Notion vs Obsidian: Which Productivity App Is Better for You?

The productivity market is booming these days with a wide range of modular solutions like Notion, Airtable, and Coda, as well as startups like Roam Research and Obsidian. Among these, Notion and Obsidian are gaining popularity among early adopters. If you're finding it difficult to choose between the two, read on to learn about the key differences and find the best fit for your needs.

Notion vs Obsidian

Let's compare Notion and Obsidian based on cross-platform availability, user interface (UI), features, sharing, note-taking capabilities, pricing, and more.

Cross-Platform Availability

Notion takes the lead in cross-platform availability. It is accessible on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and the web. Notion also offers platform-specific features such as push notifications and iOS 14 widgets.

On the other hand, Obsidian is still in its early stages and currently lacks a mobile app. It can only be accessed on Windows, Mac, Linux, and the web. However, the company is beta-testing its mobile apps with a selected group of users.

UI and Organization

Notion and Obsidian differ right from the user interface (UI) and organization of notes. In Notion, you create a workspace and add pages to it. You can also create sub-pages and backlink them to one another. Notion also offers a favorites section for quick access to frequently accessed pages. It supports both light and dark themes.

Obsidian uses the term “Vault” instead. You create a vault and add folders and notes to it. The default option allows you to save the vault on your device. Obsidian also offers a light and dark theme, with the dark theme being particularly eye-catching.

Fundamentals and Note-Taking

Notion works best as a personal database tool for keeping track of notes, projects, class notes, meeting notes, and more. It offers a wide range of templates, allowing you to create a mini subscription tracker, finance app, or habit tracker within Notion.

Obsidian, on the other hand, serves as a second digital brain. It is designed around the concept of linking your thoughts, mimicking how the human brain works. While note-taking, you can use all the usual editing options and markdown support. However, you need to be familiar with markdown tricks to achieve the desired outcome.

Features

Notion relies on templates to get started. You can use built-in or community-created templates to enhance the appeal of your Notion pages. Notion also allows you to add third-party widgets to customize your pages based on your preferences. It can be used as a task management or project management tool, offering various views such as List, Timeline, Calendar, and Boards.

Obsidian stands out with its backlinking feature. By adding [[page name]] brackets, you can link one note to another, creating a digital graph to view later. This feature is particularly useful for writers and researchers. Obsidian also allows you to view two notes side-by-side in both horizontal and vertical views, making multitasking easier.

Sharing and Collaboration

In terms of sharing and collaboration, Notion has the upper hand. It offers seamless collaboration with other members. You can invite members to your workspace and tag them with tasks and project details.

Obsidian, on the other hand, only allows exporting notes in text or PDF format. It currently lacks the ability to invite others to collaborate on the vault.

Looking at the Future

Notion is actively working on an offline mode, which has been highly requested by users. The company also plans to release native apps for iOS and Android. Notion recently introduced APIs to explore third-party app integration.

Obsidian is currently working on mobile apps in private beta. It has also introduced a plugin store to enhance the functionality of the software.

Price

Notion offers a free plan for personal use. The Pro version, which includes API access and advanced collaboration features, is priced at $4 per month.

Obsidian is also free to use. However, the company offers add-on packs such as Sync and Publish for $4 and $8 per month, respectively. The pricing structure for Obsidian can be a bit confusing, and it would be better if they simplified it in the future.

Wrapping Up: Notion vs Obsidian

To summarize, Notion is the preferred choice for project management, task management, and personal wiki databases. It offers a wide range of features and customizable templates. On the other hand, Obsidian excels in its graph menu, allowing you to view your second digital brain. It also offers a proper offline mode, backlinking capabilities, and native apps for Windows and Mac. Consider your specific needs and preferences to choose the best productivity app for you.