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Research · head to head

Mouseflow vs Obsidian

Mouseflow logo

Mouseflow

Research

Session replay and heatmaps

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Mouseflow the free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • They diverge on capability: Mouseflow covers Session Replay, Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mouseflow and Obsidian actually diverge.

Attributes where Mouseflow and Obsidian differ
AttributeMouseflowObsidian
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20092020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

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 Mouseflow

  • Session Replay
  • 6 Types of Heatmaps
  • Funnels
  • Form Analytics
  • User Feedback
  • Google Analytics
  • Segment
  • HubSpot

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.

Mouseflow

  • Session replay to watch how visitors use a pagenot Obsidian
  • Click, scroll and geographic heatmapsnot Obsidian
  • Conversion funnel and form analyticsnot Obsidian
  • Friction detection on problem pagesnot Obsidian
  • On-site feedback surveysnot Obsidian

Obsidian

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mouseflow

  • The free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention
  • Data retention is tiered, from 1 month on free to 12 months on Premium at $319 a month
  • Essential at $25 a month covers a single website project
  • SSO, custom privacy settings and priority support are on the higher tiers only
  • The 14 day money-back guarantee applies to annual subscriptions and excludes Enterprise

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

Mouseflow

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 monthly sessions
    • 1 website project
    • 1 conversion funnel
  • Essential$25/month
    • 5,000 monthly sessions
    • 1 website project
    • 1 conversion funnel
  • Advanced$109/month
    • 25,000 monthly sessions
    • 2 website projects
    • 5 conversion funnels
  • Premium$319/month
    • 100,000 monthly sessions
    • 5 website projects
    • 10 conversion funnels

Obsidian

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Mouseflow if

  • You need session replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want 6 types of heatmaps.
Mouseflow 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 Mouseflow or Obsidian better?
Neither clearly leads. Mouseflow starts at Free and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mouseflow or Obsidian?
Mouseflow starts at Free and Obsidian at Free.
Does Mouseflow or Obsidian run on more platforms?
Mouseflow runs on Web. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Mouseflow for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mouseflow best used for?
Mouseflow is most often used for session replay to watch how visitors use a page, click, scroll and geographic heatmaps, conversion funnel and form analytics, friction detection on problem pages. Of those, session replay to watch how visitors use a page and click, scroll and geographic heatmaps are not what Obsidian is typically brought in for.
What can Mouseflow do that Obsidian cannot?
Mouseflow covers Session Replay, 6 Types of Heatmaps, Funnels, Form Analytics. Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mouseflow: Is there a free version of Mouseflow?

Yes, Mouseflow offers a free plan with up to 500 monthly sessions, 1 website project, and 1-month data retention.

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
Mouseflow: What is the most popular Mouseflow plan?

The Advanced plan at $109/month is marked as most popular, offering 25,000 monthly sessions and 6 months of data retention.

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
Mouseflow: Does Mouseflow offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, Mouseflow offers up to 35% savings when billed annually instead of monthly, and provides a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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
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