting and collaborative editing
• Archive Docs to clean your Workspace but save them for reference
• Set sharing permissions for specific people, teams, or guests
• Find and create templates to speed up the writing process

ClickUp pros

• 15+ customizable views to visualize tasks, projects, and workflows in ClickUp
• 1,000+ integrations to connect your favorite apps to ClickUp
• Notepad in ClickUp to bookmark notes, create tasks, and more from your web browser

ClickUp cons

• Learning curve due to the number of available features and level of customizability

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited: $7 per member per month
• Business: $12 per member per month
• Enterprise: If you need a full software suite to handle your Enterprise workloads and processes, we’d love to help set you up for success! Please contact Sales when you’re ready

ClickUp customer ratings

• G2: 4.7/5 (4,800+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,100+ reviews)

2. Notion – Best for note-taking

Notion is a popular alternative to Obsidian for its simplicity, minimalistic interface, and large community. On top of note-taking, you can use Notion as a task management tool to create simple to-dos or build a personal knowledge base. You can also embed links, images, videos, code snippets, etc. Notion also has bi-directional functionalities enabling you to interconnect all your notes and workspaces.

Notion pros

• Powerful note-taking functionality
• Integrates with the most popular apps
• Great collaborationfeatures

Notion cons

• The mobile app can be slow and clunky
• Difficult to create and maintain customization for long-term use
• Search and navigation is not as intuitive

Notion pricing

Notion offers free and paid plans starting at $4/month.

Notion customer ratings

• G2: 4.6/5 (900+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (800+ reviews)

3. Evernote – Best for web-clipping

Evernote is a note-taking tool with fantastic web-clipping capabilities. This handy app lets you clip, save, and sync notes from anywhere on the web to all your devices.

Evernote pros

• Straightforward and clean UI with multiple features
• You can create notes offline
• Web clipper to save all important notes during research
• Ability to share your notes on social channels

Evernote cons

• Costly paid version with a limited free version
• Lacks real-time collaboration
• Lacks task management functionalities like most apps on this list

Evernote pricing

Evernote offers free and paid plans starting at $7.99/month.

Evernote customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (1,900+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (7,500+ reviews)

4. Microsoft OneNote – Best for Microsoft users

OneNote is a free note-taking app available to anyone with a Microsoft account. Although handy, OneNote has a laid-back interface and is not as intuitive. However, OneNote has several note-worthy features, including voice notes, text translation, sticky notes, and handwritten notes.

You can also protect note sections on OneNote with a password.

Microsoft OneNote pros

• OneNote templates to help you quickly create notes
• A web clipper to capture notes from anywhere online
• Ability to organize your notes into a notebook-look alike
• Internal links to connect your entire notes ecosystem

Microsoft OneNote cons

• Minimal note-tagging capabilities
• Complicated if you’re a new Microsoft 365 user
• Pretty slow and clunky

Microsoft OneNote pricing

OneNote is available with a paid Microsoft 365 subscription.

Microsoft OneNote customer ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (1,700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,200+ reviews)

5. Google Keep – Best for mobile users

Google Keep has most of what you need in a note-taking app; to-do lists, audio notes, a web clipper, and images. In addition, you can archive notes to achieve a cleaner interface.

Google Keep pros

• Easy-to-use tool for personal note-taking in the Google Workspace
• Automatic transcription for all your recorded audio

Google Keep cons

• Limited customization option
• Older UI
• Lacks granular permission controls
• No real-time collaboration
• Limited integration

Google Keep pricing

Google Keep is free with a Google account.

Google Keep customer ratings

• G2: N/A
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (80+ reviews)

6. nTask – Best for tracking tasks

See Also

Miro vs Obsidian

nTask is a project management tool that comes with note-taking functionality. Primarily, you can take meeting notes, create to-dos and track your tasks in one place. nTask also features a time tracker and collaboration functionality to keep cross-functional teams on the same page. For instance, users can add images, comments, and videos to their notes or assign a particular task to a team member.

nTask pros

• Multiple views include calendar, Kanban, and Gantt
• Flexible for teams to use as a task management tool
• Real-time notifications
• Task status and priority features

nTask cons

• Lacks critical features in the free version
• The interface is not as intuitive
• Limited integration for a robust knowledge base

nTask pricing

nTask offers free and paid plans starting at $3/month billed annually.

nTask customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/ 5 (15+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1/5 (90+ reviews)

7. Workflowy – Best for minimalist note-taking

Workflowy is a note-taking app with several task management tools. This app refers to itself as a sidekick for busy and ambitious people. Workflowy is on this list of Obsidian alternatives because of its simplicity. All you need to do is log in and start typing out your thoughts on Workflowy!

