# 10 Best Obsidian Alternatives in 2026 *By Leeron Zhang · 2026-09-22 — Ten Obsidian alternatives compared by what they change, with prices checked on each official site and a table of what their Markdown support really means.* *If you are thinking about leaving Obsidian, you are probably leaving one specific thing about it. Name that thing first, and the list of alternatives gets short.* People who leave Obsidian often do so not because it stopped working, but because one particular friction grew until it outweighed everything else. For some it is the plugins: a vault that took a weekend to set up and now needs an afternoon every few months to keep running. For some it is other people: a project that outgrew one person's folder of files. For some it is the opposite of both. They wanted a quiet place to write and somehow ended up maintaining a system. And for some it is what happens after the notes pile up: thousands of linked files, a beautiful graph, and still the feeling that the notes are not turning into anything. Those are four different problems, and no single app solves all of them. An alternative that fixes one usually makes another worse. That is the useful way to read this list: not as a ranking, but as ten different trade-offs, each aimed at a different reason for leaving. **The short version**, grouped by what you want to change: - **You want more structure** — **Capacities** gives recurring things (books, people, projects) a type and properties. - **You think visually** — **Heptabase** puts cards and sources on whiteboards. - **You think in outlines** — **Logseq** works in linked blocks rather than whole pages. - **You need to share** — **Notion** is built for teams working in one space. - **You mostly write** — **Bear** is a focused Markdown writing app for Apple devices. - **You want open source everywhere** — **Joplin** runs on every major platform and lets you choose how to sync. - **You want privacy with structure** — **Anytype** is local-first, end-to-end encrypted, and object-based. - **You publish what you write** — **Craft** turns notes into documents you can share. - **You are learning something** — **RemNote** builds spaced repetition into your notes. - **You want your notes to develop into ideas** — **Jotaid** organizes notes around the concepts in them, on Mac and iPhone. *Disclosure: this guide is published by the developer of Jotaid, which is on the list — last, deliberately, so you read the other nine first. Every product fact below comes from that product's official website or documentation, read on September 22, 2026, and is linked where it appears. It is not a hands-on benchmark. The order follows the grouping above and is not a ranking. Prices change; each one is dated and linked so you can check it.* ## First, be clear about what Obsidian already does well Any honest comparison has to start here, because Obsidian's strengths are exactly what an alternative is likely to take away. **Your notes are files.** Obsidian's own site puts it plainly: it "stores your notes locally as plain text Markdown files," and it "uses open file formats, so you're never locked in." Your vault is a folder. Any text editor can open it, any backup tool can copy it, and it stays readable whether or not Obsidian is around. **It runs almost everywhere.** There are apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. **It is free, and genuinely so.** The [pricing page](https://obsidian.md/pricing) says "Free without limits," with no sign-up required. That includes work use: a commercial license exists at US$50 per user per year, but the page is explicit that you are not required to buy one. The paid parts are optional services — Sync at US$4 per user per month billed annually (US$5 monthly), and Publish at US$8 per site per month billed annually (US$10 monthly). **It bends to you.** The site describes "thousands of plugins and themes," alongside a core that already includes links, a graph and Canvas, an infinite board for laying out notes and ideas.  *Obsidian: a vault is a folder, its subfolders show up on the left, and each note is a Markdown file — here one whose code block renders as a diagram. Screenshot from the Obsidian forum.* Put those four together and you get the real cost of switching. Most apps on this list keep your notes somewhere other than a plain folder you control, and moving usually means leaving behind the plugins your setup depends on. The table near the end shows exactly which apps keep a folder of files and which do not. ### Two ways to not leave Before trying anything else, two options are worth an honest look. **Simplify the vault you have.** If the friction is maintenance, the cause is often the configuration rather than the app. Turning off the plugins you set up once and no longer think about can make Obsidian feel like a different, lighter tool. **Keep Obsidian and add one tool beside it.** Your vault does not have to move. Many of the apps below are better thought of as a second tool for one job — a visual board for one research question, a shared space for one team project, a place to develop the ideas in one collection — while Obsidian stays the archive. Many of them import Markdown, so moving a single project over is a small experiment rather than a migration. ## What to decide before you compare Four questions separate these apps more clearly than any feature list. **1. What is the basic unit?