Obsidian vs Notion: Which Note-Taking App is Right for You?

Note-taking is a fundamental aspect of many people’s lives, whether they’re students, researchers, creatives, or professionals. In today’s digital age, note-taking apps have become essential tools for managing and organizing information.

Two of the most popular note-taking apps on the market are Obsidian and Notion. Both apps have gained a loyal following due to their powerful features, versatility, and ease of use. However, choosing between them can be a daunting task, especially for those who are new to the world of digital note-taking.

I’ll try to tell you what I think about both apps and which one you should choose depending on your needs.

Offline Support

One of the key differences between Obsidian and Notion is their offline support. Obsidian is a desktop app that works with local files, which means that users can access and edit their notes even when they are offline. This can be a significant advantage for users who need to work in areas with limited or no internet connectivity. In contrast, Notion is a web-based app that requires an internet connection to function. While this means that Notion can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, it also means that users may be unable to access their notes when they don’t have an internet connection.

Another consideration when comparing offline and web-based note-taking apps is data security. With Obsidian, all notes are stored locally on the user’s device, which can provide a greater sense of security and control over one’s data. Users can also choose where and how to store their notes, whether it be in a cloud storage service like Dropbox or on a local hard drive. On the other hand, with Notion, all notes are stored on Notion’s servers, which means that users must trust Notion to keep their data secure and private. Notion does provide robust security features such as two-factor authentication and enterprise-grade encryption, but the fact remains that users’ data is stored on a third-party server.

It’s also worth noting that web-based apps like Notion may have certain limitations when it comes to file attachments, particularly for larger files. Because web-based apps run in a browser, they are subject to browser limitations such as file size restrictions. This means that users may have to find alternative ways to store and access larger files, which can be inconvenient.

Notion, a Jack of All Trades

One of the main strengths of Notion is its versatility as an all-in-one productivity tool. With Notion, users can create a wide variety of pages and databases to manage everything from to-do lists to project plans to personal trackers. Notion’s flexibility and customizability allow users to create a workspace that suits their specific needs and workflows, whether they are students, entrepreneurs, or hobbyists.

However, while Notion is capable of handling a wide range of tasks, it may not be the best option for users who need a more specialized tool for specific tasks. While Notion can handle book tracking, game tracking, anime tracking, etc… there are other apps that are specifically designed for those purposes and may offer more robust features and integrations.

In addition, using Notion as a catch-all for all productivity needs can make it more difficult to stay organized and focused. With so many different pages and databases, users may find themselves spending more time navigating their workspace than actually getting things done. Furthermore, because Notion offers so many features and options, it can be overwhelming for new users to get started.

Another potential drawback of using Notion for everything is that it can become difficult to extract data from the app for use in other programs. While Notion offers a robust API and integrations with other tools, it may still be more difficult to extract and manipulate data from Notion than from a more specialized app.

Obsidian, on the other hand, is specialized in PKM. Even if you can do anything with it as it works with markdown files and includes a lot of convenient plugins.

I would summarize this section by saying Notion is good for everything but less adapted to PKM, while Obsidian is very good for PKM but less adapted to more generalist needs.

Syncing

One of the key considerations when choosing a note-taking app is how it handles syncing data between devices. With Notion, syncing is built-in and automatic, since it is a web-based app that stores data on Notion’s servers. This means that users can access their notes from any device with an internet connection, and changes made on one device will be instantly reflected on all other devices. This can be a significant advantage for users who need to work across multiple devices or collaborate with others on shared notes.

In contrast, syncing with Obsidian can be more complicated. Obsidian is a desktop app that works with local files, which means that syncing between devices requires additional setup. To sync notes between devices with Obsidian, users have two options: they can either pay for Obsidian Sync, which is a cloud-based syncing service provided by Obsidian, or they can set up their own syncing solution using a third-party service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. While Obsidian Sync can make syncing more convenient, it does come with a subscription fee.

The advantage of using a third-party syncing solution with Obsidian is that users can choose where to store their notes, whether it be on a local hard drive or in a cloud storage service, and they can use the same syncing solution for other files and data as well. However, setting up a syncing solution can be more complicated than simply using Notion’s built-in syncing, and it may not be as seamless or reliable.