Workflowy pros

• Fast and straightforward
• Live copies of any note or to-do list
• Drag and drop functionality for quick note creation
• A global search feature to easily spot an important note
• Plain text markdown files

Workflowy cons

• Lacks visualization tools
• Limited task management

Workflowy pricing

Workflowy offers free and paid plans starting at $4.99/month.

Workflowy customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/ (20+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (Less than 5 reviews)

8. Coda – Best for centralizing Docs

Coda was built for teams. Simply put, Coda brings all your documents and data into a central and evolving document. This app also has different building blocks to help you customize your documents as needed.

Coda pros

• Integrates with Google Calendar for easier task management
• Edits and changes notifications
• Multiple Coda templates depending on your needs

Coda cons

• Pretty expensive with limited features in the free plan
• Limited integration
• Difficult to scale for a well-rounded knowledge base

Coda pricing

Coda has free and paid plans starting at $10/month per member.

Coda customer ratings

• G2: 4.7/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (75+ reviews)

Bonus: Airtable Vs. Coda

9. Basecamp – Best for note-taking dashboards

Basecamp is a project management tool, but it does feature note-taking and task management. All your projects (notes in this case) are housed under one dashboard where you can view, edit, rearrange and archive notes as needed.

The app also supports tracking to-dos and has in-app messaging to keep everyone on board.

Basecamp pros

• Project schedule showing your deadlines, relevant events, and to-do statuses
• Simplistic Kanban views
• Numerous integrations to popular tools
• History of changes within your notes

Basecamp cons

• Limited customization
• Notifications and activity alerts can be overwhelming
• Editing tools are limited

Basecamp pricing

Basecamp has free and paid plans starting at $11/month per member.

Basecamp customer ratings

• G2: 4.1/5 (5,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (13,500+ reviews)

10. Notejoy– Best for team collaboration

Notejoy might be a suitable alternative to Obsidian if you want to take fast, focused notes. Basically, Notejoy is the app you use when you want to take something off your mind, after a quick meeting with a coworker, or once the professor has handed out assignments.

Notejoy pros

• Instant, clear, and beautiful unlimited image galleries
• Ability to attach files to your notes
• Checklist to capture your to-dos
• Activity tracking to see who’s viewed your profile
• Threaded discussions for easier collaboration

Notejoy cons

• Limited integrations for project management
• Not as intuitive
• UI and features can be overwhelming

Notejoy pricing

Notejoy has free and paid plans starting at $4/month billed annually.

Notejoy customer ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5(180+ reviews)

11. pNotes – Best for desktop customization

pNotes is a sticky note software that allows you to pin your most important notes and to-dos on your desktop. You can tweak each sticky note to reflect what it’s about. For instance, you can change each note’s color, font, and transparency.

pNotes pros

• Group notes and mark your favorite sticky notes
• Quickly create a note by double-clicking
• Schedule sticky notes to appear only when you need them
• Auto-updates

pNotes cons

• It can be clunky if you want to note down multiple things
• Not as effective in tracking tasks within your notes
• Lacks the intuitiveness of most note-taking apps

pNotes pricing

pNotes is a free app.

pNotes customer ratings

• G2: No ratings
• Capterra: No ratings

12. QuickJots – Best for speed

As the name suggests, QuickJots lets you quickly make and autosave a note on the go. It works on both mobile and computer, and it’s pretty fast.

QuickJots pros

• It works offline
• All your notes are autosaved the moment you create a note
• Supports markdown
• Supports plain text editor
• You don’t need to register to use Quick jots

QuickJots cons

• Lacks advanced task-tracking features
• It does not sync seamlessly across devices
• Outdated UI

QuickJots pricing

QuickJots is a free app.

QuickJots customer ratings

• G2: No reviews
• Capterra: No reviews

13. Apple Notes – Best for Apple users

Apple Notes is available for free on macOS/iOS devices. This app lets you type or take notes by hand or with the Apple Pencil. You can also add photos and videos or attach links to our notes.

Apple Notes pros

• Folder lists to organize your notes by topic
• Pin functionality to keep the most important details over the fold
• Gallery view for a smarter view of your notes
• Face ID, Touch ID, and passwords to protect your notes

Apple Notes cons

• It does not integrate seamlessly with apps outside the Apple ecosystem

Apple Notes pricing

Apple Notes is available for free on macOS and iOS devices.

Apple Notes customer ratings

• G2: No ratings
• Capterra: No ratings

14. Simplenote – Best for minimalists

Simplenote is an excellent alternative to Obsidian thanks to its simplicity and clutter-free interface. It also features powerful syncing functionality to help you access your notes anytime.

Simplenote pros

• Tags for quick note finding
• Markdown support
• Completely free
• Automatically backs up changes

Simplenote cons

• Limited customization options
• It does not support image and graph attachments
• Hard to scale with many notes

Simplenote pricing

Simplenote is a free app.