** Every note app is built around one kind of thing. In Obsidian it is a file. Elsewhere it is a block in an outline, an object with a type and properties, a card on a board, a row in a database, or a concept that many notes refer to. That choice decides which questions the app answers easily and which it cannot answer at all. It is also the part you cannot change after you move. This blog has [compared four of these models in detail](https://jotaid.com/blog/posts/personal-knowledge-management-app). **2. What does "Markdown support" actually mean?** It can mean four different things, and product pages rarely say which: - **editing** in Markdown syntax; - **importing** Markdown files; - **exporting** your notes as Markdown; - **working directly on a folder of Markdown files** that other tools can open too. Only the last one gives you what Obsidian gives you. An app can do the first three and still keep your notes in its own database. The table near the end of this guide checks all four for every app on the list, with a source for each answer. **3. What happens offline?** "Works offline" can mean everything works, or that notes you opened recently are readable, or that editing works but search does not. If you write on planes or trains, check the specific operations you rely on. **4. What does your actual workflow cost?** Add up the parts you will use: sync, the number of people, storage, and AI. An annual plan shown as a monthly price is still an annual commitment. An AI allowance matters only if you know what happens when it runs out, and a bring-your-own-key setup means a separate bill from the AI provider. ## The ten at a glance | App | Best for | Built around | Free to use | Paid, from (as of Sep 22, 2026) | Notes as plain files you can open elsewhere | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Obsidian** (for reference) | — | Files | Yes, without limits | Sync US$4/mo billed yearly | Yes | | **Capacities** | Structure | Typed objects | Yes (Basic) | Pro US$119.88/yr (US$11.99 monthly) | No | | **Heptabase** | Visual research | Cards on whiteboards | 7-day trial | Pro US$107.88/yr (US$11.99 monthly) | Not documented | | **Logseq** | Outlines | Blocks | Yes, open source | — | File version: yes · DB version: no | | **Notion** | Teams | Pages and databases | Yes (Free) | Plus US$10/member/mo billed yearly | No | | **Bear** | Writing on Apple devices | Notes and tags | Yes, local only | Pro US$29.99/yr (US$2.99 monthly) | Not documented | | **Joplin** | Open source everywhere | Notebooks | Yes, open source | Joplin Cloud from €28.69/yr (optional) | No | | **Anytype** | Privacy with structure | Typed objects | Yes | Plus US$4/mo billed yearly (remote storage) | No | | **Craft** | Shareable documents | Documents and blocks | Yes, 1,500 blocks | Plus US$6.40/mo yearly (US$8 monthly) | Not documented | | **RemNote** | Studying | Outlines and flashcards | Yes | Pro US$96/yr | Not documented | | **Jotaid** | Developing ideas | Concepts across notes | Yes, one project | Pro US$39.99/yr (US$3.99 monthly) or US$119.99 once* | No | \* Introductory one-time price until September 30, 2026; US$149.99 after that. With those four questions in hand, here are the ten. ## 1. Capacities — for giving your notes structure [Capacities](https://capacities.io/) is built around objects rather than files. In its own words: "Capacities turns your ideas into connected objects, not files buried in folders." A person, a book, a project and an idea are each an object with a type, and each type can have its own properties — every book can carry an author, every project its status. That is the strongest reason to look at it. In Obsidian, giving every book note the same fields means a template, frontmatter and discipline. In Capacities the type does it for you, and links between objects of different types are the normal way of working rather than a convention you maintain.  *Capacities: every saved tweet is an object of the type Tweets, with its own tags, and the sidebar lists the other types in the space — Quotes, Ideas, People, Books, Weblinks. Image from Ness Labs (2022), so the interface may have changed since.* **What to know before switching.** Capacities is deliberately not a Markdown app. Its homepage lists "No markdown syntax to memorize" as a feature, and its documentation is explicit about storage: "Capacities stores your notes in its own database format, not as traditional markdown files in folders." It describes itself as offline-first — notes are downloaded to your device and changes sync when you reconnect — but its [offline documentation](https://docs.capacities.io/misc/offline-support) lists what stops working: full-text search, extended search and queries (title search still works), AI features, and some settings. The way out is good, though: exports turn properties into frontmatter and collections into CSV files, with human-readable folder and file names. