We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Paid plans start at $4/mo. There's also a free plan.
Obsidian’s core app is free, with no sign-up required and no stated usage limits. The costs begin when you want Obsidian’s own sync or web publishing: Sync is $5 per user/month, or $4 per user/month billed annually; Publish is $10 per site/month, or $8 billed annually. Catalyst is a $25 one-time payment, while Commercial is $50 per user/year. The real price depends on whether you need sync, a public site, or organizational support—not on the size of your personal vault.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | Quote | Personal note-taking |
| Sync | $4 | $5 | Syncing notes across devices |
| Publish | $8 | $10 | Publishing notes to the web |
| Catalyst | — | Quote | Supporting development and beta access |
| Commercial | $4.17 | — | Organizations choosing to support Obsidian |
Add-ons and overages
- Sync: $4 per user/month billed annually or $5 billed monthly
- Publish: $8 per site/month billed annually or $10 billed monthly
What a team pays per month
| Plan | 1 seat | 5 seats | 10 seats | 25 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sync | $4 | $20 | $40 | $100 |
| Commercial | $4.17 | $20.85 | $41.70 | $104.25 |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Annual billing changes the rate
Sync is $5 per user/month monthly or $4 billed annually. That is $48 per user/year, versus $60 at the monthly rate.
Publish is priced per site
Publish costs $10 per site/month, or $8 billed annually. Multiple sites mean a separate per-site charge.
Commercial is billed yearly
Commercial is listed at $4.17 per user/month but billed at $50 per user/year. Bulk purchase inquiries are accepted.
Catalyst is a one-time payment
Catalyst costs $25 once for beta access and development support; it is not a recurring monthly subscription.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Personal note-takers | Free | The app is free without limits or sign-up, and notes are stored locally as Markdown files. |
| People syncing devices | Sync | It adds end-to-end encryption, version history, shared-vault collaboration, and priority support. |
| People publishing notes | Publish | It provides a customizable site with graph and full-text search, with no technical knowledge required. |
04Is Obsidian worth the money?
Obsidian’s free plan is a strong value if local Markdown files and personal note-taking are enough. The trade-off is that Obsidian’s own sync and publishing are separate subscriptions, so the free app does not include those conveniences. Sync’s annual rate is $4 per user/month; Publish is $8 per site/month billed annually. We’d pay only for the add-on that solves a real need, and check the billing unit before adding more users or sites.
Obsidian pricing FAQ
How much does Obsidian cost in real life?
The core app costs $0. Sync is $5 per user/month, or $4 per user/month billed annually. Publish is $10 per site/month, or $8 billed annually. Catalyst costs $25 once; Commercial costs $50 per user/year. Your total depends on which add-ons or support plan you choose.
What is the Obsidian app?
Obsidian is a note-taking and connected-thinking app. It stores notes on your device as plain-text Markdown files, and lets you link notes, view their relationships in a graph, arrange ideas on Canvas, and customize your workspace with plugins and themes.
Why are people leaving Obsidian?
The pricing information here does not identify why people leave, so we can’t name a general reason. One clear cost distinction is that the app is free, but Obsidian’s Sync and Publish services are paid add-ons. Whether that matters depends on how you use your notes.
Can I sync Obsidian for free?
The core app is free, but Obsidian’s listed Sync plan is paid: $5 per user/month or $4 per user/month billed annually. The pricing information here does not specify whether other free sync methods are available, so check the current docs for options beyond Obsidian Sync.