Obsidian (software)

{{Infobox software

| name = Obsidian

| logo = 2023 Obsidian logo.svg

| screenshot = Obsidian desktop demo workflow.jpg

| caption = Obsidian open with a chemistry note, graph view, and calendar

| author = {{hlist | Shida Li | Erica Xu }}

| developer = Dynalist Inc.{{cite web | url=https://obsidian.md/terms | title=Terms of Service - Obsidian |website=obsidian.md |access-date=2023-12-12}}

| released = {{Start date and age|2020|03|30}}

| latest release version = 1.8.10

| latest release date = April 22 05, 2025

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| programming language = Electron, JavaScript, HTML, CSS

| platform = Windows, macOS, Android, Linux, iOS

| language =

| genre = {{hlist | Personal knowledge base | personal information manager}}

| license = Freemium{{cite web | title=Pricing | website=Obsidian | url=https://obsidian.md/pricing | ref={{sfnref | Obsidian}} | access-date=2025-02-26}}

| website = {{URL|obsidian.md}}

}}

Obsidian is a personal knowledge base and note-taking application that operates on markdown files.{{cite news |last1=Eastman |first1=David |title=Obsidian and the Case for Using More Markdown |url=https://thenewstack.io/obsidian-and-the-case-for-using-more-markdown/ |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=The New Stack |date=24 April 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Myrick |first1=Andrew |title=Obsidian is the best note-taking app that you've never heard of |url=https://www.androidcentral.com/obsidian-best-note-taking-app-youve-never-heard |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=Android Central |date=15 September 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Parth |date=2024-07-29 |title=5 reasons why you should learn Markdown for taking notes in Obsidian |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-learn-markdown-for-taking-notes-in-obsidian/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=XDA |language=en}}

Usage

Obsidian allows users to make internal links for notes and then to visualize the connections as a graph.{{cite journal |last1=Pyne |first1=Yvette |last2=Stewart |first2=Stuart |date=March 2022 |title=Meta-work: how we research is as important as what we research |journal=British Journal of General Practice |volume=72 |issue=716 |pages=130–131 |pmid=35210247 |pmc=8884432 |doi=10.3399/bjgp22X718757 |quote=Today, we are familiar with interlinked pockets of information in the form of hyperlinks on webpages such as Wikipedia. However, in the context of personal knowledge systems, the last year has seen an explosion of 'Personal Knowledge Graph' (PKG) tools such as 'Roam Research', 'Obsidian', and 'Notion', which digitise and personalise this powerful concept.}}{{cite journal |last=Hastings |first=Robin |date=September 2022 |title=Linked data tools to help users create webs of personal knowledge |journal=Computers in Libraries |volume=42 |issue=7 |pages=19–22 |url=https://essentials.ebsco.com/search/eds/details/linked-data-tools-to-help-users-create-webs-of-personal-knowledge?db=edb&an=158797112 |url-access=subscription |quote=The two main recent entries in the linked data PKM field are Roam and Obsidian}}

Obsidian is designed to help users organize and structure their thoughts and knowledge in a flexible, non-linear way.{{Cite magazine |last=Pot |first=Justin |title=How to Use Obsidian for Writing and Productivity |url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-obsidian-writing-productivity-markdown/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}

History

Obsidian was founded by Shida Li and Erica Xu while quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |last1=Le Cunff |first1=Anne-Laure |title=Exploring the power of note-making with the co-founder of Obsidian |url=https://nesslabs.com/obsidian-featured-tool |access-date=21 December 2022 |work=Ness Labs |date=6 August 2021}}

Li and Xu, who had met while studying at the University of Waterloo, had already collaborated on several development projects.{{cite news |last1=Ionescu |first1=Stefan |title=Obsidian |url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/obsidian |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=TechRadar |date=4 August 2022}}

Obsidian was initially released on 30 March 2020.{{cite web |title=Obsidian Release v0.0.1 |date=30 March 2020 |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=31 May 2024 |url=https://obsidian.md/changelog/2020-03-30-desktop-v0.0.1/ }}

Version 1.0.0 was released in October 2022.{{cite news |last1=Rudra |first1=Sourav |title=Notion-like Markdown Note-Taking App 'Obsidian' is Out of Beta |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/obsidian-1-release/ |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=It's FOSS News}}{{cite web |title=Obsidian Release v1.0.0 |date=13 October 2022 |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=31 May 2024 |url=https://obsidian.md/changelog/2022-10-13-desktop-v1.0.0/ }}