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [pricing page](https://capacities.io/pricing)): Basic is free and includes unlimited spaces, objects and custom types, sync across devices, full-text search, offline support, and full import and export; media uploads are capped at 5 GB, then 100 MB a month. Pro, which adds the AI assistant, task management, calendar integrations and smart queries, is US$11.99 a month billed monthly or US$119.88 a year. ## 2. Heptabase — for thinking on a whiteboard [Heptabase](https://heptabase.com/) describes itself as "an intelligent, visual knowledge base built for students, researchers, and lifelong learners." Its center is the whiteboard: notes and sources become cards that you place, group and connect, alongside PDF annotation, bidirectional links, daily journals and integrations with Readwise and Zotero. It suits a particular kind of work — a literature review, a hard subject, an argument you are trying to get straight — where seeing the pieces side by side helps you reason about them. Obsidian has Canvas for this too, so the honest question is whether you want a board as one feature or a whole reading-and-research environment built around boards.  *Heptabase: note cards laid out side by side on a whiteboard, with quoted passages highlighted, and the AI panel on the right answering from the notes on that board. Image from heptabase.com.* **What to know before switching.** Heptabase is a subscription: its [pricing FAQ](https://support.heptabase.com/en/articles/12990121-pro-premium-and-premium-plans-pricing-faq) lists three paid tiers and a seven-day trial, and does not list a free plan. It has apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, advertises offline access to all notes and files, and lets you invite others to collaborate at no extra cost. There is a documented [importer for Obsidian](https://support.heptabase.com/en/articles/10447948-how-to-import-my-notes-from-other-softwares-into-heptabase): you upload your zipped vault, attachments are uploaded, wikilinks are converted to links Heptabase can use, and inline tags become Heptabase tags. Leaving is also documented — Settings → Backup & Sync → Export Now exports all notes as Markdown — but that is an export, not a folder you work in. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026): Pro is US$11.99 a month or US$107.88 a year, with 100 AI credits a month. Premium, with more AI credits and a wider choice of models, is US$23.99 a month or US$215.88 a year; Premium+ is US$71.99 a month or US$647.88 a year. Users who subscribed before December 2025 may be on an early-bird Pro price of US$9.99 a month, which is why older comparisons quote a lower figure. ## 3. Logseq — for thinking in outlines [Logseq](https://github.com/logseq/logseq) calls itself "a privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration." You write in nested blocks rather than pages, usually starting from a daily journal, and link each block to the pages it concerns. Everything you wrote about a topic then appears on that topic's page, wherever you happened to write it. If you already think in bullet points, this is the most natural move on the list: it keeps the linking you know from Obsidian but makes the block, not the file, the unit you link.  *Logseq: a page is a tree of bullet blocks, each one its own unit, with page references and tags written inline. Screenshot from Medium; the theme is customized.* **What to know before switching.** Logseq is in the middle of a large change, and the two versions behave differently enough that you should decide which one you are evaluating. - **The original, file-based Logseq** works on Markdown and Org-mode files — the same kind of plain files as your vault. It has been split into its own repository, [logseq/og](https://github.com/logseq/og). - **The new database version** stores a graph in a database instead. Its documentation lists what changed: Markdown is now the only supported format, "Markdown syntax for blocks e.g. a heading or quote is no longer visible or editable," and whiteboards have been removed as a built-in feature. Export options include a SQLite file and "standard Markdown (no block properties)," which the documentation warns "cannot capture all data in a graph." The project's own README is candid about maturity: "The DB version is in beta status while the new mobile app and RTC is in alpha. This means that **data loss is possible**," and it recommends backups and a test graph for a project that is not crucial to you. RTC is its new real-time sync and collaboration. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026): free and open source. ## 4. Notion — for working with other people [Notion](https://www.notion.com/) is where a lot of shared work already lives: documents, databases, project boards and wikis in one workspace that a whole team can edit. If your notes have turned into something other people need to read, comment on and add to, that is the problem it solves best, and a personal vault does not. Its databases are the other draw. A list of projects or reading notes can be given custom properties and shown through different database views, filtered and sorted, without any plugin.  *Notion: a team workspace with a task database shown as a board grouped by status, and teamspaces in the sidebar. Image from notion.com.* **What to know before switching.** Notion is a cloud workspace, and the old claim that it does not work offline is out of date — but offline is limited, and the [details matter](https://www.notion.com/help/use-pages-offline). It works in the desktop and mobile apps, not in a browser. You download pages individually; subpages are not included automatically; a downloaded database brings only the first 50 rows of its first view; paid plans also keep recently visited and favorited pages offline. On Markdown: Notion supports Markdown-style formatting shortcuts as you type, imports `.md` files (standard Markdown — nonstandard extensions may not come through cleanly), and exports non-database pages as Markdown with databases as CSV. The desktop app can also open a local Markdown file, but only as a read-only copy. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [pricing page](https://www.notion.com/pricing), billed yearly): Free is US$0; Plus is US$10 and Business US$20, per member per month. Monthly billing costs more — the page says yearly billing saves "up to 20%." The Free and Plus plans include a trial of Notion AI rather than ongoing AI use. ## 5. Bear — for writing, on Apple devices [Bear](https://bear.app/) is "a beautiful, powerfully simple Markdown note taking app," with native apps for Mac, iPhone and iPad. You write in Markdown, organize with tags instead of folders, and mix text, photos, tables, to-dos and sketches in the same note. It is the answer for people who went looking for a place to write and ended up with a system to run. There is very little to configure, and that is the point.  *Bear: tags in the sidebar instead of folders, a search with every match highlighted, and the note open beside it. Image from Bear's help pages.* **What to know before switching.** Bear is Markdown all the way through its editor and its exports, but it does not describe a mode where it works on a folder of files. Its site puts storage this way: "Your notes are between you and iCloud." Sync between devices is a Pro feature. Moving in is well supported — on Mac, [File → Import From → Markdown Folder](https://bear.app/faq/import-your-notes/) imports every `.md` file in a folder and its subfolders, together with the attachments they reference. It is Apple-only, so it is not an option if any of your devices run Windows, Linux or Android. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [bear.app](https://bear.app/)): free for local notes, including export to Markdown, TXT, TextBundle and RTF. Bear Pro — iCloud sync, search inside photos and PDFs, more export formats (PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG) and more themes — is US$2.99 a month or US$29.99 a year after a seven-day trial. ## 6. Joplin — for open source on every platform [Joplin](https://joplinapp.org/) is "an open source note-taking app," available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a terminal app. It is organized the familiar way — notes inside notebooks and sub-notebooks — and you can write in either a Markdown editor or a rich-text one. There are plugins, custom themes, a web clipper for Chrome and Firefox, and end-to-end encryption for sync. Its strongest argument is choice about where your notes go. You can sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive and other services. If Obsidian Sync's price is what bothers you, or you need an app on Linux and Android as well as a Mac, this is the closest match on the list.  *Joplin: notebooks and sub-notebooks, tags underneath, and a note with a formatting toolbar. Screenshot shared on the Joplin forum in 2021, so the current version may look different.* **What to know before switching.** Joplin syncs to a folder, but that folder is not a vault. Its [FAQ](https://joplinapp.org/help/faq/) is unusually direct: "Joplin synchronises with file systems using an open format however it does not mean the sync files are meant to be user-editable… Joplin sync directory is basically just a database." Moving in is straightforward — the desktop app can [import a whole directory of Markdown files](https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/import_export/), keeping the folder structure as notebooks and sub-notebooks — and Markdown works on the way out as well, with or without YAML front matter for the metadata. Its lossless backup format is its own (JEX). **Price** (as of September 22, 2026): the app is free. Joplin Cloud, the optional hosted sync, is [priced in euros](https://joplinapp.org/plans/): Basic at €2.99 a month or €28.69 a year (2 GB), Pro at €5.99 a month or €57.48 a year (30 GB), with larger and team plans above that and a 14-day trial. Syncing through a service you already pay for costs nothing extra. ## 7. Anytype — for privacy with structure [Anytype](https://anytype.io/) is built on three commitments its [documentation](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype) spells out: local-first ("Everything you create lives on your device first, not on a corporate server"), end-to-end encryption, and no lock-in. Like Capacities, it organizes everything as objects with types and properties, with graph and database views on top. Unlike Capacities, your data is encrypted on your device, it can sync directly between your own devices on a local network, and you can self-host the sync layer. It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. If you want the structure of an object-based app without handing your notes to a company's server, it is the obvious one to try.  *Anytype: the objects in a space drawn as a graph, with widgets for favorites, a task tracker and sets in the sidebar. Screenshot from Medium.* **What to know before switching.** Two things are worth knowing first. One, your account is a key, not a password: the docs warn that "If you lose your Key, your account cannot be recovered—by anyone, including Anytype." Two, local does not mean a folder of Markdown. Anytype keeps your vault in a folder you can choose, but the contents are encrypted blocks and an index, not notes you can open in another editor. The way in and out is well documented and desktop-only: there is a [dedicated Obsidian importer](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype/data/import-and-export/migrate-from-obsidian) that turns each Markdown file into an object, `[[links]]` into linked objects, `#tags` into a Tag property and frontmatter into object properties; and a whole channel can be [exported as Markdown](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype/data/import-and-export). The importer asks you to convert embeds into plain links and remove plugin syntax such as Dataview queries first. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [pricing page](https://anytype.io/pricing/)): the app is free, and paid memberships mainly buy remote storage and shared channels. Free includes 100 MB of remote storage and up to 10 shared channels; Plus (1 GB), Pro (10 GB) and Ultra (100 GB) are listed at US$4, US$8 and US$16 a month with yearly billing selected, which the page says saves 20%. If you self-host, no membership is required. ## 8. Craft — for turning notes into documents [Craft](https://www.craft.do/) calls itself "your space for notes, tasks, and big ideas," combining documents with tasks, a calendar, whiteboards and daily notes. What sets it apart is how finished its documents look and how easily they leave the app: shared as a link, published, or exported to PDF, Word or Markdown. It has apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android and Vision Pro, and a web app. If the end of your note-taking is usually a document someone else reads — a proposal, a brief, a guide — Craft shortens the distance between the rough note and the thing you send.  *Craft: a document with the style panel open — titles, body text, page or card blocks, colors. Screenshot from The Sweet Setup's beginner's guide (2021), so the interface may have changed since.* **What to know before switching.** Craft has a dedicated [Obsidian importer](https://support.craft.do/en/import-and-export/import/obsidian): you drop your vault folder onto the import page, and your notes arrive as Craft documents with images embedded, folders preserved as nested documents, and links between notes kept. On the way out, Markdown (.md) "retains structure and basic formatting," and TextBundle adds embedded images and attachments. Craft does not describe a mode where it works on a folder of files. Offline editing works out of the box on Mac, iPhone and iPad; on the web, Windows and Android you have to [turn Offline Mode on](https://support.craft.do/en/introduction/offline) first, and then only documents you have opened are available. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [pricing page](https://www.craft.do/pricing)): the free plan has a limit of 1,500 blocks across all documents, 1 GB of storage and a 25 MB upload limit. Plus removes the limits for US$8 a month, or US$6.40 a month billed yearly; Family covers two to six accounts for US$15 a month (US$12 yearly), and Team up to ten accounts for US$50 a month. Craft notes that prices vary by country. Plus includes 50 AI credits a month, and every plan lists API and MCP access. ## 9. RemNote — for learning what you write down [RemNote](https://www.remnote.com/) combines notes with flashcards and spaced repetition, so that what you write can become something you are quizzed on at the right intervals. It adds PDF annotation, an exam scheduler, handwritten notes and a set of AI study tools on top. This is the one to pick if you are studying for something — an exam, a language, a professional qualification — and you currently keep notes in one app and flashcards in another.  *RemNote: notes written as an outline, with linked terms in blue and a diagram whose labels are covered for image-occlusion cards; the sidebar keeps the flashcard count. Image from remnote.com.* **What to know before switching.