A local-first Markdown knowledge base that thinks the way you do.
Obsidian is a Markdown-based note-taking app built around linked, plain-text files stored locally on your device. Unlike cloud-only alternatives such as Notion or Evernote, every note in Obsidian is a regular `.md` file inside a folder you control — easy to back up, version with Git, and edit in any other Markdown tool. Its core idea is that knowledge becomes more useful when ideas are connected. The built-in graph view makes backlinks and tag relationships visible, and the community plugin ecosystem (1,500+ plugins at last count) lets you extend it into a Zettelkasten, a research notebook, a project planner, or a personal CRM without leaving the Markdown format. Obsidian is free for personal use. The paid Obsidian Publish and Obsidian Sync services are optional and additive — the core app stays fully functional offline forever.
Notes are plain `.md` files in a folder you own — no lock-in, fully portable.
[[wiki-style]] links create automatic backlinks, surfacing connections you didn't know you had.
A visual map of every note and every link between them, zoomable and filterable.
1,500+ plugins add features from Kanban boards to Dataview queries to AI chat.
Works without internet. Sync and Publish are optional paid services, not prerequisites.
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I migrated from Notion to Obsidian last year and never looked back. The local-first guarantee is what sealed it for me — I trust my files more than any SaaS.