NotePlan vs Obsidian (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Obsidian
From $4/mo against from $8.33/mo
Free plan
Obsidian
Only Obsidian has one
Higher rating
Obsidian
3.8 against 4.6
Same job?
Yes
Both are Productivity tools

Side by side

Compared on	NotePlan	Obsidian
Our rating	3.8	4.6Better
Starts at	$8.33/mo	$4/moBetter
Free plan	No	YesBetter
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Plans	From $8.33/mo	PersonalFree Sync$4/mo
Key features	Memo AI for turning voice notes into structured insights Daily notes with an integrated calendar and reminders Project notes with backlinks and time-blocking Personal Kanban boards Offline-first Markdown storage with optional iCloud sync	Notes stored as local, plain Markdown text files Extensive community plugin ecosystem Full functionality without requiring a cloud account Free tier for complete personal use Operating since 2020
Pros	Notes stay as portable plain Markdown files Native apps on Mac, iPhone and iPad 7-day trial before any payment	Genuine file-format portability and long-term data ownership Massive, actively developed community plugin ecosystem Fully functional offline without a cloud account requirement
Cons	Only one AI feature, with little detail published No permanent free tier Built around the Apple ecosystem	Plugin-heavy customization has a real setup learning curve Sync and publishing features require a paid plan Less out-of-the-box polish than more opinionated, less customizable competitors
Company	NotePlan LLC	Dynalist Inc., founded 2020

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20261006. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is NotePlan better than Obsidian?

In our reviews NotePlan scores 3.8 and Obsidian scores 4.6. The better pick depends on the job. NotePlan: Notes, tasks and calendar app for Mac, iPhone and iPad built around daily notes and Markdown files, with Memo AI turning voice notes into structured insights. Obsidian: Notes stored as plain local Markdown files, not a proprietary database.

Which is cheaper, NotePlan or Obsidian?

Obsidian has the lower starting price: from $8.33/mo for NotePlan and from $4/mo for Obsidian.

Do NotePlan and Obsidian have free plans?

Only Obsidian has a free plan.

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Obsidian compared with

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