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For most people using Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android, Obsidian Sync is the simplest supported choice. It keeps a local vault on every device, maintains an encrypted remote copy, and includes version history and deleted-file recovery. Choose iCloud when every device is an Apple device and you can keep the vault in iCloud Drive/Obsidian. Choose Syncthing when you want direct device-to-device transfers and control over where files reside, and you are comfortable maintaining the connections yourself.

Whichever method you select, use only one synchronization provider for a vault and keep a separate backup. Syncing makes copies agree; it does not by itself give you a dependable backup.

Choose by platform before comparing features

Your operating systems eliminate some options immediately. Obsidian’s documented guidance recommends Sync for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android; iCloud for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; and Syncthing for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Syncthing on Android requires a community-maintained fork because the official Android app is no longer maintained. Obsidian does not officially support Syncthing on iOS.

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Method Best fit Documented platform guidance What you must accept
Obsidian Sync Cross-platform users who want the least setup and integrated recovery Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Paid subscription, storage and file-size caps, and plan-dependent history
iCloud People whose devices are all in Apple’s ecosystem macOS, iOS, iPadOS The vault must be in the correct iCloud Drive folder and available locally; Windows use can cause duplication or corruption
Syncthing Users who prefer direct transfers and control of storage locations Windows, macOS, Linux; Android only through a community fork; iOS unsupported by Obsidian Devices must connect to exchange files, and setup and maintenance are your responsibility

Do not place one vault under two of these systems. Obsidian warns that concurrent providers can create conflicts or corruption because each service may act on the same files independently.

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How each method moves your vault

Obsidian Sync uses a remote vault plus local copies

Sync is an add-on service. You create or connect to a remote vault, then each device keeps its own local copy while exchanging changes with that remote copy. The design works across desktop and mobile operating systems, supports selective folder syncing, and can synchronize Obsidian settings in addition to note files.

Its major distinction is that synchronization and recovery are integrated. Sync provides note version history and deleted-file restoration, with retention determined by your plan. End-to-end encryption is available for private vaults; when enabled, the remote data is encrypted so Obsidian cannot read it.

iCloud places the vault in iCloud Drive

With iCloud, the vault is an ordinary folder managed by iCloud Drive. Every Apple device opens that same folder, and iCloud handles file transfer in the background. There is no separate Obsidian remote-vault account to configure.

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This simplicity depends on correct placement and local availability. Obsidian’s instructions put the vault at iCloud Drive → Obsidian. On iPhone and iPad, the vault must be inside the Obsidian folder in iCloud Drive; a different location can cause syncing problems. Keeping the folder downloaded on the device improves loading speed and avoids waiting for files to be fetched when you open a note.

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Syncthing exchanges files directly between participating devices

Syncthing is a continuous file-synchronization program rather than an Obsidian-specific service. It keeps files on your own computers, uses TLS for connections, and transfers changes between devices that are online at the same time. There is no central hosted vault that must remain available.

That topology gives you more control over storage, but it also makes availability your problem. If no participating device is reachable, a change waits until a connection becomes possible. Syncthing works best when at least one device remains on so that other devices can exchange updates promptly.

Obsidian Sync: the supported cross-platform route

What the plans include

The following prices and limits were listed by Obsidian on October 13, 2026. Subscription terms can change, so verify the current plan page before paying.

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Plan Annual-billing equivalent Month-to-month price Synced vaults Total storage Maximum file size Note history
Sync Standard USD 4 per user per month, billed annually USD 5 per user per month 1 1 GB 5 MB 1 month
Sync Plus USD 8 per user per month, billed annually USD 10 per user per month 10 10 GB, with an option stated to upgrade to 100 GB 200 MB 12 months

These are product limits, not independent performance measurements. Attachment versions are retained for two weeks according to Obsidian’s version-history documentation, even where note history lasts longer.

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Set up Sync on a new vault

  1. Install the current Obsidian app on the first device and open the vault you want to synchronize.
  2. Open Settings → Sync, sign in to your Obsidian account, and subscribe to a Sync plan if you have not already done so.
  3. Create a remote vault or select an existing one. Give it a distinctive name so you do not attach the wrong local vault.
  4. Choose whether to enable end-to-end encryption. For confidential notes, use it and create a strong encryption password that you store in a password manager or another secure offline location.
  5. In Sync settings, select the file types, folders, and Obsidian settings you actually need. Selective syncing can keep large attachments or device-specific settings off a phone.
  6. Wait for the initial upload to finish before opening the vault on another device. Confirm that representative notes and attachments appear remotely.
  7. On each additional device, install Obsidian, choose Open vault → Open remote vault (wording can vary by app version), sign in, and select the remote vault. Let the first download finish before editing.

What end-to-end encryption changes

Obsidian documents AES-256 encryption with scrypt key derivation and GCM. With end-to-end encryption enabled, Obsidian says it cannot access the remote vault. The encryption password is not recoverable by Obsidian: losing it prevents connecting additional devices to that remote vault.

If the password is lost, first make a complete local backup of the vault. Obsidian’s documented recovery route is to use that local copy and create a new remote vault with a new encryption password. Do not delete the old remote vault until you have verified the replacement on every device.

iCloud: the practical Apple-only setup

Put the vault in the folder Obsidian expects

  1. On a Mac, open Finder and select iCloud Drive → Obsidian. Create the folder if it does not exist.
  2. Move or copy the vault folder into that Obsidian folder. A vault is the folder containing your Markdown notes and the hidden .obsidian configuration folder.
  3. Open Obsidian and choose Open folder as vault, then select the copy inside iCloud Drive/Obsidian.
  4. On each iPhone or iPad, open Obsidian’s vault picker and select the vault from iCloud Drive. Keep the folder downloaded for faster access and to reduce delays when opening notes.
  5. Make a small test edit on one device, wait for iCloud to finish, and confirm the change on another device before moving your full working routine.

