Both apps can keep a personal notebook running without a compulsory subscription. The more useful choice is how you want to manage that notebook: an app-managed collection with import and export tools, or a folder of Markdown files that other programs can edit directly. Compare the storage model, your actual devices and the work involved in moving out again before paying for synchronization.
Choose Joplin when notebook organization and an Evernote import route fit your archive. Choose Obsidian when direct access to ordinary Markdown files is a firm requirement. Both offer free local use. Cloud sync is a separate decision, with different storage limits and currencies. This is a documentation comparison, not a matched speed or reliability test.
Based on the documented differences below. Your priorities can change the choice.Joplin supports ENEX import, notebook organization and several sync destinations without requiring Joplin Cloud.
ENEX imports notes and resources; complex formatting and some inter-note links may need repair.
SourceAn Obsidian vault is a local folder of Markdown files, so another text editor can work with the same note text.
All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions.
SourcePublished prices keep their original currency and billing terms. Taxes, promotions and checkout prices can differ.
Free open-source application
AvailabilityGlobal
Optional external storage may have its own cost.
SourceMonthly subscription
AvailabilityEUR public list price
2 GB and 10 MB per note or attachment.
SourceAnnual subscription
AvailabilityEUR public list price
Vendor's explicit annual total; do not calculate it from the rounded monthly equivalent.
SourceMonthly subscription
AvailabilityEUR public list price
30 GB and 200 MB per note or attachment.
SourceAnnual subscription
AvailabilityEUR public list price
Includes creating shared notebooks.
SourceNo account or paid license required
AvailabilityGlobal
Free for personal and commercial use.
SourceBilled monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
1 vault, 1 GB storage and 5 MB maximum file.
SourceBilled annually per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from the advertised $4 per month billed annually.
SourceBilled monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
10 vaults, 10 GB storage and 200 MB maximum file.
SourceBilled annually per site
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from $8 per month billed annually; separate from Sync.
SourceEnter the offers you see at checkout. These are your estimates, separate from our sourced prices above. Use the same currency and region for every offer. This worksheet supports monthly bills, annual bills and purchases that cover the full year. Day-based passes and introductory rates need their actual renewal schedule checked separately.
The scenario starts with a payment today and assumes 12 months of use at the same entered price, including any renewal. Monthly extras repeat 12 times; one-time extras are counted once. It excludes discounts, price changes, refunds, cancellation fees and anything you have not entered. Amounts are rounded to the currency’s usual precision. Confirm the actual charge and contract with the vendor.
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13 features
Row headings group related topics. Each answer keeps its specific scope. An unverified answer means we do not have enough evidence.
Offline access
The app keeps notes locally and is designed for offline use.
Offline access
The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns.
Sync choices
Joplin Cloud, Nextcloud, S3, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive and local filesystem are supported.
Not yet verified for this product.
Encryption
End-to-end encryption is supported but must first be enabled on one device and synchronized to the others.
Notebook sharing
Cloud Basic can join another user's shared notebook. Pro or above can create a notebook share.
Shared vaults
All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions.
Export
JEX preserves notes and metadata for Joplin restores; HTML and PDF exports are also documented.
Portability
Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder.
Evernote import
ENEX imports notes and resources; complex formatting and some inter-note links may need repair.
Notion migration
API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases.
Free app
The local application is free and open source; Joplin Cloud is optional.
Core app cost
Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services.
Local OCR
Desktop processes PNG, JPEG and PDF text offline. OCR results can sync to mobile; handwriting is not supported.
Not yet verified for this product.
AI
Joplin Cloud plans list an AI chat beta for desktop. It is distinct from the core local editor.
Not yet verified for this product.
Not yet verified for this product.
Storage format
Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors.
Not yet verified for this product.
Use at work
Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support.
Not yet verified for this product.
Team limit
A shared vault supports at most 20 collaborators according to the current help page.
| Feature | Joplin | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Devices Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android; Cloud plans also include a web app. | Devices Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps are documented. Vendor documentedSource |
| Offline use | Offline access The app keeps notes locally and is designed for offline use. Vendor documentedSource | Offline access The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns. Vendor documentedSource |
| Sync choices | Sync choices Joplin Cloud, Nextcloud, S3, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive and local filesystem are supported. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Privacy and storage | Encryption End-to-end encryption is supported but must first be enabled on one device and synchronized to the others. Vendor documentedSource | Sync privacy Official Sync documents end-to-end encryption; local-only use does not send notes to Obsidian. |
| Collaboration | Notebook sharing Cloud Basic can join another user's shared notebook. Pro or above can create a notebook share. Vendor documentedSource | Shared vaults All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions. Vendor documentedSource |
| Export | Export JEX preserves notes and metadata for Joplin restores; HTML and PDF exports are also documented. Vendor documentedSource | Portability Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder. Vendor documentedSource |
| Project portability | Evernote import ENEX imports notes and resources; complex formatting and some inter-note links may need repair. Vendor documentedSource | Notion migration API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases. Vendor documentedSource |
| Free plan limits | Free app The local application is free and open source; Joplin Cloud is optional. Vendor documentedSource | Core app cost Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services. Vendor documentedSource |
| Local OCR | Local OCR Desktop processes PNG, JPEG and PDF text offline. OCR results can sync to mobile; handwriting is not supported. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| AI features | AI Joplin Cloud plans list an AI chat beta for desktop. It is distinct from the core local editor. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Storage format | Not yet verified for this product. | Storage format Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors. Vendor documentedSource |
| Use at work | Not yet verified for this product. | Use at work Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support. Vendor documentedSource |
| Team limit | Not yet verified for this product. | Team limit A shared vault supports at most 20 collaborators according to the current help page. Vendor documentedSource |
Imagine closing the app for a year and then needing one important note. In Obsidian, the text already exists as a Markdown file inside your vault. Joplin provides explicit export routes: JEX is intended for a Joplin restore, while readable exports serve a different purpose. Neither choice removes the need to preserve attachments and test a recovery. If external file tools are central to your work, Obsidian's storage model is a concrete advantage. If you prefer managing notebooks inside one application, a deliberate Joplin export routine may be enough. These are workflow judgments, not measurements of which application is easier for every reader.
