Notion vs Obsidian — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Notion starts at $12/mo. Obsidian starts at $5/mo. Obsidian is $7/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Notion.
Block-based digital workspace combining docs, databases, wikis, and project management in one flexible interface. Positioned as the alternative to running Confluence + Jira + Google Docs + Airtable as separate tools. Distinctive for its "everything is a block" architecture that lets teams build custom workflows without engineering. Popular with startups consolidating tools; enterprise adoption held back by weaker permissions than Confluence/SharePoint. Notion Workers (automation runtime) goes on a per-credit meter August 11, 2026 — a Notion bill is no longer bounded by headcount.
Local-first knowledge management tool positioned as the alternative to Notion and Roam for people who don't want their notes trapped in a SaaS database. Distinctive for storing everything as plaintext markdown files on your own disk (no vendor lock-in) plus a massive community plugin ecosystem. Personal use is free forever; Sync ($4/mo) and Publish ($8/mo) are optional add-ons. Popular with researchers, writers, and privacy-conscious knowledge workers.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Notion monthly | Notion annual | Obsidian monthly | Obsidian annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / App | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Plus / Sync | $12 | $10 | $5 | $4 |
| Pro / power | — / Publish | — | — | $10 | $8 |
| Teams | Business / — | $24 | $20 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Notion is worth it if… Notion replaces the need for separate docs, wiki, and lightweight project management tools — one workspace covers what solo entrepreneurs and small teams normally spread across three. The Free tier handles most solo work; Plus is the natural upgrade for teams.
Obsidian is worth it if… solo knowledge workers (researchers, writers, developers, PMs) who want offline-first, local-file, plain-Markdown note-taking with a huge plugin ecosystem — particularly if you value data ownership over collaboration. Free forever for personal use; Sync (paid) adds cross-device encrypted sync; Publish adds one-click static site publishing.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Notion is per seat, Obsidian is freemium.
Choose Notion over Obsidian if…
Choose Notion if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Notion is built for: Notion replaces the need for separate docs, wiki, and lightweight project management tools — one workspace covers what solo entrepreneurs and small teams normally spread across three.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Obsidian if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (freemium, from $5/mo).
- You match the profile Obsidian is built for: solo knowledge workers (researchers, writers, developers, PMs) who want offline-first, local-file, plain-Markdown note-taking with a huge plugin ecosystem — particularly if you value data ownership over collaboration.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Notion | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $5/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Freemium |
| Last verified | September 17, 2026 | September 11, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 17, 2026. Tracked daily.