What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a local-first note-taking and knowledge management tool built around plain text files. It focuses on linking ideas together and working with information as a connected network of notes kept in your own files.
Obsidian suits people who want a local note-taking workflow with backlinks and daily notes. Start with a few notes and add links when a relationship matters; a growing vault still needs deliberate organisation. Before treating links as the answer to every organising need, see what folders, tags and backlinks are each for.
Is Obsidian open source?
No. The Obsidian app itself is not open-source software, even though it stores your notes as local Markdown files and supports community plugins. If source-code access matters to you, separate that requirement from file ownership: Obsidian’s public releases repository explicitly says it does not contain the app’s source code.
What Obsidian is best suited for
Obsidian suits people who want full control over their notes and prefer working with simple, durable file formats:
- building a long-term personal knowledge base
- working with interconnected notes using links
- keeping all notes stored locally on your own device
- writing and thinking primarily in plain text
- developing ideas through writing and links without a predefined structure
When Obsidian may not be the best choice
Obsidian may feel limiting or inconvenient in certain situations:
- if you want a polished, ready-to-use workspace with minimal setup
- if you need databases shared through a managed team workspace
- if you rely heavily on real-time collaboration
- if you want everything synced automatically without configuration
- if you don’t like working with plain text files
If file ownership or collaboration is the sticking point, compare local-first and cloud note-taking to clarify what you need for sharing and access. For the Obsidian options, our collaboration guide compares shared vaults, live editing and browser guests.
How Obsidian fits into different workflows
For example, a researcher can keep one note for a source, one for the claim it supports, and one for an emerging question, then connect them as the project develops. The practical benefit is not the graph by itself; it is being able to return to a line of thinking without rebuilding its context. If maintaining folders, links, and syncing choices feels like more work than the research, a more structured workspace may fit better.
Using Obsidian as a thinking tool
Use a note to work through one question. Link to the evidence you need and record why it supports or challenges your argument. When your conclusion changes, update the explanation as well as the links.
If you’re choosing a tool primarily for thinking workflows, the Thinking Tools Picker can help compare alternatives.
Using Obsidian as a note-taking tool
Obsidian keeps notes as local Markdown files. You can connect them through links or arrange notes, images and other material visually with Canvas. Try the capture method you would use during a busy day rather than assuming that a linked-note system must be slow.
Weighing local linked notes against a shared workspace? The Notion vs Obsidian comparison explains where their organisation, offline access and sharing differ, including the database views available through Obsidian Bases.
If note-taking is your main focus, you can also try the Note-taking Apps Picker.
Where Obsidian has limits
If you expect a tool to feel complete without configuration, Obsidian can be frustrating at first. It rewards gradual use; you do not need a perfect setup at the start.
Before publishing or sharing a draft, review its wording as well as its links. Grammarly can help check English grammar and clarity, but you still need to verify the argument and facts.
Publishing your notes
Obsidian includes Obsidian Publish, a separate cloud-hosting service for selected notes. It can publish a wiki, knowledge base, documentation site, or digital garden, and requires an Obsidian account and active Publish subscription.
Super is a separate Notion-based publishing route. It is not a direct way to publish an Obsidian vault; consider it only if you deliberately move the public source content to Notion.
Getting started with Obsidian
Getting started with Obsidian is mostly about building a regular habit of writing and linking notes. A simple setup is usually more effective than trying to build a complex system from the beginning.
- start with plain notes and basic links
- focus on writing before organizing
- let structure emerge through use
- refine connections as your note collection grows
Obsidian is worth trying if you want to keep a personal knowledge base in local files and develop ideas through links.
Create a few notes and link two related ideas. The next day, try finding what you need without relying on an exact title. Include an attachment in the test and check that you can recover the material from your backup.
Ready to try Obsidian? Visit the official Obsidian website to explore it further.
Moving from Roam Research? See Roam Research alternatives: choose by workflow for migration and ownership trade-offs.