Obsidian vs Standard Notes
A side-by-side look at Obsidian (the paid SaaS) and Standard Notes (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Obsidian | Standard Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Local-first markdown knowledge base (closed source, free for personal use). | Encrypted, simple note-taking with long-term data portability. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free for personal use; Sync $5/month. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Best for
Simple, encrypted note-taking when you don't need the plugin sprawl.
Standard Notes strengths
- End-to-end encryption by default.
- Focused, minimalist note app.
- Extended features through paid Productivity plan.
Standard Notes weaknesses
- Rich editors and features are behind paid plan.
- Self-hosting the sync server is non-trivial.
- Not a Notion-style workspace — much simpler scope.
What's the catch with Obsidian?
- Not open source despite being free.
- Mobile app is limited compared to desktop.
- Sync requires paid add-on or custom setup.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Obsidian: see Obsidian alternatives, or learn more about Standard Notes on its project page.
Recommended reading
The real monthly cost of a Notion workspace at scale
Add-ons, seats, AI credits, storage. What a mid-sized team actually pays for Notion once you count everything — and what switching saves.
When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them
An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.
Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?
Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.