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Obsidian vs Remember The Milk

Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Remember The Milk logo

Remember The Milk

Software

The smart to-do app for busy people

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app; Remember The Milk interface looks dated compared to modern task managers
  • They diverge on capability: Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Remember The Milk covers Smart lists.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Obsidian and Remember The Milk actually diverge.

Attributes where Obsidian and Remember The Milk differ
AttributeObsidianRemember The Milk
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
Founded20202004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 Remember The Milk

  • Smart lists
  • Location reminders
  • Task sharing
  • Advanced search
  • Subtasks
  • Outlook
  • Evernote
  • Twitter

Both cover

  • Google Calendar

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

Remember The Milk

  • Schedulingnot Obsidian
  • Appointment bookingnot Obsidian
  • Time trackingnot Obsidian
  • Resource managementnot Obsidian
  • Team coordinationnot 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

Remember The Milk

  • Interface looks dated compared to modern task managers
  • Limited mobile app features compared to desktop version
  • No advanced project management features like Gantt charts or timeline views

Pricing, plan by plan

Obsidian

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

Remember The Milk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Task creation and organization
    • Basic reminders
    • List sharing
  • Pro$39.99/year
    • All free features
    • Advanced sorting
    • Attachments

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 Remember The Milk if

  • You need smart lists.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want location reminders.
Remember The Milk review

Questions people ask

Is Obsidian or Remember The Milk better?
Neither clearly leads. Obsidian starts at Free and Remember The Milk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Obsidian or Remember The Milk?
Obsidian starts at Free and Remember The Milk at Free.
Does Obsidian or Remember The Milk run on more platforms?
Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Remember The Milk runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Obsidian for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Remember The Milk is typically brought in for.
What can Obsidian do that Remember The Milk cannot?
Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage. Remember The Milk covers Smart lists, Location reminders, Task sharing, Advanced search. Both handle Google Calendar.

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
Remember The Milk: Is there a free version of Remember The Milk?

Yes. Remember The Milk is free to download and use with core features like task creation, lists, reminders, and basic sharing. A Pro subscription at $39.99 annually unlocks advanced features like advanced sorting, attachments, and Apple Watch support.

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
Remember The Milk: What devices and platforms does Remember The Milk support?

Remember The Milk is available across desktop, mobile, web, and wearable platforms with native applications, ensuring tasks remain synchronized across all devices.

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
Remember The Milk: Can I share tasks with others in Remember The Milk?

Yes, Remember The Milk allows you to share lists and assign tasks to others to coordinate work and get things done faster.

Source
Remember The Milk: Does Remember The Milk integrate with other apps?

Yes, Remember The Milk integrates natively with Gmail, Google Calendar, Evernote, and Zapier, allowing you to capture tasks from multiple sources.

Source
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