Best Obsidian alternatives in 2026: 8 apps compared

Obsidian is free, it keeps your notes as files on your disk, and plenty of people use it for years. People still search for an alternative. The reasons are usually one of five: sync costs money or is fiddly, the setup never stops needing work, they want a visual canvas, they want the source code, or the vault is empty because they never write anything down.

This article sorts the alternatives by which of those reasons you have. Prices and features are as of October 2026 and each one links to its source at the end.

Quick comparison

Do you need to leave Obsidian?

Check the reason first, because most of them have a cheaper fix inside Obsidian.

If sync is the problem, read our guide to Obsidian sync alternatives. If you want a canvas, Obsidian already has one as a core plugin, and the canvas alternatives article covers what else exists. Obsidian’s pricing page lists the app as free without limits and says you are not required to buy a commercial license for work, though it asks organisations to. Sync is $4 a month billed annually or $5 billed monthly, and the commercial license is $50 per user per year.

If none of that applies and you still want out, these are the options.

1. Logseq: the open-source one

Logseq calls itself a privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management. The code is on GitHub under AGPL-3.0. Its homepage lists local data ownership, Markdown files and an encrypted Sync that is still in beta. The newer version with a database backend is also in beta, and its mobile app is on iOS with Android listed as coming soon.

It fits if you want the source code and local files. Mobile is still the open question, so check it before you commit.

2. Anytype: local-first with sync built in

Anytype describes itself as a local-first, peer-to-peer, end-to-end encrypted knowledge tool. The desktop client runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and there are iOS and Android apps. Its source is published under the Any Source Available License 1.0, which is source-available, not a standard open-source license.

It suits you if you want sync between devices without running anything yourself and without the vendor reading your notes. The price is the format: Anytype keeps its own objects, not plain Markdown files you can open in any editor.

3. Notion: the cloud workspace

Notion has a free plan, and every plan can be used offline on desktop and mobile. AI is a limited trial on Free and Plus. The Business plan includes Notion Agent and AI Meeting Notes. Your pages live in Notion’s cloud.

Notion is the one to take if you work with other people and need databases, permissions and page history. If local files were why you chose Obsidian, it is the wrong move.

4. Capacities: objects and a daily note

Capacities organises notes as typed objects such as people, books and meetings, with a daily note as the entry point. The free Basic plan has unlimited spaces and objects, with 5 GB of media uploads. Pro costs $11.99 a month or $119.88 a year, and Believer costs $14.99 a month or $149.88 a year. It runs on web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, and offline use is included on every plan.

Capacities keeps Obsidian’s links and gives you more structure with less assembly. It does not store local Markdown files.

5. Bear: the light one

Bear is a Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Notes are readable locally for free, and iCloud sync, searching inside PDFs and images, and themes beyond the free three need Pro at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

Bear is a fast notebook and nothing else. There is no backlinks-first workflow or graph, and it only runs on Apple devices.

6. Heptabase: whiteboards first

Heptabase is built around whiteboards where cards become notes. Pro is listed at $8.99 a month with the yearly option selected, and it runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.

It works for research and visual thinking. It is not a plain folder of Markdown. More in the canvas article.

7. Joplin: open source with encrypted sync

Joplin is open source and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a terminal app. It syncs through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive and other services, and it advertises end-to-end encryption of your notes.

Joplin is open source and syncs across every platform. It has no Obsidian-style linking or graph.

8. Everpaper: the one that fills the vault

Everpaper is our product. Unlike the other seven it is not where you write notes. Screen history takes a screenshot of each display every 2 minutes by default and reads it on your Mac. Meetings are recorded and transcribed on the Mac with speaker labels. Ask answers questions across all of it and shows the screenshot or the moment in the recording.

The link to Obsidian is the export. Export Obsidian vault writes a folder of linked Markdown: a Days/ folder with one note per day, plus People/, Links/, Files/ and Topics/ notes joined with wikilinks, and a GRAPH_REPORT.md. Open the folder in Obsidian and your captured days sit next to the notes you wrote. The export covers days, not meetings, and you can run it again to refresh the vault.

The limits: Everpaper needs macOS 15 or later on an Apple silicon Mac, with no Windows, Linux, iOS or web version. It is in private beta with no public price. It is not a note editor, so keep writing where you write. AI features need a provider you set up, and cloud AI is off until you allow it. Recordings and screenshots stay on the Mac either way.

It helps if your vault is thin because the day moves faster than you type. It does nothing for you without an Apple silicon Mac.

How to choose

1. Sync is the problem: Anytype, Joplin, or Obsidian Sync at $4 a month.
2. You want the source code: Logseq or Joplin.
3. You want a canvas: Heptabase, or Obsidian’s own canvas.
4. You want less assembly: Capacities, Notion or Bear.
5. You want to stop writing and still have a record: Everpaper, with Obsidian kept as the place you read it.

Apply for the Everpaper private beta if the last one is you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Obsidian?

Logseq and Joplin are open source and free. Anytype is free to use and local-first. Capacities and Notion have free plans but keep your notes in their cloud. Obsidian itself is free for personal use and, per its pricing page, you are not required to buy a commercial license for work.

What is the best open-source Obsidian alternative?

Logseq (AGPL-3.0) and Joplin are open source. Anytype publishes its source under its own Any Source Available License, which is not the same thing as an open-source license.

What is the best Obsidian alternative for Mac?

Bear if you want plain Markdown with a native Apple feel, Logseq if you want open source, Capacities if you want objects and a daily note. If your problem is that you never write anything down, Everpaper captures your workday on the Mac and exports it as an Obsidian vault.

Is there an Obsidian alternative with built-in sync?

Anytype syncs between devices with end-to-end encryption, Capacities and Notion sync through their cloud, Bear syncs through iCloud with a Pro subscription, and Joplin syncs through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive. Obsidian's own Sync costs $4 a month billed annually.

Is there an Obsidian alternative with a canvas?

Heptabase is built around whiteboards, and Capacities and Notion have their own visual views. Obsidian's canvas is a core plugin that saves to the open JSON Canvas format. See our separate article on Obsidian canvas alternatives.

Can I use Everpaper with Obsidian?

Yes. Everpaper's Export Obsidian vault writes your captured days as linked Markdown into a folder that Obsidian can open. The export covers days, not meetings, and you can run it again to refresh the vault.

Sources

1. Obsidian pricing
2. Obsidian Sync plans and limits
3. Logseq on GitHub
4. Logseq
5. Anytype client on GitHub
6. Notion pricing
7. Capacities pricing
8. Bear
9. Heptabase pricing
10. Joplin
11. Everpaper export docs