** RemNote is built on outlines, and its own [importer notes](https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/6330674-notes-on-remnote-importers) say plainly what that means for Obsidian users: "Since Obsidian is paragraph-based rather than outline-based, importing into RemNote can sometimes be an awkward fit… In general, each paragraph or list item becomes one bullet." Aside from that, the Obsidian import is described as generally high-fidelity, with content, images, links and formatting carried over. A general Markdown importer accepts single files or a zip, with folders becoming RemNote folders, and notes can be [exported as Markdown](https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/7898019-exporting-notes). If your notes are reference material rather than things you need to remember, most of what makes RemNote special will go unused. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [pricing page](https://www.remnote.com/pricing)): Free includes unlimited notes and flashcards and unlimited synced devices, with limits on PDFs (3), image occlusion, exams and AI (250 credits a month). Pro is US$8 a month billed yearly (US$96 a year) with 1,000 AI credits; Pro with AI is US$18 a month billed yearly (US$216 a year) with 20,000. The page also offers monthly and lifetime options. ## 10. Jotaid — for developing ideas out of your notes *This is our app, so read this section with that in mind — it gets the same four questions as the other nine, including where it falls short.* [Jotaid](https://jotaid.com/) is a Mac and iPhone app built around one idea: the thing worth organizing is not the note but the **concepts** that keep coming up across your notes. Type `[[Perceived value]]` in any note and that concept becomes an object of its own, with its own page, its own definition, and a list of every note that mentions it. You work in three views. **Note** is where you write, in a Markdown editor with live highlighting and a preview. **Node** is where the concepts live: each one with its references, a graph of the concepts it shares notes with, and a co-occurrence matrix that shows every pair of concepts and how often they turn up together — including pairs you never connected to each other. **Theme** is a canvas where related notes are grouped into a direction you are developing, with a theme note that holds what you currently think about it. It is aimed at the last of the four reasons for leaving Obsidian: you have plenty of linked notes, and they are not turning into anything. Obsidian's links record what you already connected. Jotaid tries to show you what the notes connect that you have not — and then gives you a place to write down what you make of it.  *Note view: the note list on the left, and a note open in the editor, which works on the Markdown source — the ### before the heading is part of the text — with an image embedded in it.*  *Node view: each concept sized by how many notes reference it, joined to the concepts it shares notes with. The panel for the selected concept shows a short AI reading (Pro), then its linked notes and the concepts it co-occurs with, each with a percentage.* **What to know before switching.** Jotaid is Apple-only: macOS and iOS, nothing on Windows, Linux, Android or the web. It keeps notes in its own database and syncs them through iCloud; there is no folder of files that another editor can open. There is no collaboration — no shared workspaces and no comments. Moving in from Obsidian is one step: **Import Folder** takes a vault, maps the top folder to a project (on the free tier, to the Inbox) and its subfolders to themes, reads front matter so the original timestamps survive, brings the vault's images along with the notes, and turns the `[[links]]` in your notes into concepts. Non-image embeds such as PDFs are not imported; the text of the embed stays in the note. Going out, notes and whole projects export as Markdown with YAML front matter, with their images alongside; an encrypted backup makes a complete copy of everything, including other attachments ([import and export](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/import-export)). Two parts need care. AI is optional, off until you set it up, and uses an API key you supply from a provider you choose, so what the AI reads goes to that provider. And co-occurrence is counted, not understood: two concepts can share many notes because of a phrase you reuse, not because they are related. The matrix tells you where to look; it does not tell you what you will find. **Price** (as of September 22, 2026, [free vs Pro](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/pricing)): the free tier is one project, the Inbox, with nothing inside it cut down — the editor, backlinks, the graph, the co-occurrence matrix, link predictions, the canvas, iCloud sync, and a semantic index that runs on your device without sending anything anywhere. Pro adds multiple projects, the AI features, moving notes in bulk, and combining more than one filter at a time; on macOS it also adds an optional read-only connection that lets an AI agent on the same Mac read your notes, off until you turn it on. On the US App Store, Pro is US$3.99 a month, US$39.99 a year, or a one-time purchase at US$119.99 — an introductory price that runs until September 30, 2026, after which the one-time price is US$149.99. All