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It's a split decision.
Choose HackMD if your team needs live Markdown editing, comments, mentions, version history, and GitHub sync in one shared workspace. Its Free plan caps teams at three teammates, while Prime costs $5 per seat monthly with annual billing. Choose Obsidian for private, local Markdown notes, linked ideas, and customization without a subscription. Its core app is free; Sync costs $4 per user monthly with annual billing. The better fit depends on whether collaboration or a personal knowledge base matters more.
01Side by side
| HackMD | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Prime: $5/seat/month, billed annually | Free; Sync from $4/user/month annually |
| Free plan | Up to 3 teammates; limited collaboration allowances | Free personal note-taking without limits |
| Best for | Teams collaborating on shared Markdown notes | Personal knowledge management and research |
| Core strength | Live editing, comments, mentions, and version history | Local notes, links, graph view, and Canvas |
| Learning curve | Review ease-of-use score: 7/10 | Review ease-of-use score: 7/10 |
| Integrations/data | GitHub sync; notes accessible to agents via API or CLI | Local Markdown files; plugins and open API |
| Team/seat costs | Free up to 3 teammates; Prime is $5/seat annually | Free personal app; Commercial is $50/user/year |
| Support | Review support score: 5/10 | Review support score: 6/10 |
HackMD Choose HackMD if
- Choose HackMD if your team edits Markdown together in real time.
- Choose HackMD if you need comments, mentions, and version history.
- Choose HackMD if GitHub sync or agent access matters.
Obsidian Choose Obsidian if
- Choose Obsidian if you want a free personal notes app.
- Choose Obsidian if local plain-text Markdown files matter.
- Choose Obsidian if you want linked notes, plugins, and Canvas.
02Pricing compared
HackMD’s Free plan includes up to three teammates, three invitees, three custom templates, 20 GitHub pushes a month, and images up to 1MB each. Prime is listed at $5 per seat a month with annual billing; its monthly-billing price is not published. Prime removes the invite and version limits, raises the image cap to 20MB, and includes 20,000 API calls a month.
Obsidian’s core app is free, with no sign-up required and no stated usage limits. Its optional Sync plan costs $4 per user a month billed annually or $5 monthly. Publish costs $8 per site monthly with annual billing or $10 monthly. So the starting price favors neither paid plan by itself: compare HackMD’s team seats with Obsidian’s separate Sync or Publish needs.
03Features and depth
HackMD is built around shared Markdown work: multiple cursors for live editing, comments and mentions, version history, and GitHub sync. Public notes can be read and forked, and agents can access notes as Markdown through URLs, a REST API, or CLI. Prime includes unlimited versions and GitHub pushes, plus 20,000 API calls a month; Free allows 20 GitHub pushes monthly.
Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base. It stores notes as plain-text Markdown files on your device, supports links between notes, and offers Graph view to visualize relationships. Canvas provides an open space for arranging ideas, while plugins, themes, and an open API allow workspace customization. The app is free; optional Sync adds end-to-end encryption, version history, and shared-vault collaboration. The distinction is practical: HackMD makes teamwork the center of the product, while Obsidian gives more weight to personal organization and connected notes.
04Ease of use and learning curve
HackMD’s shared editor is the more direct fit when several people need to write and review the same Markdown note. Comments, mentions, and version history keep discussion and revisions with the document. Its Free plan’s three-teammate cap is worth checking before inviting a larger group.
Obsidian starts with local Markdown files and does not require an account for its free plan. That is a straightforward starting point for personal notes, but its links, graph, Canvas, themes, and plugins offer more ways to shape a workspace. Those options suit people who want to organize a knowledge base, though teams should account for the separate Sync subscription if they want shared vaults or cross-device syncing.
Questions people ask
Which is better for team collaboration, HackMD or Obsidian?
HackMD is the more direct choice for shared writing: it offers live editing, comments, mentions, version history, and GitHub integration. Obsidian Sync includes collaboration on shared vaults, but it is a paid add-on. The choice depends on whether a shared editor or a personal notes system is the priority.
Can Obsidian be used for free?
Yes. Obsidian’s core app is free for personal note-taking, requires no sign-up, and is listed as free without limits. Sync and Publish are optional paid plans. Sync starts at $4 per user monthly with annual billing; Publish starts at $8 per site monthly with annual billing.
How much does HackMD cost for a team?
HackMD’s Free plan allows up to three teammates. Prime is listed at $5 per seat per month when billed annually; the monthly-billing price is not published. Prime includes unlimited invites and versions, and 20,000 API calls monthly. Additional-member pricing is also not published.
Does Obsidian work offline, and does it sync automatically?
Obsidian stores notes as plain-text Markdown files on your device, and the product description says those files remain accessible offline. Sync is optional and costs $4 per user monthly with annual billing or $5 monthly. The published pricing details do not specify automatic sync behavior.