Research · head to head
Paperpile vs Obsidian
Obsidian
Research
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: Paperpile sign-up is Chrome-only: the pricing page states you can only sign up for Paperpile on Chrome; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Paperpile and Obsidian actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Paperpile
Nothing recorded that Obsidian does not also cover.
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.
Paperpile
No use cases recorded yet. See the Paperpile review.
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Paperpile
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Paperpile review.
Obsidian
Free- Obsidian Sync$4/month
- Sync notes across devices
- Obsidian Publish$8/month
- Turn notes into a website
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Paperpile or Obsidian better?
- Neither clearly leads. Paperpile starts at On request and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Paperpile or Obsidian?
- Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Paperpile and Free for Obsidian.
- Does Paperpile or Obsidian run on more platforms?
- Paperpile runs on Web. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- 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 can Paperpile do that Obsidian 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