three unlock the same Pro; prices in other regions come from the App Store. The API key does not unlock Pro — Pro unlocks the ability to use the key. ## What "Markdown support" means, app by app Four different things hide behind the phrase. This table checks each one against the product's own documentation. "Not documented" means we could not find it stated — not that it is impossible. | App | Write in Markdown syntax | Import Markdown | Export Markdown | Work directly on a folder of Markdown files | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Obsidian** | Yes | — (it *is* a folder) | — (it *is* a folder) | **Yes** — "stores your notes locally as plain text Markdown files" | | **Capacities** | No — "No markdown syntax to memorize" | Yes — single files or folders of Markdown | Yes — properties become front matter | No — "its own database format" | | **Heptabase** | Not documented (block editor) | Yes — dedicated Obsidian importer | Yes — all notes, from settings | Not documented | | **Logseq** (file version) | Yes (Markdown or Org-mode) | — | — | **Yes** | | **Logseq** (DB version, beta) | No — block syntax "no longer visible or editable" | Yes — converts a file graph | Partly — "standard Markdown (no block properties)," which "cannot capture all data" | No — database | | **Notion** | Shortcuts as you type | Yes — standard Markdown | Yes — non-database pages; databases as CSV | No — can open a local file as a read-only copy | | **Bear** | Yes | Yes — a whole folder, with attachments | Yes, on the free plan | Not documented | | **Joplin** | Yes, or rich text | Yes — a whole directory, structure kept | Yes, with or without front matter | No — "basically just a database" | | **Anytype** | Shortcuts at the start of a line | Yes — dedicated Obsidian importer (desktop) | Yes — a whole channel (desktop) | No — encrypted blocks | | **Craft** | Not documented | Yes — dedicated Obsidian importer | Yes — .md or TextBundle with images | Not documented | | **RemNote** | Not documented (outline editor) | Yes — files, zip, or Obsidian | Yes | Not documented | | **Jotaid** | Yes — a Markdown source editor | Yes — a whole folder, with images and front matter | Yes — notes or whole projects, with front matter and images | No — database with iCloud sync | Read the last column first. Only one of the ten alternatives documents what Obsidian gives you — a folder of plain files that stays yours whatever happens to the app — and it is Logseq's older, file-based version. Everywhere else, Markdown is a way in and a way out, not the place your notes live. That is not automatically worse; it is the price of what those apps do instead. But it is the trade you are making, and it is worth making on purpose. ## How to try one without moving everything Pick the one or two apps that match the thing you want to change, and try them on a single project rather than your whole vault. A good test set is small but awkward: an ordinary note, a few notes that link to each other, one with images, and one that depends on something you care about — a query, a template, a plugin. Then check four things, in this order: 1. **Can you find old material again?** Search for something you wrote months ago, in the new app, the way you would actually look for it. 2. **Did the links survive?** Open a note that linked to three others and follow each link. 3. **Does your normal day work offline?** Turn off Wi-Fi, open a note, search, edit, reconnect — and check the edit reached your other device. 4. **Can you get back out?** Export the test project, open the files in a plain text editor, and look at the images, links and metadata. Keep your vault untouched while you do this. Often the best outcome is not a clean switch but a split: Obsidian stays the archive, and the new app takes over one kind of work it is better at. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best free alternative to Obsidian? Obsidian is itself free, including for work, so "free" only narrows the list if you also need something it does not do. Among the ten: **Logseq** and **Joplin** are free and open source. **Anytype**'s app is free, with 100 MB of remote storage before a membership. **Capacities** Basic and **Notion** Free are usable plans, not trials. **Jotaid**'s free tier is one project with every feature inside it, including iCloud sync. **Bear** is free for notes stored locally; syncing between devices needs Pro. **Craft** is free up to 1,500 blocks, and **RemNote** free with limits on PDFs and AI. **Heptabase** has a trial but does not list a free plan. ### What is the best Obsidian alternative for Mac? Most of the list runs on a Mac. Three are especially Mac-centered: **Bear** for writing and **Jotaid** for developing ideas are Apple-only, and **Craft** has native Apple apps alongside Windows and Android. If you also use Windows, Linux or Android, Heptabase, Logseq, Joplin and Anytype all have apps for them. ### Which alternative is best for AI? It depends on how you want to pay for AI and where you want it to run. **Heptabase**, **RemNote**, **Craft** and **Capacities** include AI in their paid plans, measured in credits or a budget, with bigger