Obsidian vs Microsoft OneNote: Which is better in 2026?
The deciding question is whether you think in linked text files or in pages you write and draw on.
Tested hands-on: 3 tests on a MacBook Pro (M1 Pro), October 26, 2026. How we tested
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Quick answer
- Choose Obsidian if: You want your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your own device, readable in any text editor and usable offline.
- Choose Microsoft OneNote if: You want a free notebook on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, with pages you can type, write or draw on anywhere.
- Price at a glance: Obsidian: Free plan; paid from $5/mo · Microsoft OneNote: Free plan; paid from $9.99/mo
At a glance
 Obsidian |  Microsoft OneNote | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plans | From $5/mo | From $9.99/mo |
| Our tests | Won 3 of 3 | Won 0 of 3 |
| Best for | Individuals who want private, offline notes they own as plain files, and who are comfortable adding sync or plugins themselves. | Students, pen and tablet users, and Microsoft 365 households who want a free, free-form notebook on every device and do not need databases or backlinks. |
Obsidian and Microsoft OneNote are both free note apps, yet they store and shape a note in very different ways. Obsidian saves every note as a Markdown file in a folder on your own device, connects notes through links and backlinks, and sells Sync and Publish as optional add-ons. OneNote keeps notebooks of free-form pages where you can type anywhere, write or draw with a pen and add recordings, and it syncs them through OneDrive, free within OneDrive's 5 GB of storage. Below, their prices, storage, offline use, linking, sharing, encryption and AI features are set side by side, taken from each company's own pricing and help pages as of October 2026.
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (12-month total) |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | ||
| FreeFull app, no sign-up; commercial license optional | Free Free plan | |
| Sync StandardPer user/month; $4/month billed yearly ($48/year), $5 billed monthly; 1 synced vault, 1 GB, 1-month version history | $5/mo | $48/yr ($4/mo) |
| Sync PlusPer user/month; $8/month billed yearly ($96/year), $10 billed monthly; 10 synced vaults, 10 GB, 12-month version history | $10/mo | $96/yr ($8/mo) |
| PublishPer site/month add-on; $8/month billed yearly ($96/year), $10 billed monthly; hosting up to 4 GB, custom domain | $10/mo | $96/yr ($8/mo) |
| Microsoft OneNote | ||
| FreeFree apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web; a Microsoft account with 5 GB of free OneDrive storage; no Copilot in OneNote | Free Free plan | |
| Microsoft 365 PersonalFor 1 person; $99.99 billed yearly, $9.99 billed monthly; 1 TB OneDrive storage; Copilot in OneNote (Windows app); 1-month free trial | $9.99/mo | $99.99/yr ($8.33/mo) |
| Microsoft 365 FamilyFor 1 to 6 people; $129.99 billed yearly, $12.99 billed monthly; 2 TB shared OneDrive storage; AI for the subscription owner only | $12.99/mo | $129.99/yr ($10.83/mo) |
| Microsoft 365 PremiumFor 1 to 6 people; $199.99 billed yearly, $19.99 billed monthly; Family plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features; AI for the owner only | $19.99/mo | $199.99/yr ($16.67/mo) |
Prices checked on .
Features compared
| Feature | Obsidian | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Offline use | Yes · Local app, works without internet | Yes · Windows app keeps a local copy for offline edits and merges them when back online; iPhone/iPad sync pending changes too |
| Local-first files | Yes · Markdown files in a local folder (vault) | Partial · Windows app can store a notebook on This PC; Mac app keeps all notes in OneDrive |
| Databases | Yes · Bases core plugin: table, cards, list, kanban views; map via official Maps plugin | No · Plain tables; a table can be converted to an Excel spreadsheet; no database views |
| Backlinks | Yes · Core plugin; linked and unlinked mentions | No · Links to notebooks, sections, pages and paragraphs are copied and pasted; no backlinks list |
| Real-time collaboration | Partial · Shared vaults via Sync (up to 20); no live co-editing | Yes · Shared notebooks on OneDrive or SharePoint can be co-authored by several people at the same time |
| API | Partial · TypeScript plugin API and CLI; no hosted web API | Yes · Microsoft Graph OneNote REST API; delegated sign-in only (no app-only access) |
| Publish to web | Add-on · Obsidian Publish, $8/site/month billed yearly | Partial · View-only or edit links to a whole notebook on OneDrive or SharePoint; single-page sharing was removed |
| Encryption | Yes · AES-256 end-to-end for Sync by default; standard encryption is optional | Partial · Password-protected sections only (not pages or notebooks), 128-bit AES; no password recovery |
| AI features | Partial · Web Clipper Interpreter (own provider key or local Ollama); community plugins | Yes · Copilot in OneNote with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium (Windows only) or a Copilot work license |
How we tested
We gave Obsidian and Microsoft OneNote the same 3 tasks on the same MacBook Pro (M1 Pro). Each test below lists the task, how we judged it, both results and screenshots; select a screenshot to see it at full size.
