Obsidian and Notion are two of the most popular knowledge tools, but their pricing philosophies couldn’t be more different. Obsidian is free, local-first software with optional paid add-ons; Notion is a cloud workspace billed per seat. That difference changes the math dramatically depending on whether you’re a solo user or a team.
This guide compares every plan, the hidden costs, and which tool is genuinely cheaper over the long run.
Pricing Overview
Obsidian Pricing (2026)
| Plan / Add-On | Price | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Core app | $0 | Full app, unlimited notes, local files |
| Sync | $4/month | Encrypted sync across devices |
| Publish | $8/month | Publish notes as a website |
| Commercial license | $50/user/year | Required for business use |
Notion Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Billed As | Right For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | Individuals, light use |
| Plus | $10/user/mo | Annually ($12 monthly) | Power users, small teams |
| Business | $18/user/mo | Annually ($21 monthly) | Growing companies |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Large org security |
The Key Difference: Local-First Add-Ons vs Per-Seat Cloud
Obsidian’s core app is free forever for personal use, with no note caps or device limits on local files. You only pay for optional cloud services — Sync ($4) and Publish ($8) — and even those have free workarounds (sync your vault folder via iCloud or Dropbox at no cost). There are no per-seat team charges; pricing is per individual.
Notion charges per seat the moment you go paid. Every team member with edit access is a billable $10+ seat. In exchange you get real-time collaboration, shared databases, and a cloud workspace anyone can access from anywhere.
So Obsidian wins decisively on individual cost, while Notion is built around (and priced for) team collaboration.
Cost Scenario: Solo vs a 10-Person Team
Solo user:
- Obsidian: $0 (free core) — or $4/month if you want official cross-device Sync
- Notion Plus: $10/month
For an individual, Obsidian is free or near-free; Notion costs $120/year for the equivalent paid experience.
Team of 10 (business use):
- Obsidian: 10 × $50/year commercial license = $500/year (~$4.17/user/month), plus Sync if needed
- Notion Plus: 10 × $10/month = $1,200/year
Even with commercial licenses, Obsidian is cheaper on paper — but it lacks Notion’s shared, real-time collaborative workspace. For teams that genuinely collaborate on the same docs, Notion’s higher cost buys functionality Obsidian doesn’t offer locally.
Free Plan Comparison
- Obsidian Free: The complete app — unlimited notes, plugins, themes — stored as local Markdown files. No collaboration, no cloud unless you add Sync.
- Notion Free: Unlimited blocks for individuals, generous for solo use, but team workspaces are capped (10 guests, smaller block allowance).
For a private, local, single-user knowledge base, Obsidian Free is unbeatable. For shared, cloud-based team docs, Notion’s free tier is the better starting point.
Verdict
Choose Obsidian if you want a private, local-first, low-cost knowledge base and don’t need real-time collaboration. For individuals it’s free; even commercial use is just $50/user/year.
Choose Notion if collaboration is the point — shared databases, real-time editing, a workspace your whole team accesses in the cloud. You pay per seat, but that’s what you’re paying for. Students get Notion Plus free with a .edu email.
See the full Obsidian pricing breakdown and Notion pricing breakdown. Comparing other workspaces? See Coda vs Notion pricing and Notion vs ClickUp pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Obsidian or Notion cheaper?
Obsidian is far cheaper for individuals — its core app is free, vs Notion’s $10/month for the equivalent paid experience. Even for business use, Obsidian’s $50/user/year commercial license undercuts Notion’s $120/user/year Plus plan.
Is Obsidian really free?
Yes, for personal use. The core app is free forever with no note limits. You only pay for optional Sync ($4/mo) or Publish ($8/mo), and business use requires a $50/user/year commercial license.
Why is Notion more expensive?
Notion is a cloud, per-seat collaborative workspace — you pay for real-time team editing and shared databases that Obsidian’s local-first model doesn’t provide.
Can I sync Obsidian for free?
Yes. Because Obsidian stores notes as local Markdown files, you can sync your vault folder using iCloud, Dropbox, or similar services at no cost, instead of paying for Obsidian Sync.