What Obsidian is
Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management application built on local Markdown files; its maker describes it as “the free and flexible app for your private thoughts.” Notes are stored as plain-text Markdown on your own device, and the official site stresses that “no one else can read them, not even us.” There is no vendor lock-in, and files remain directly accessible offline.
Usage and pricing boundaries
The core Obsidian app is free and runs on desktop and mobile. Notes can be linked to each other and visualized in a graph; Canvas offers a whiteboard-style space, and community plugins and themes are the main extension mechanism.
Beyond the core app, the company sells two subscriptions: Sync adds end-to-end encrypted multi-device syncing and version history, and Publish turns notes into a hosted site with a custom domain. Commercial use itself is free — the license page states the app is “free for all purposes, including personal, commercial, and non-profit use,” with optional commercial licenses for organizations that want to support development. Details are on the official license page.
Discussion in the show
In Weekly #001’s chapter “Omarchy：一个 Agent 优先的 Linux 是什么体验” (Omarchy: what an agent-first Linux feels like), Qiaomu used Obsidian as an example of the system’s habit of opening new windows everywhere: as he says in the Chinese transcript, even Obsidian pops up a new window when you open its settings, and he relayed the design rationale that “people shouldn’t spend much time resizing windows.” The discussion targets Omarchy’s window management; see the Omarchy entry.
In Weekly #002’s chapter “我们如何用 Agent 制作和发布播客” (How we use agents to produce and publish a podcast), Qiaomu said in the Chinese transcript that he handed the App Store submission process to Computer Use after the release, submitting two iOS apps and two Obsidian-related apps. Obsidian there refers to apps built on Obsidian, not an update to the Obsidian software itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is Obsidian?
A note-taking and knowledge management app based on local Markdown files, with linked notes, graphs, Canvas, and community plugins. The core app is free; see obsidian.md.
Is Obsidian free, and does commercial use require payment?
The core app is free without limits; the license page states commercial use is also free, and organizations may optionally buy an annual commercial license to support development. Terms are on the official license page.
Where are Obsidian notes stored?
As plain-text Markdown files on your own device, without requiring the company’s servers; cross-device syncing needs the Sync subscription or another sync solution of your choice.
What are Obsidian Sync and Publish?
They are the official paid services: Sync provides end-to-end encrypted multi-device syncing and version history, while Publish turns notes into a publicly accessible knowledge-base site. Whether you need them depends on your workflow; see the official site.