- Device
- MacBook Pro (M1 Pro) · macOS 26.6.2
- Tested
- October 26, 2026
- Plans used
- Obsidian: Free · Microsoft OneNote: Free
- App versions
- Obsidian: Obsidian 1.14.5 for Mac, Markdown typed in Source mode, Obsidian 1.14.5 for Mac, [[ ]] link and Backlinks pane, Obsidian 1.14.5 for Mac, Search (Cmd+Shift+F) · Microsoft OneNote: OneNote for Mac, keyboard shortcuts, OneNote for Mac, typed [[ ]] page link, OneNote for Mac, Search all notebooks (Cmd+Option+F)
| Test | Obsidian | Microsoft OneNote | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build the same class note with a table and a to-do list (timed) | Pass0.06 min | Pass0.08 min | Obsidianby Time to build the note |
| Link two notes and look for the link back | Pass | Fail | Obsidian |
| Find a note by a word in its text and by a word in a picture (timed) | Partial4.6 s | Partial4.7 s | Obsidianby Time to open the right note |
| Tests won | 3 | 0 | 0 ties |
Test 1: Build the same class note with a table and a to-do list (timed)
The task
In each tool's Mac app, create a new note or page titled "Fernhill pottery class" (FICTIONAL) and build it with the tool's own editor: a heading "Week 3", a table with the columns Item, Count and Shelf and three rows under the header row, a to-do list of three items with the first one ticked, and one bold line.
How we judged it
Pass: every element of the brief is there and formatted (the heading, a three-column table with three rows, the to-do list with one item ticked, the bold line), within 10 minutes.
Partial: one element missing or wrongly formatted, or it took more than 10 minutes.
Fail: two or more elements missing or wrongly formatted.
The time is measured from opening the empty note until the last element is done.
Obsidian: Winner
Pass 0.06 min
Markdown typed in Source mode gave the Week 3 heading, the 3-column table with 3 rows, the to-do list with Order clay ticked and the bold line.
Microsoft OneNote
Pass 0.08 min
Keyboard shortcuts gave the Heading 1 Week 3, a table started with Tab, To Do tags with Order clay ticked and the bold line.
Run in the Mac apps by the assistant with scripted typing, timed by a log of which app is in front, from the empty note to the last element, with a 1 s wait when a table appeared and before the stop. Obsidian's Markdown was typed in its Source mode, set as the vault's default before timing, because Live Preview's table widget handled scripted typing differently from run to run; the picture shows Reading view. Waits: OneNote 2, Obsidian 1, which is about the whole 1.0 s gap, so the times count steps more than speed.
Test 2: Link two notes and look for the link back
The task
In each tool, create two notes, "Glaze recipes" and "Class notes 3 November" (FICTIONAL). In the class notes, add a link to "Glaze recipes" with the tool's own linking feature. Then open "Glaze recipes" and look for a list of the notes that link to it.
How we judged it
Pass: the link works, and "Glaze recipes" lists the class notes as linking to it without extra setup.
Partial: the link works, but the list of linking notes appears only after a setting, a plugin or another manual step.
Fail: the link cannot be made, or the tool offers no way to see which notes link to "Glaze recipes" (a text search for the title does not count).
Obsidian: Winner
Pass
Typing [[Glaze rec and picking the suggestion made the link; one click opened Glaze recipes, whose Backlinks pane lists Class notes 3 November.
Microsoft OneNote
Fail
Typing [[Glaze recipes]] made a working page link, but OneNote shows no list of the pages that link to Glaze recipes.
Obsidian's Backlinks pane is a core plugin, on by default, opened from 1 backlink in the status bar. OneNote turned the typed [[Glaze recipes]] into a page link, but nothing on the Glaze recipes page, in its right-click menu or in the View menu lists the pages that link to it, and the test does not count a text search for the title.
Test 3: Find a note by a word in its text and by a word in a picture (timed)
The task
In each tool, create five short notes, Note 1 to Note 5 (FICTIONAL texts below). Only Note 2 has the word "kiln" in its text, and Note 5 holds only a picture of the words "Studio key under the blue pot". From the start screen, search for "kiln" and open Note 2; then search for "blue pot" and see whether Note 5 comes up.
How we judged it
Pass: the search for "kiln" opens Note 2, and the search for "blue pot" lists Note 5.
Partial: the search for "kiln" opens Note 2, but the search for "blue pot" does not list Note 5.
Fail: the search for "kiln" does not find Note 2.
The time is measured from starting to type "kiln" until Note 2 is open.
Obsidian: Winner
Partial 4.6 s
Search found Note 2 by kiln and opened it; blue pot, only in Note 5's picture, gave 0 results.