Source 1Source 2Joplin's core application is free and open source. Obsidian is free for personal and commercial use without a required account; its commercial support license is optional. A person using one computer may therefore have no compulsory app subscription with either choice. Once you need another device, list the sync route and any storage service separately. Do not count a cloud plan you already pay for as automatically compatible, or treat the word free as a promise that support, hosting and every add-on cost nothing. Compare the actual setup you intend to maintain rather than the largest advertised feature bundle.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Joplin Cloud Basic lists €2.99 month to month or €28.69 for a year, with 2 GB of storage and a 10 MB note or attachment limit. Obsidian Sync Standard lists US$5 monthly or US$4 per month billed annually, equivalent to US$48 for that year, with 1 GB and a 5 MB file limit. These are different currencies and commitments, so this is not a converted cheapest-plan ranking. An 8 MB scan fits the documented Basic item ceiling but exceeds Standard's file ceiling. Check your largest actual attachment before comparing totals. Bigger plans exist, but buying more storage does not establish that a mobile workflow will work well.
Source 1Source 2Local storage and encrypted synchronization answer different questions. Obsidian states that local-only data is not sent to its server; official Sync adds an encrypted remote service. Joplin supports end-to-end encryption, but it needs to be enabled on one device before the others receive that setup through sync. This guide has not audited either encryption implementation or tested a lost-device scenario. Keep device access, recovery information and third-party plugins in your decision. A privacy preference can favor a local workflow without justifying an unsupported claim that one app is secure against every threat.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Joplin's ENEX importer documents changes to complex formatting and uncertainty when restoring some internal links. Our separate three-note synthetic fixture preserved its PNG bytes and basic content, but that narrow result is not a full Evernote migration or an Obsidian comparison. For a new trial, choose a table, an attachment, two cross-linked notes and any formatting that carries meaning. For Obsidian, check whether your existing export really produces usable files and attachment paths. A file extension alone cannot establish that every app-specific behavior survives. Keep an untouched source archive until you can retrieve the information you actually need.
Source 1Source 2A personal notebook shortlist can fail when a second person needs to edit it. Joplin Cloud Basic can participate in a shared notebook but cannot start a notebook share; Pro can. Obsidian's shared vaults require an active Sync subscription for each collaborator and do not provide live co-editing on the same file or fine-grained permissions. If your real task is a tightly controlled team workspace, evaluate that task directly instead of assuming a paid sync account provides it. For a personal archive, avoid letting collaboration features you will never use decide the purchase.
Source 1Source 2Try one disposable notebook or vault before transferring a permanent collection. Write a note, attach a small file, link two notes and create a separate recoverable copy. Then reopen that copy using the intended recovery route. This is a proposed checklist rather than a claim that we completed a matched trial in both apps. Choose Joplin if its notebook and import model resolves your actual problem. Choose Obsidian if working directly with files makes ongoing retrieval and reuse simpler. Revisit the sync purchase only after the local workflow passes your own acceptance check.
Source 1Source 2For a notebook archive with a documented Evernote import route, start with Joplin. For a working folder of Markdown files you want to edit and reuse outside the app, start with Obsidian. Both can avoid a compulsory local-app subscription. Your sync destination, attachment size and recovery routine decide the rest.
Yes, both support free local use. Joplin Cloud and Obsidian Sync are optional services. A separate storage provider or hosting setup can have its own costs.
No. Obsidian's current license overview says commercial use is free. The paid commercial license is optional support.
An 8 MB file exceeds Obsidian Sync Standard's 5 MB maximum. Joplin Cloud Basic lists a 10 MB note or attachment limit. This compares documented plan ceilings, not a tested mobile transfer or reliability result.
No matched Joplin-versus-Obsidian test was completed. The separate Joplin ENEX observation covers a small synthetic import and export only. This comparison uses official documentation and labels recommendations as editorial judgments.
Evidence used for this comparison. A checked date records when we reviewed the source, not a promise that the vendor has made no changes since.
joplinapp.org
joplinapp.org
joplinapp.org
joplinapp.org
joplinapp.org
help.obsidian.md
help.obsidian.md
obsidian.md
help.obsidian.md
obsidian.md
Note-taking · Shortlist Joplin when you want an open-source notebook and a choice of storage service. Keep Evernote in the shortlist when capture and archive retrieval are already valuable enough to justify the plan. Do a representative migration test before canceling or deleting anything.
Note-taking · Start with Notion for an ongoing team process with shared pages and structured records. Start with Obsidian for a personal archive you want to control as files. Neither wins every workflow and neither should be chosen solely because an old comparison says the other cannot work offline.
Note-taking · Shortlist Obsidian for direct file access and a mixed Windows, Linux or Apple setup. Shortlist Bear when your daily writing happens on Apple devices and you prefer its focused notes model. Browser access does not erase Bear's native-platform limits.
