Obsidian vs Turtl
Obsidian
obsidian.mdTurtl
turtlapp.comSide by side
| Figure | Obsidian | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.17/mo | $3/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 4 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 9.5 (#3) | 9.3 (#8) |
| End-to-End Encryption | Obsidian Sync uses AES-256 end-to-end encryption. | Turtl encrypts data on the client before transmission, so stored server data remains unreadable without users' keys. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Notion,Airtable,Microsoft OneNote,Evernote,Apple Notes,Apple Journal,Google Keep,Bear,Craft,Roam Research,Logseq,Tomboy,Gnote | The official feature and download pages describe Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions and Android sharing, but do not list other integrations. |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,Chrome extension | The download page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions, and says iOS is coming soon. |
Plans
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
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.
Turtl
Turtl is a collaborative notebook for organizing bookmarks, passwords, files, shopping lists, and other notes. It supports text, bookmark, password, image, and document notes, with full-text search, tag filtering, Markdown, and TeX math rendering. Users can create Spaces, choose collaborators, and set permissions from read-only access through full ownership. Turtl says data is encrypted in the app before leaving the device, using keys derived from the user's email and password. Shared items get separate random keys, so recipients can unlock only the item shared with them. The service warns that an intercepted email invitation could expose a shared Space if its secret is not communicated separately. Users can import or export their full profile for backup or migration, and can install the open-source server to host their own data. Listed platforms include Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions; offline access is supported. Premium costs $3/mo and includes 10GB note data and 10 collaborators per Space; Business costs $8/mo and includes 50GB and dedicated support.