Microsoft OneNote
Partial 4.7 s
Search found Note 2 by kiln and opened it; blue pot, only in Note 5's picture, gave No results found in all notebooks.
The picture was made by rendering the words to a PNG (the plan's screenshot step needs the Mac screenshot keys, which the automation cannot use), and the same file was pasted into both apps; an older OneNote test page whose handwriting held kiln was moved to Deleted Notes first. Timed from the click into the open search box to Note 2 open, split where the results showed (the look at the list is not counted), with the same fixed waits (3 and 1 s): 4.64 s against 4.66 s unrounded, too small a gap to tell the tools apart.
Our verdict
The deciding question is whether you think in linked text files or in pages you write and draw on.
Obsidian suits a private, connected knowledge base. Each note is a Markdown file you keep, the app works offline, and backlinks list both linked and unlinked mentions of the current note. Bases adds table, card, list and kanban views. The core app is free, even for work. Syncing through Obsidian costs $4 per user a month billed yearly for one vault and is end-to-end encrypted by default. It has no live co-editing, and each person on a shared vault needs their own Sync subscription.
OneNote suits handwriting, study notes and shared notebooks. Pages are open canvases for typing, pen input, pictures and recordings, the Windows app searches handwriting and text in images, and syncing through OneDrive's free 5 GB costs nothing. Several people can co-author a notebook at once. The limits: no backlinks or database views, passwords only per section, and Copilot only with a paid plan such as Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99 a month or $99.99 a year), and only in the Windows app on home plans.
For a solo research or writing archive, pick Obsidian. For notes taken with a stylus, a notebook shared with classmates or a home already paying for Microsoft 365, pick OneNote.
Choose Obsidian if
You want your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your own device, readable in any text editor and usable offline. Backlinks show linked and unlinked mentions of each note, Bases adds table, card, list and kanban views, and a TypeScript plugin API and a command-line interface let you extend the app. The core app is free, even for work; the paid add-ons are Sync (from $4 per user a month billed yearly, end-to-end encrypted by default) and Publish for a website.
Choose Microsoft OneNote if
You want a free notebook on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, with pages you can type, write or draw on anywhere. The Windows app also finds handwriting and text in pictures when you search. Notebooks sync through OneDrive with 5 GB of free storage, and several people can co-author a shared notebook at the same time. If you pay for Microsoft 365 Personal, from $9.99 a month, you also get 1 TB of OneDrive storage and Copilot in OneNote for Windows.
Frequently asked questions
Is OneNote really free, and what does Obsidian cost?
Both core apps are free. OneNote's free apps run on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web with a Microsoft account, which includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage; the free app has no Copilot. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and adds 1 TB of storage and Copilot in OneNote for Windows; Family is $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year for up to 6 people with 2 TB shared, and Premium $19.99 or $199.99. Obsidian needs no sign-up and its commercial license is optional. Sync Standard costs $4 per user a month billed yearly ($5 monthly), Sync Plus $8 ($10 monthly), and Publish $8 per site a month billed yearly ($10 monthly). These are the US dollar prices both vendors listed in October 2026.
Which devices do Obsidian and OneNote run on, and do they work offline?
Obsidian's download page lists apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and browser extensions only for its Web Clipper; no web version of the app is listed. Because the notes are files on your device, Obsidian works without an internet connection. OneNote is free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. Its Windows app keeps a local copy of each notebook for offline edits and merges them when you are back online, and on iPhone and iPad pending changes sync later too. The Windows app can also keep a notebook on your PC, while the Mac app keeps all notes in OneDrive.
Can I move my notes from OneNote to Obsidian?
Yes, with the official Obsidian Importer plugin, which you install from Community Plugins. You can sign in with your Microsoft account to import notebooks synced to OneDrive, or import .one and .onepkg files without an account or an internet connection. Each section becomes a folder and each page a Markdown note. Notebooks other people shared with you are not supported, and pages in password-protected sections are skipped. Obsidian's help says only the OneNote desktop app for Windows can export .one or .onepkg files, not the Mac app or the older OneNote for Windows 10 app.
Which one keeps notes more private?
Obsidian stores notes as files on your device. Its Sync add-on uses AES-256 end-to-end encryption by default, so Obsidian cannot read the notes you sync; if you choose standard encryption for a remote vault instead, Obsidian manages the key and can decrypt that data. OneNote keeps notebooks in OneDrive or SharePoint (the Windows app can also keep one on your PC) and lets you lock a section, not a single page or a whole notebook, with a password using 128-bit AES. If you forget a section's password, not even Microsoft can unlock those notes.
Do Obsidian and OneNote have AI features?
OneNote has Copilot, which summarizes notes, creates task lists and rewrites text. It needs Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium, where it works only in the Windows app, or a Microsoft Copilot work license; the free app has none. In Obsidian, AI comes through the Interpreter in its Web Clipper browser extension, which uses your own AI provider key or a local Ollama model, or through community plugins.
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