Notability vs Obsidian

Notability8.7Visit Obsidian8.4Visit

Higher score Notability #5 in Note-Taking Apps 8.7/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Notability

vs

Obsidian #8 in Note-Taking Apps 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Obsidian

• Notability fits best

  Students using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings

• Obsidian fits best

  Networked-note and knowledge-management users

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Side by side

Feature	Notability 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Obsidian 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.4
Ranking	#5 in Note-Taking Apps	#8 in Note-Taking Apps
Best for	Students using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings	Networked-note and knowledge-management users
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$14.99/user/yr	$4/user/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support	Tickets, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	13 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Notability 3/3 · Obsidian 3/3
Offline access	✓	✓
Note sharing	✓	✓
Real-time collaboration	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	web, windows, macos, ios, android	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Storage limit	Not checked yet	1 GB
Integrations	iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, WebDAV	Notion, Airtable, Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, Apple Notes, Apple Journal, Google Keep, Bear, Craft, Roam Research, Logseq, Tomboy, Gnote
Our review
Pros	Combines typed notes, handwriting, PDFs, audio, and transcription Searches handwritten notes and links audio to annotations Supports collaboration and cloud storage across five platforms	Local Markdown files with backlinks, graph view, and unlinked mentions Canvas, daily notes, templates, properties, and community plugins Desktop and mobile apps with optional sync and shared vaults
Cons	Many advanced AI and audio features require a paid plan Pro costs $79.99 per year, above the Plus tier The broad feature set may exceed simple note-taking needs	Cross-device sync is an optional paid service Sync Standard includes one vault and 1 GB of storage Publishing notes to the web requires a separate Publish plan
Our verdict	Notability is a note-taking application for students, professionals, educators, and teams. It combines typed and handwritten note creation with PDF, document, and slide import and annotation. Notes can be organized into folders, shared by… Read the review →	Obsidian is a local-first note-taking and personal knowledge-management app for individuals, researchers, writers, and teams. It stores Markdown notes as local files, then connects them through internal links, backlinks, unlinked mentions,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Notability — where it wins

  • Combines typed notes, handwriting, PDFs, audio, and transcription
  • Searches handwritten notes and links audio to annotations
  • Supports collaboration and cloud storage across five platforms

  Where it doesn't

  • Many advanced AI and audio features require a paid plan
  • Pro costs $79.99 per year, above the Plus tier
  • The broad feature set may exceed simple note-taking needs

• Obsidian — where it wins

  • Local Markdown files with backlinks, graph view, and unlinked mentions
  • Canvas, daily notes, templates, properties, and community plugins
  • Desktop and mobile apps with optional sync and shared vaults

  Where it doesn't

  • Cross-device sync is an optional paid service
  • Sync Standard includes one vault and 1 GB of storage
  • Publishing notes to the web requires a separate Publish plan

• Notability8.7/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A flexible notes app for handwriting, PDFs, recordings, and AI study tools.

  Visit NotabilityFull verdict →
• Obsidian8.4/10 · Free plan

  A flexible local-file workspace for connected notes, research, and personal knowledge.

  Visit ObsidianFull verdict →