Obsidian Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Obsidian pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $50 per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Obsidian's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Full Obsidian app functionality
- Local-first Markdown file storage
- Graph view
- Bidirectional linking
- Community plugins (1000+)
- Custom CSS themes
- Canvas
- Daily notes and templates
- No registration required
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Sync notes across devices
- End-to-end encryption
- Version history
- Collaborative shared vaults
- Priority support
- Up to 5 remote vaults
- 10GB per vault
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Sync notes across devices or End-to-end encryption
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Obsidian branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Sync Plan Comparison
| Personal (Free) $0 | Sync $5/per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 9 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Obsidian branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Personal use and knowledge management | Users needing cross-device syncing |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Obsidian free?
Yes, Obsidian offers a forever free plan with 9 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Obsidian's free plan?
Obsidian's free plan includes: Full Obsidian app functionality, Local-first Markdown file storage, Graph view, Bidirectional linking, Community plugins (1000+), and 4 more features. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Obsidian's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Sync notes across devices, End-to-end encryption, Version history, Collaborative shared vaults, Priority support. You'll also have Obsidian branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Obsidian's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Sync notes across devices or End-to-end encryption, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $5/per month.
05 Is Obsidian's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Obsidian's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Obsidian pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.