Obsidian vs Microsoft OneNote
Obsidian: Local-first notes in a folder of Markdown files, with optional paid sync and publishing. Microsoft OneNote: Microsoft's digital notebook, free to use and bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
| Obsidian | Microsoft OneNote | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for personal use | Free to use, Microsoft 365 plans from $9.99 per month |
| Free option | Free without limits for personal use, no sign-up required | Microsoft advertises OneNote as free ("Take notes anywhere for free") |
| License | Proprietary, free for personal use | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Notes stored as | Plain Markdown files on your device | Microsoft cloud notebooks, synced across your devices |
Choose Obsidian if
- you want your notes to stay as plain Markdown files you control
- you like extending your editor with community plugins
- you work alone or share notes by file rather than by live workspace
Strengths
- Your notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder, so any other editor can open them
- Large plugin and theme ecosystem
- Backlinks and graph view for linked notes
- End-to-end encrypted sync (AES-256) if you pay for it
Limits
- The app itself is not open source
- Sync and Publish are paid add-ons
- No real-time multi-user editing like a shared workspace tool
Pricing details
- Sync: $4 per user per month billed annually, or $5 billed monthly
- Publish: $8 per site per month billed annually, or $10 billed monthly
- Commercial license: $50 per user per year, optional (the vendor says commercial use does not require it)
- Catalyst: $25 one-time optional license
Choose Microsoft OneNote if
- you already use Microsoft 365 and want notes next to Word and Outlook
- you take handwritten or annotated notes with a pen
- you want a free notebook that works on every device
Strengths
- Sketch, annotate and highlight freely, which suits handwriting and pen input
- Share and collaborate on notebooks
- Voice transcription, and Copilot to draft plans and organize notes on paid plans
- Part of the Microsoft 365 set alongside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Limits
- Proprietary and tied to a Microsoft account
- Microsoft does not describe Markdown or plain file storage for OneNote, so moving notes to other tools usually means exporting
- Copilot features need a paid Microsoft 365 plan
Pricing details
- Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99 per month, 1 person, 1 TB cloud storage, OneNote desktop app with Copilot
- Microsoft 365 Family: $12.99 per month, 1 to 6 people, 2 TB shared storage
- Microsoft 365 Premium: $19.99 per month, adds more extensive Copilot and agentic AI usage
- All three plans include a 1 month free trial. Prices checked on the Microsoft OneNote page and may vary by region
Obsidian
Local-first notes in a folder of Markdown files, with optional paid sync and publishing.
Proprietary
- Price: Free for personal use
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Storage: Plain Markdown files on your device
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft's digital notebook, free to use and bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Proprietary
- Price: Free to use, Microsoft 365 plans from $9.99 per month
- Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac
- Storage: Microsoft cloud notebooks, synced across your devices
Details come from each vendor's own website and were checked on 2026-10-18. Confirm current prices on the vendor page.