Software · head to head
Obsidian vs Paperpile
Obsidian
Software
A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files
- From
- Free
- 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; Paperpile sign-up is Chrome-only: the pricing page states you can only sign up for Paperpile on Chrome
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Obsidian and Paperpile 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 Paperpile
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 Paperpile
- Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Paperpile
- Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Paperpile
- Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Paperpile
- Extending the editor with community pluginsnot Paperpile
Paperpile
No use cases recorded yet. See the Paperpile 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
Paperpile
- Sign-up is Chrome-only: the pricing page states you can only sign up for Paperpile on Chrome
- All plans are billed annually with no monthly option, and multi-user licenses cannot mix Regular and Expert tiers
Pricing, plan by plan
Obsidian
Free- Obsidian Sync$4/month
- Sync notes across devices
- Obsidian Publish$8/month
- Turn notes into a website
Paperpile
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Paperpile 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 Paperpile if
Nothing in the data separates Paperpile from Obsidian on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Obsidian or Paperpile better?
- Neither clearly leads. Obsidian starts at Free and Paperpile at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Obsidian or Paperpile?
- Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Obsidian and On request for Paperpile.
- Does Obsidian or Paperpile run on more platforms?
- Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Paperpile runs on Web.
- Can I use Obsidian for free?
- Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paperpile 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 Paperpile is typically brought in for.
- What can Obsidian do that Paperpile 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