Software · head to head
Obsidian vs NVivo
Obsidian
Software
A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
NVivo
Software
Easy-to-use, collaborative qualitative analysis software
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Obsidian has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app; NVivo student licenses are restricted to 12 months of access for one named user
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Obsidian and NVivo actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Obsidian
- Bidirectional linking
- Graph view visualization
- Markdown support
- Local file storage
- Plugin ecosystem
- Custom CSS themes
- Templates
- Search and tags
Only in NVivo
Nothing recorded that Obsidian does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Obsidian
- Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot NVivo
- Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot NVivo
- Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot NVivo
- Publishing a public site from a vaultnot NVivo
- Extending the editor with community pluginsnot NVivo
NVivo
No use cases recorded yet. See the NVivo review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
NVivo
- Student licenses are restricted to 12 months of access for one named user
- Orders of ten or more licenses are not sold online and require contacting Lumivero for a quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Obsidian
Free- Obsidian Sync$4/month
- Sync notes across devices
- Obsidian Publish$8/month
- Turn notes into a website
NVivo
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the NVivo review.
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose NVivo if
Nothing in the data separates NVivo from Obsidian on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Obsidian or NVivo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Obsidian starts at Free and NVivo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Obsidian or NVivo?
- Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Obsidian and On request for NVivo.
- Does Obsidian or NVivo run on more platforms?
- Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. NVivo runs on Web.
- Can I use Obsidian for free?
- Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NVivo starts at On request.
- What is Obsidian best used for?
- Obsidian is most often used for local-first markdown note taking with no account required, linking notes into a personal knowledge graph, syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-on, publishing a public site from a vault. Of those, local-first markdown note taking with no account required and linking notes into a personal knowledge graph are not what NVivo is typically brought in for.
- What can Obsidian do that NVivo cannot?
- Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceObsidian: 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.
SourceObsidian: 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