What is the difference between Obsidian and Joplin?

Obsidian is best for Individuals who want local-first, markdown-based notes, while Joplin is best for Privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking. Obsidian starts at Free and Joplin starts at Free.

Is Obsidian or Joplin cheaper?

Obsidian starts at Free and is free. Joplin starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Joplin?

Both Obsidian and Joplin offer free tiers.

Obsidian vs Joplin

Obsidian is local-first markdown note-taking app with bidirectional linking and a plugin ecosystem, while Joplin is open-source note-taking with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, and sync via any cloud. Joplin is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Obsidian is built for individuals who want local-first, markdown-based notes, whereas Joplin targets privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking.

At a glance

	Obsidian	Joplin
Best for	Individuals who want local-first, markdown-based notes	Privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Backlinks	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
Graph View	✓	—
Local Storage	✓	—
Markdown	✓	✓
Open Source	—	✓
Plugins	✓	—
Webclipper	—	✓

Obsidian

Strengths

Local-first — your notes are plain markdown files you own
Powerful bidirectional linking and graph view
Huge plugin ecosystem (1,000+)
Works offline, fast and responsive

Weaknesses

No real-time collaboration
Sync requires paid add-on or third-party solution
Steeper setup than Notion for non-technical users
Mobile app is less polished than desktop

Try Obsidian → Full review

Joplin

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary

Try Joplin → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Obsidian and Joplin are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: Obsidian offers Backlinks, Graph View and Local Storage that Joplin lacks. Joplin brings E2E Encryption, Open Source and Webclipper that Obsidian does not have. Both share Markdown.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Joplin is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Obsidian is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Obsidian's biggest strengths are: local-first — your notes are plain markdown files you own. powerful bidirectional linking and graph view. Joplin's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.

Watch out for: With Obsidian, users commonly note that no real-time collaboration. With Joplin, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Obsidian if...

You need a tool built for individuals who want local-first, markdown-based notes
You specifically need Backlinks and Graph View
You care about powerful bidirectional linking and graph view

Choose Joplin if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need E2E Encryption and Open Source
You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development