Notability vs Obsidian
Notability
notability.com
Obsidian
obsidian.mdSide by side
| Figure | Notability | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | $4.17/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 6 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 9.2 (#10) | 9.5 (#3) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The privacy policy identifies Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive as optional third-party backup services, and Apple iCloud as a notes sync service. | Notion,Airtable,Microsoft OneNote,Evernote,Apple Notes,Apple Journal,Google Keep,Bear,Craft,Roam Research,Logseq,Tomboy,Gnote |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web,windows,macos,ios,android | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,Chrome extension |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Notability is available on Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android, and the web. | Obsidian supports Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and headless servers. |
Plans
Notability
- StarterFree
- Pro$19.99 a month
- Classic$49.99 a month
- Lite$11.99 a year
- Plus$15.99 a year
- Business$60 a year
- Pro$79.99 a year
- Business Pro$180 a year
- Custom ContractPriced on request
Obsidian
- Sync Standard$5 a month
- Sync Plus$10 a month
- Publish$10 a month
- Catalyst$25, paid once
- Commercial$50 a year
- FreeFree
In their own words
Notability
Notability brings handwritten notes, typed text, recordings, images and imported documents into one workspace. It supports offline access, note sharing and real-time collaboration across Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. Notability Learn offers audio transcription, note summaries, Smart Notes, quizzes, flashcards and chat with notes; YouTube videos can also be turned into notes with a transcript and summary. Integrations include iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box and WebDAV. The Starter plan is free and includes five notes, editing tools and content, PDFs and documents, 20,000+ templates and seven-day version history. Pro costs $19.99 a month, billed monthly. Business Pro costs $180 a year per user. Notability describes its audience as students and professionals. The iOS and iPadOS apps require version 17 or later, while Android requires version 12 or later.
Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking app for keeping notes and building a personal knowledge workspace. Its core app is free, has no sign-up requirement, and stores notes on the user's device so they remain available offline. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and as a Chrome extension. Canvas provides an open workspace for research, brainstorming, diagrams, and ideas; thousands of plugins and an open API allow workflow customization. Shared vaults support team work with real-time updates. Sync adds synchronization and version history: Standard costs $5 per user per month billed annually, with one vault, 1 GB of storage, a 5 MB maximum file size, and one month of history. Plus costs $10 per user per month billed annually, with 10 vaults, 10 GB, a 200 MB maximum file size, and 12 months of history. Publish is $10 per site per month billed annually and includes up to 4 GB hosting per site. It offers themes, custom domains, password protection, and SEO optimization.