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Productivity · head to head

Memtime vs Obsidian

Memtime logo

Memtime

Productivity

Automatic time tracking that never leaves your machine

From
€10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Research

A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Obsidian has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Memtime no free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • They diverge on capability: Memtime covers Automatic activity timeline, Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 24 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Memtime and Obsidian actually diverge.

Attributes where Memtime and Obsidian differ
AttributeMemtimeObsidian
Starting price€10/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryProductivityResearch
Founded20162020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Memtime

  • Automatic activity timeline
  • Local-only storage
  • Timesheet automation
  • Offline tracking
  • 100+ project software integrations
  • Calendar integration
  • Phone call tracking
  • Billability reporting

Only in Obsidian

  • Bidirectional linking
  • Graph view visualization
  • Markdown support
  • Local file storage
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Custom CSS themes
  • Templates
  • Search and tags

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Memtime

  • Reconstructing a day nobody remembered to timenot Obsidian
  • Billing clients accurately without running a stopwatchnot Obsidian
  • Tracking time where activity data must not leave the machinenot Obsidian
  • Filling timesheets in Jira or Asana from a recorded timelinenot Obsidian
  • Separating billable from non-billable work after the factnot Obsidian

Obsidian

  • Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot Memtime
  • Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Memtime
  • Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Memtime
  • Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Memtime
  • Extending the editor with community pluginsnot Memtime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Memtime

  • No free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.
  • The integrations most buyers arrive for are on Connect, not Basic, so the entry tier is a local tracker with no link to the project software you already run.
  • Desktop only. There is no mobile app, so work done away from the computer has to be entered by hand.
  • Local-only storage is the product's point and also its limit: there is no central view for a manager, and a lost or wiped machine takes its timeline with it.
  • Tracking is at five or six minute granularity rather than to the second, which is right for reconstructing a day and wrong for anyone billing in one-minute units.

Obsidian

  • Sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • Publishing to the web is a further $8 per month per site
  • Commercial use asks for a $50 per user per year licence, though the vendor states it is not required
  • Collaboration is limited compared with a hosted notes tool, since the vault is local files first

Pricing, plan by plan

Memtime

€10/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Per user, quarterly billing
    • €12 annual, €10 on two years
    • Automatic desktop tracking
  • Connect$22/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • €18 annual, €15 on two years
    • 100+ software integrations
  • Premium$30/month
    • Everything in Connect
    • €25 annual, €20 on two years
    • Call system integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing from 50 seats
    • From €10 a month on a two-year term
    • Team trial and onboarding

Obsidian

Free
  • Obsidian Sync$4/month
    • Sync notes across devices
  • Obsidian Publish$8/month
    • Turn notes into a website

Which should you pick?

Choose Memtime if

  • You need automatic activity timeline.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want local-only storage.
Memtime review

Choose Obsidian if

  • You need bidirectional linking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want graph view visualization.
Obsidian review

Questions people ask

Is Memtime or Obsidian better?
Neither clearly leads. Memtime starts at €10/month and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Memtime or Obsidian?
Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €10/month for Memtime and Free for Obsidian.
Does Memtime or Obsidian run on more platforms?
Memtime runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Obsidian for free?
Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Memtime starts at €10/month.
What is Memtime best used for?
Memtime is most often used for reconstructing a day nobody remembered to time, billing clients accurately without running a stopwatch, tracking time where activity data must not leave the machine, filling timesheets in jira or asana from a recorded timeline. Of those, reconstructing a day nobody remembered to time and billing clients accurately without running a stopwatch are not what Obsidian is typically brought in for.
What can Memtime do that Obsidian cannot?
Memtime covers Automatic activity timeline, Local-only storage, Timesheet automation, Offline tracking. Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memtime: Does Memtime send my activity data to a server?

No. Activity is stored locally on the device that recorded it and never reaches a server, which is the basis of the product's "built for privacy" positioning and why no manager console exists.

Source
Obsidian: Is Obsidian free?

Yes. The core Obsidian application is 100% free for personal and commercial use with no limitations. You can use unlimited vaults and every core feature without payment.

Source
Memtime: What does Memtime cost?

Per user per month, falling with commitment: Basic is €15 quarterly, €12 annual or €10 on two years. Connect is €22, €18 or €15. Premium is €30, €25 or €20. Enterprise is custom from 50 seats. Every tier has a 14 day trial with no card required.

Source
Obsidian: What file format does Obsidian use?

Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file. Because it uses standard Markdown instead of a proprietary format, your notes remain portable and can be edited with many other Markdown editors.

Source
Memtime: Which plan includes the integrations?

Connect and above. Basic covers automatic tracking, timesheets, calendars and reporting, but the 100+ project software integrations and the sync with them start at Connect.

Source
Obsidian: Can I collaborate with others in Obsidian?

The core application does not include built-in team collaboration features. However, Obsidian offers optional add-ons and can be used with version control systems or cloud storage for collaboration.

Source
Memtime: How does the automatic tracking work?

It records the program and document in your foreground window at five or six minute granularity and builds a timeline from that. There is no timer to start, so nothing is lost to forgetting.

Source
Memtime: Which platforms does it run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktops. There is no mobile application.

Source
Memtime: Who makes Memtime?

Memtime GmbH, a German company founded in 2016.

Source
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