allowances on higher tiers. **Notion**'s Free and Plus plans include a trial of its AI rather than ongoing use. **Jotaid** runs no AI service of its own: after unlocking Pro you connect a provider with your own API key and pay that provider directly; Heptabase's AI agent also accepts your own key. If what you want is to let an outside agent such as Claude read your notes, several apps now document MCP access — Craft lists it on its pricing page, Capacities and Logseq's database version document it, and Jotaid offers a read-only connection on macOS with Pro. ### Can I use one of these alongside Obsidian? Yes, and it is often the best answer. Most of them can import Markdown — several have importers built specifically for Obsidian vaults — so you can bring in a copy of one project and leave your vault exactly where it is. ### Should I leave Obsidian if I just want something simpler? Try simplifying first. Turning off plugins you no longer think about, and dropping conventions you stopped following, can fix more than you expect. If what bothers you is not the setup but the model itself — files and folders when you want outlines, objects, a board, a team space, or concepts — that is when a different app earns its place. ## Pick the app that makes your next piece of work easier Every app on this list is good at something Obsidian is not, and every one gives up something Obsidian has. The useful question is not which one is best. It is which trade suits the work you actually do. So bring one real piece of work to the trial: a research question, a draft, a decision you have to document, a subject you are learning. Run it through the four questions — the unit, Markdown, offline, cost — and then through the four checks above. Whichever app gets you further on that one piece of work, with an amount of upkeep you are willing to keep paying, is the right one for you. If the reason you are looking is that your notes are not turning into ideas, that is the problem [Jotaid](https://jotaid.com/) was built for — and [this article on concepts rather than notes](https://jotaid.com/blog/posts/stop-managing-notes-start-developing-concepts) explains the thinking behind it. ### Sources Every product fact in this guide comes from the product's own website or documentation, read on September 22, 2026: [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) and [pricing](https://obsidian.md/pricing) · [Capacities pricing](https://capacities.io/pricing), [offline support](https://docs.capacities.io/misc/offline-support), [import](https://docs.capacities.io/reference/import) and [export](https://docs.capacities.io/reference/export) · [Heptabase](https://heptabase.com/), [pricing FAQ](https://support.heptabase.com/en/articles/12990121-pro-premium-and-premium-plans-pricing-faq), [importing](https://support.heptabase.com/en/articles/10447948-how-to-import-my-notes-from-other-softwares-into-heptabase) and [exporting](https://support.heptabase.com/en/articles/10364279-how-sustainable-is-heptabase-can-i-easily-export-my-data-and-move-on) · [Logseq README](https://github.com/logseq/logseq), [DB version changes](https://github.com/logseq/docs/blob/master/db-version-changes.md) and [DB version guide](https://github.com/logseq/docs/blob/master/db-version.md) · [Notion pricing](https://www.notion.com/pricing), [offline](https://www.notion.com/help/use-pages-offline), [import](https://www.notion.com/help/import-data-into-notion), [export](https://www.notion.com/help/export-your-content) and [shortcuts](https://www.notion.com/help/keyboard-shortcuts) · [Bear](https://bear.app/) and [importing](https://bear.app/faq/import-your-notes/) · [Joplin](https://joplinapp.org/), [FAQ](https://joplinapp.org/help/faq/), [import and export](https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/import_export/), [front matter export](https://joplinapp.org/help/dev/spec/interop_with_frontmatter/) and [Joplin Cloud plans](https://joplinapp.org/plans/) · [Anytype docs](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype), [storage](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype/data/storage), [import and export](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype/data/import-and-export), [migrating from Obsidian](https://doc.anytype.io/anytype/data/import-and-export/migrate-from-obsidian) and [pricing](https://anytype.io/pricing/) · [Craft pricing](https://www.craft.do/pricing), [Obsidian import](https://support.craft.do/en/import-and-export/import/obsidian), [export](https://support.craft.do/en/import-and-export/export/document) and [offline](https://support.craft.do/en/introduction/offline) · [RemNote pricing](https://www.remnote.com/pricing), [importers](https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/6330674-notes-on-remnote-importers) and [exporting](https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/7898019-exporting-notes) · [Jotaid free vs Pro](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/pricing), [import and export](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/import-export) and the [US App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/jotaid-think-in-notes/id6755983720).