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Software · head to head

Obsidian vs Reflect

Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Reflect logo

Reflect

Software

Fast networked note-taking with AI

From
$10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Reflect no free tier or free plan option
  • They diverge on capability: Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Reflect covers Bidirectional links.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Obsidian and Reflect actually diverge.

Attributes where Obsidian and Reflect differ
AttributeObsidianReflect
Starting priceFree$10/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2020).

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 Reflect

  • Bidirectional links
  • End-to-end encryption
  • AI assistant
  • Instant sync
  • Daily notes
  • Chrome extension
  • Calendar sync
  • Kindle highlights

Both cover

  • E2E encryption

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 Reflect
  • Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Reflect
  • Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Reflect
  • Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Reflect
  • Extending the editor with community pluginsnot Reflect

Reflect

  • Productivitynot Obsidian
  • Collaborationnot Obsidian
  • Task managementnot Obsidian
  • Organizationnot Obsidian

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

Reflect

  • No free tier or free plan option
  • Losing your password means permanent data loss with no recovery option
  • Shared notes are not end-to-end encrypted despite platform marketing encryption
  • AI features send your content to OpenAI servers (30-day retention)
  • Mobile apps have limited offline functionality compared to desktop

Pricing, plan by plan

Obsidian

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

Reflect

$10/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Reflect 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.
Obsidian review

Choose Reflect if

  • You need bidirectional links.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS.
  • You also want end-to-end encryption.
Reflect review

Questions people ask

Is Obsidian or Reflect better?
Neither clearly leads. Obsidian starts at Free and Reflect at $10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Obsidian or Reflect?
Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Obsidian and $10/month for Reflect.
Does Obsidian or Reflect run on more platforms?
Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Reflect runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS.
Can I use Obsidian for free?
Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Reflect starts at $10/month.
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 Reflect is typically brought in for.
What can Obsidian do that Reflect cannot?
Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage. Reflect covers Bidirectional links, End-to-end encryption, AI assistant, Instant sync. Both handle E2E encryption.

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.

Source
Reflect: Is there a free tier?

No. Reflect offers only a 14-day free trial before requiring $10/month (billed annually). There is no free plan.

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
Reflect: Does Reflect work offline?

Yes, editing and note-taking work offline on desktop. Mobile apps have offline limitations compared to the desktop experience.

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
Reflect: How secure is my data?

Reflect uses end-to-end encryption with XChaCha20-Poly1305. An independent audit by Doyensec found no vulnerabilities. However, audio for transcription and text sent to AI features are processed by OpenAI servers (retained 30 days per OpenAI policy).

Source
Reflect: Can I export my notes?

Yes. Reflect allows export of your notes, though the primary export method involves using their web and iOS apps with standard export capabilities.

Source
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