Obsidian vs Notion: which one fits how you actually work
They are not competitors, they are different tools. Obsidian wins on ownership and speed, Notion on structure and teams. The 15x size difference is a clue.
The comparison is asked constantly and usually answered badly, because the two apps are not really competing for the same job.
The one-line answer
Obsidian is a thinking tool for one person who wants to keep their writing forever.
Notion is a workspace where information gets organised and shared.
If you already know which of those describes you, you can stop reading.
Where your notes live
This is the real difference, and everything else follows from it.
Obsidian Markdown files in a folder on your device
Notion blocks in a database on Notion's servers
With Obsidian, there is no export problem, because there is nothing to export — open the folder in any text editor and the notes are there. With Notion, leaving means an export, and complex pages do not survive it cleanly.
That is not a flaw in Notion. Storing pages as structured data is what lets it build tables, filtered views and relations. You cannot have both.
Size tells the story
Obsidian 38 MB
Notion 566 MB
Fifteen times. Not because one is badly built, but because they are doing different amounts of work: a Markdown editor with links versus a database engine with a rendering layer on top.
It shows in use. Obsidian opens instantly and searches locally. Notion loads.
Where Notion clearly wins
More than one person. Obsidian's model is one vault, one owner. Notion was built for shared workspaces, permissions and comments.
Information that has shape. A reading list with ratings, a client tracker, a content calendar — these are tables, and Notion does tables natively. Obsidian can approximate them with plugins, and it feels like an approximation.
Handing something over. A Notion page shared as a link looks presentable.
Where Obsidian clearly wins
Speed and offline. Local files, local search, no loading state.
Longevity. The most common reason people switch to Obsidian is having lost notes once already, in some product that shut down.
Linking as a habit. Both apps link pages, but Obsidian's graph and backlinks are the centre of the product rather than a feature.
The honest middle
Plenty of people use both, and it is not indecision: Notion for anything shared or structured, Obsidian for the private archive that has to last.
If you want one, choose by the question you cannot avoid — does anyone else need to read this? Yes means Notion. No means Obsidian.
| Obsidian - Connected Notes | Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI | Which wins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the notes live | Markdown files in a folder you control | Blocks in a database on Notion's servers | Obsidian - Connected Notes |
| Download size | 38 MB | 566 MB — fifteen times larger | Obsidian - Connected Notes |
| Speed and offline use | Opens instantly, searches locally, works with no connection | Loads noticeably on large workspaces, offline is the weak point | Obsidian - Connected Notes |
| Working with other people | One vault, one owner — collaboration is not the model | Shared workspaces, permissions and comments, built in | Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI |
| Structured information | Tables only through community plugins | Databases with filtered views — the core strength | Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI |
| Cost of leaving | Zero — the files are already yours | Export exists, but complex pages do not survive it cleanly | Obsidian - Connected Notes |
| How soon it is useful | Needs setting up before it fits you | Templates get you working the same day | Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI |
| Audience size | 2,694 ratings at 4.5 | 89,920 ratings at 4.8 — the category leader | Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI |
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Notes live as plain Markdown files in a folder you control. Free for personal use, works offline, and links between notes build a graph of your thinking.
Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI
A workspace where notes, tables, tasks and team wikis live in the same structure. Free personal tier, paid plans for teams.