Do not open a second local copy outside iCloud and assume it is the synchronized vault. That creates two unrelated folders that can diverge.

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Understand the Windows warning

Obsidian specifically warns that iCloud Drive on Windows may lead to duplicated files or corruption. Therefore, iCloud is not a sound default for a mixed Apple-and-Windows vault. If Windows is part of your daily workflow, use a method documented for Windows instead of relying on iCloud’s Windows client.

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Syncthing: direct synchronization with more responsibility

Prepare the devices and shared folder

  1. Install Syncthing on every participating desktop. Use the community Android fork only if you accept that it is not the maintained official Android app; Obsidian does not officially support this approach on iOS.
  2. On the first device, add the vault folder as a Syncthing folder and note its folder identifier.
  3. Pair the other devices using their Syncthing device identifiers, then share the vault folder with them.
  4. Choose a bidirectional “send and receive” mode for normal editing. A send-only or receive-only mode is appropriate only when you deliberately want a one-way replica.
  5. Accept the shared folder on each device and choose the local path where the vault should live. Do not point two separate Syncthing folders at the same physical directory.
  6. Wait for the initial scan and transfer to complete. In Obsidian, open the synchronized local folder as a vault on each device.
  7. Keep at least one participating device online when you need near-continuous transfer. If every device is offline, changes remain queued until a connection is available.

Mobile limitations and maintenance

The official Syncthing Android application is no longer maintained; Obsidian points readers toward a community fork. Community software can change ownership, release cadence, permissions, or behavior, so check its current maintenance status before making it your only mobile path.

Syncthing’s project FAQ says it has no plans to provide official iOS support in the foreseeable future because iOS restricts background processing, although third-party apps exist. Those apps are workarounds, not an officially supported Obsidian configuration.

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How Syncthing handles disagreements

Syncthing detects when nodes have different states and can select a latest state or initiate conflict handling. It is still a general file-synchronization system, not an Obsidian note-history interface. A conflict resolution event does not replace a readable timeline of note revisions, and synchronization alone is not a backup.

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Recovery, backups, and safe migrations

Keep a backup separate from synchronization

A synchronized deletion can propagate to every copy. A damaged file can also be copied faithfully to every device. Keep an independent backup that is not inside the synchronized folder—for example, a dated archive on another drive or storage system—and test that you can restore a few notes from it.

Before changing providers, moving a vault, or changing Sync encryption, close Obsidian on every device, make a complete copy of the vault, and label that copy with the date. Include the hidden .obsidian folder if you want plugins, themes, and workspace settings preserved.

Migrate from one provider to another

  1. Allow the current provider to finish syncing on the device that has the authoritative, verified copy.
  2. Close Obsidian everywhere and create an independent backup outside all synchronized folders.
  3. Disconnect or stop synchronization for the old provider before adding the new one. Do not run both against the same folder.
  4. Place the verified vault in the destination location: a new Sync remote vault, iCloud Drive/Obsidian, or a Syncthing shared folder.
  5. Connect one additional device first and compare note counts, recent edits, attachments, and important configuration files.
  6. Only after that check succeeds, connect the remaining devices.

Troubleshoot the common failure modes

Duplicate notes or files appear

  • Check whether the vault is being watched by two providers or by two Syncthing folder definitions. Stop one provider and restore from the most recent verified backup if files have diverged.
  • On iCloud, verify that every Apple device opened the folder inside iCloud Drive/Obsidian rather than a similarly named local folder.
  • On Windows, treat iCloud duplication as a documented risk and migrate the vault to a method intended for mixed-platform use.

A device shows an old version

  • For Sync, open its status panel and wait for the initial download or pending changes to complete before editing.
  • For iCloud, confirm the folder is downloaded locally and that iCloud has finished uploading on the source device.
  • For Syncthing, check that at least one paired device is online, the folder is shared in both directions, and the local path is the vault you opened in Obsidian.

Attachments fail while notes synchronize

  • Check the Sync plan’s maximum file size: 5 MB on Standard and 200 MB on Plus, according to the October 13, 2026 plan listing.
  • Remember that attachment versions have a two-week retention period in Sync’s version-history documentation.
  • With selective syncing, confirm that the attachment folder and file type were not excluded on the device.

You cannot connect after losing an encryption password

Obsidian cannot recover a lost end-to-end encryption password. Use the complete local backup, create a new remote vault with a new password, and reconnect devices to that new remote vault after verifying the backup.

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Which method should you use?

If your priority is… Choose Reason
One vault on desktop and mobile across different operating systems Obsidian Sync It is the officially supported cross-platform option and includes integrated history and deletion recovery.
Only Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices iCloud It uses the Apple file system you already have, provided the vault remains in iCloud Drive/Obsidian and is downloaded when needed.
Direct device-to-device transfers and local storage control Syncthing Files remain on participating computers and move when those devices can connect, with no hosted vault required.
Official iOS support for Syncthing None of these Syncthing configurations Obsidian does not officially support Syncthing on iOS; use a supported method for an iPhone or iPad.
A replacement for backups None Every synchronization method can propagate deletion or damage, so maintain a separate backup.

The practical default is Obsidian Sync when your devices span operating systems or you want built-in recovery. iCloud is sensible for an Apple-only setup that follows the required folder layout. Syncthing suits technically confident users who value direct transfers and can keep devices reachable. In all three cases, one provider should own synchronization for the vault, and a separate backup should protect it.

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