Collaboration

Notion is designed to be a collaborative tool, with real-time syncing and the ability to share pages and databases with others. This makes it a great option for teams and groups who need to work together on shared notes, tasks, and projects. Notion’s collaboration features are similar to Google Docs, allowing multiple users to work on the same page simultaneously and see changes reflected instantly.

On the other hand, Obsidian is not designed for collaboration in the same way as Notion. Because it is a desktop app that works with local files, collaboration requires additional setup and coordination. Users who want to collaborate with others using Obsidian may need to use a third-party syncing solution or manually share files with collaborators. This can be more cumbersome and time-consuming than using a tool like Notion that is specifically designed for collaboration.

While Obsidian may not be the best option for real-time collaboration, it does offer some features that may be useful for collaborative work. For example, Obsidian allows users to create backlinks and cross-references between notes, which can be a useful way to connect ideas and collaborate on research projects. Additionally, because Obsidian uses plain text files, it is easy to use with version control systems like Git, which can be useful for managing changes and collaborating on code or technical documentation.

Customization

One of the advantages of Obsidian is its ability to be highly customized. Obsidian allows users to install plugins to add new features and functionality to the app. This can include everything from new ways of viewing and navigating your notes to new integrations with other apps and services. The Obsidian community has created a wide variety of plugins that can be used to customize the app to fit your needs.

In addition to plugins, Obsidian also allows users to customize the appearance of the app using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This means that you can change the look and feel of Obsidian to match your preferences or branding. For example, you can change the font, colors, and layout of the app to make it more visually appealing or easier to use.

Notion, on the other hand, does not offer the same level of customization as Obsidian. While you can choose from a few pre-designed templates, there is no way to add new functionality or change the appearance of the app beyond these basic options.

So, What should I Choose?

You must realize what your needs are. Obsidian and Notion are two very different applications, with different purposes. The specification of your needs allows you to simply choose the best choice.

If you want to collaborate on notes, Notion is obviously the best choice. But if you care about your data, you may prefer Obsidian, as your data is really your data with Obsidian and is not stored in Notion servers.

If you plan to use your note-taking software between several devices, Notion may be the most convenient choice as it automatically allows you to sync data. On the other hand, you can pay for Obsidian sync, or set up your own solution if you want to sync data, but it’s not a built-in feature in Obsidian.

And lastly, if you want to customize the functionalities of the software, or make it more aesthetic, you should go with Obsidian.

More generally, I find Notion more adapted to project/life management, while Obsidian is perfect for pure PKM.

Combining Both

While Obsidian and Notion have different strengths and weaknesses, it is possible to use both apps together to take advantage of their respective features. Here are a few ways you can combine both apps:

• Use Obsidian for long-form notes and writing, and Notion for more structured, database-like information. For example, you could use Obsidian for journaling or writing articles, and use Notion for project management or keeping track of a book collection.
• Use Notion to organize and track information, and link to related notes in Obsidian. For example, you could use Notion to keep track of your goals, and link to related notes in Obsidian where you brainstorm ideas or reflect on your progress.
• Use Notion for collaboration, and use Obsidian for personal notes and writing. For example, you could use Notion to work on a group project with others, and use Obsidian for your personal notes and writing that are not intended for others to see.

Using several apps may seem more cumbersome, but in fact it’s not. It’s more a mess when you try to gather everything at the same place even if it can’t fit than when you use different well-suited apps for your needs.

Bonus: My Choice

I’ve been using only Obsidian for a year, but I recently decided to move some of my stuff to another software. I’m now using Obsidian for pure PKM stuff. Life/Project management-related stuff is now in NocoDB, a software like Airtable or like the Notion databases.

It allows me to store records in a database instead of using Obsidian notes and dataview. And this data is mine as I self-host NocoDB.

So currently, I’m taking advantage of the power of Obsidian for PKM combined with the features of a database for everything related to my life or my projects, without the drawback of having my data belonging to a third party.

Final Note

When it comes to making a choice between different note-taking software, in fact, we don’t really care about the software. It’s more important to get things done without having a proper system than don’t get things done with a too system.

Whether you choose Obsidian or Notion, the most important is to have something that allows you to capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and information in a way that works for you. Don’t get bogged down in trying to find the “perfect” software, as no tool will be perfect for everyone.

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