Version 1.1, which added the Canvas core plugin, released in December 2022.{{cite web |title=Obsidian Release v1.1 |date=20 December 2022 |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=31 May 2024 | url=https://obsidian.md/changelog/2022-12-05-desktop-v1.1.0/ }}

In February 2023, Steph Ango joined Obsidian as CEO.{{cite web |title=I'm joining Obsidian full-time as CEO |date=6 February 2023 |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=31 May 2024 | url=https://obsidian.md/blog/kepano-ceo/ }}

Availability

Obsidian is built on the cross-platform Electron framework, allowing for the application to run on desktop operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS.

A special version is also available for mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS.{{cite news |last1=Pot |first1=Justin |title=Obsidian Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/obsidian |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=PCMag}}

A forum and Discord server are hosted by the developers.{{Cite web |date=October 13, 2023 |title=The cult of Obsidian: Why people are obsessed with the note-taking app |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90960653/why-people-are-obsessed-with-obsidian-the-indie-darling-of-notetaking-apps |website=fastcompany.com |last1=Newman |first1=Jared }}

Features

Obsidian operates on a folder of text documents named a "vault";{{Cite web |last=Krasnoff |first=Barbara |date=2023-11-16 |title=The best note-taking apps for collecting your thoughts and data |url=https://www.theverge.com/23942597/notes-text-evernote-onenote-keep-apps |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=The Verge |language=en}} each new note in Obsidian generates a new text document, and all documents can be searched from within the app.

Obsidian allows internal linking between notes, with links forming an interactive graph that visualizes the relationships between notes.

Text formatting in Obsidian is achieved through markdown, with the ability to switch between raw text and a pre-rendered mode.

= Plugins =

Users may customize their Obsidian vaults by adding plugins and themes, which enable users to extend the software's functionality with additional features or integration with other tools.

Obsidian differentiates between core plugins, which are released and maintained by the Obsidian team, and community plugins, which are open-sourced through GitHub and are contributed by users.{{cite web |title=Plugins |url=https://help.obsidian.md/Plugins/Core+plugins |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=12 January 2023}}

Examples of community plugins include a Kanban-style task board and a calendar widget. There are over 200 community made themes to use with the app.

= Premium services =

While Obsidian is free and does not charge users to access any core features,{{cite web |title=Obsidian is now free for work |date=20 February 2025 |publisher=Obsidian |access-date=26 February 2025 | url=https://obsidian.md/blog/free-for-work/ }} the developers have launched paid services into the application for additional needs. All services are shipped as plugins and can be disabled per-vault.

In February 2025, Obsidian updated their commercial licensing policy to be optional. Their reasoning being simplicity: "The Commercial license terms were confusing and added unnecessary complexity to our pricing". Companies who optionally choose to purchase 25 or more commercial licenses are featured on the [https://obsidian.md/enterprise Obsidian Enterprise] page.

== Publish ==

Obsidian Publish is a web hosting service that allows subscribers to publish their Obsidian vaults onto the internet. Vaults that are published with the service are typically formatted similarly to the application, with a graph view provided for links between pages. The service provides support for using custom domains, themes and analytics solutions. Much like Sync, it is a plug and play alternative to static site generators that require being configured to be both automatically generated with each new version and uploaded to the web.{{Cite web |title=Obsidian Publish |url=https://obsidian.md/publish |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=obsidian.md |language=en}}

== Sync ==

Obsidian Sync is a file synchronization service designed to synchronize vaults across multiple clients running Obsidian. Files and vault settings are end-to-end encrypted while being synced between devices, and allow for file versioning to be enabled. Additionally, vaults can be shared to other users who can access and/or edit any files on the vault, allowing for collaborative editing.{{Cite web |title=Obsidian Sync |url=https://obsidian.md/sync |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=obsidian.md |language=en}} The service is positioned as an alternative to do-it-yourself solutions both inside and outside of the application, which typically require some amount of manual configuration.{{Cite web |last=Bohlooli |first=Amir M. |date=2023-02-28 |title=How to Sync Your Obsidian Vault Across Multiple Devices for Free |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/sync-obsidian-vault-across-devices/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=MUO |language=en}}