Simplenote customer ratings

• G2: 4.1/5 (20+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 (Less than 5 reviews)

15. Joplin – Best for privacy & encryption

Joplin is best defined as an open-source note-taking app. The app lets you take notes and access them anywhere as it backs all your notes on the cloud. You can create checklists, notes, and tables within Joplin or attach images and videos. In addition, Joplin supports diagrams and math functions, making it an inclusive note-taking app regardless of subject or topic.

Joplin pros

• You can capture an image on the mobile app and save it as a note
• Collaborate with friends, family, or colleagues over Joplin cloud
• You can make your notes publicly available by publishing them online
• Joplin comes with a web clipper extension to save notes across the internet
• Both rich text and markdown editing support

Joplin cons

• No direct tech support if you’re stuck
• Syncing requires a premium plan
• The desktop app is pretty slow

Joplin pricing

Joplin offers free and paid plans.

Joplin customer ratings

• G2: No reviews
• Capterra: No reviews

16. Dropbox Paper – Best for collaborative writing

Typically referred to as Paper, Dropbox Paper is a collaborative document editing software. According to the company, Paper is perfect for collaborating on creative work. With Paper, you can make meeting notes, assign to-dos or tasks, and mention people without leaving the document.

Dropbox Paper pros

• It’s free
• Has superb collaboration tools
• You can annotate images within your notes
• Templates to create docs such as meeting minute templates
• Syncs with your calendar, so you know what meeting requires specific documents

Dropbox Paper cons

• Limited integration outside of Dropbox
• Limited storage for free Dropbox users (only 2GB)
• Costly to upgrade

Dropbox Paper pricing

Dropbox has free and paid plans starting at $11.99/month for a single user.

Dropbox Paper customer ratings

• G2: 4.1/5 (4,400+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (149 reviews)

17. ProofHub – Best for daily agendas

ProofHub might primarily be a project management tool, but it can still double as a note-taking app with task management capabilities. Proofhub’s Note feature lets you take notes of any kind, whether in a formal setting or at an individual level. You can also collaborate on note-creating with capabilities such as @mentions, discussions, and Kanban boards.

ProofHub pros

• Project management, task management, and note-taking functionality under one roof
• Multiple views, including calendar, table, and kanban, to view your notes
• Templates to simplify note creation
• Daily agendas to start your day right

ProofHub cons

• Lacks sub-folders which makes finding documents more challenging
• Challenging learning curve
• Loads slowly

ProofHub pricing

Proofhub has free and paid plans starting at $45/month billed annually.

ProofHub customer ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (60+ reviews)

18. Bear – Best for markdown

When Bear users talk about it, the common theme you will hear across all people is Bear’s minimalistic UI. Bear comes with no bells and whistles save for a few formatting options. Bear users can link their notes to each other and sync them across all their apple devices.

Bear pros

• Minimalistic UI
• Direct and simple to use
• Synchs across all Apple devices
• Markdown editor supporting over 150 programming languages
• Cross-note links to create an interconnected knowledge graph

Bear cons

• Lacks advanced features needed in a note-taking app, even in the paid plans
• Lacks a table function
• Pricey paid plan

Bear pricing

Bear has free and paid plans depending on your region.

Bear customer ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (40+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (Less than 3 reviews)

Check out these Bear alternatives!

19. Todoist – Best for creating to-do lists

Todoist focuses on giving you a simple task and to-do list management app. It’s one of the most popular Obsidian alternatives because of its intuitiveness and advanced note-taking functionalities. This note-taking app allows you to create tasks and subtasks and set up one-time or recurring reminders. Todoist also features discussions and comments capabilities to simplify collaboration.

Todoist pros

• Reminders so you don’t miss a task
• Calendar view to get a good look at your schedule
• Templates to get you started

Todoist cons

• It has a steep learning curve
• Slow Windows app
• Limited tasks in the free version

Todoist pricing

Todoist offers free and paid plans starting at $4/month billed annually.

Todoist customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,600+ reviews)

20. Hive – Best for time tracking

Hive comes with multiple ways to view your notes, including Kanban, table, calendar, and portfolio. This project management app also features time-tracking capabilities and collaborative note-taking.

Hive pros

• More than 1000 integrations
• Great customer support materials
• Syncs your notes with calendar
• Time-tracking

Hive cons

• Difficult-to-use mobile app
• Lacks advanced search functionality
• Difficult to track changes you have made to your app

Hive pricing

Hive offers free and paid plans starting at $12/per user per month.

Hive customer ratings

• G2: 4.6/5 (350+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (160+ reviews)

Own Your Notes With the Best Obsidian Alternatives

The best Obsidian alternative is the note-taking app that lets you:

• Collaborate on note-taking with @mentions, notification, change tracking, and in-app discussions
• Scale as your note-taking needs change
• Sync your notes across multiple devices
• Access notes offline and online

You can take advantage of these features and more in ClickUp. Create a free account and start creating infinite notes your way!