Obsidian vs Raycast — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Obsidian starts at $5/mo. Raycast starts at $10/mo. Obsidian is $5/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Raycast.
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.
Mac productivity launcher positioned as the alternative to Spotlight and Alfred for power users who want extensibility + a great UX. Distinctive for its extensions store, AI features (Ask Raycast), and clipboard history. Priced free (personal) with Raycast Pro at $10/user/mo (annual) or $16/mo. Series B in 2023. Popular with developers, designers, and knowledge workers who spend their day in a Mac terminal + browser.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Obsidian monthly | Obsidian annual | Raycast monthly | Raycast annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | App / Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Sync / Pro | $5 | $4 | $10 | $8 |
| Mid tier | — / Pro+ | — | — | $20 | $16 |
| Pro / power | Publish / Max | $10 | $8 | $50 | — |
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
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.
Raycast is worth it if… macOS power users (developers, designers, ops) who want Spotlight-on-steroids — launcher + snippets + calculator + AI assistant + 600+ extensions. Free covers core launcher forever; Pro adds cloud sync, unlimited AI, and custom themes; Pro + Advanced AI adds premium models.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Obsidian is freemium, Raycast is per seat.
Choose Obsidian over Raycast if…
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.
Choose Raycast if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $10/mo).
- You match the profile Raycast is built for: macOS power users (developers, designers, ops) who want Spotlight-on-steroids — launcher + snippets + calculator + AI assistant + 600+ extensions.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Obsidian | Raycast | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $5/mo | $10/mo |
| Enterprise available | No | No |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 11, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 12, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Obsidian and Raycast
- How much does Obsidian cost in 2026?
- Does Obsidian have a free plan?
- How often does Obsidian change prices?
- What are the best Obsidian alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Raycast cost in 2026?
- Does Raycast have a free plan?
- How often does Raycast change prices?
- What are the best Raycast alternatives in 2026?