Software Alternatives & Startups

Admin Columns VS Obsidian

Compare Admin Columns VS Obsidian and see what are their differences

Admin Columns

Admin Columns is a Wordpress plugin that lets users to create an editing environment in minutes.

Rating
0 reviews
Obsidian

A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Rating
5.0 · 2 reviews
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Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Obsidian seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1526 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 1,526
WordPress Plugins popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
28 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Admin Columns
Obsidian
Website admincolumns.com obsidian.md
Pricing
Company — Startup from the United States
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Admin Columns 5 features
Obsidian 6 features
  • Customization
    Admin Columns allows users to customize the WordPress admin columns extensively, providing the ability to add, remove, and rearrange columns within various admin screens. This boosts productivity by allowing users to organize information according to their needs.
  • Ease of Use
    The plugin offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, which makes it accessible to users of all technical levels without requiring coding skills.
  • Compatibility
    Admin Columns is compatible with various custom post types and fields, ensuring that it works well with a wide range of themes and plugins, including popular ones like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO.
  • Enhances Search and Filtering
    The plugin enhances search and filtering capabilities within the admin area, making it easier to find specific entries and improving the overall efficiency of managing large sets of data.
  • Support and Documentation
    Admin Columns offers comprehensive documentation and responsive support, helping users to quickly resolve any issues and make the most of the plugin’s features.

Possible disadvantages

  • Premium Features
    While Admin Columns offers a free version, many of its most advanced features are only available in the premium version, which may not be feasible for users with a limited budget.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    For users who are not familiar with WordPress, the extensive customization options can feel overwhelming, and it may take some time to fully understand all the potential functionalities.
  • Potential for Conflicts
    As with any WordPress plugin, there is a potential for conflicts with other plugins or themes, which can cause unexpected behavior in the admin interface.
  • Performance Impact
    Adding numerous custom columns, especially with active filtering and sorting, can potentially impact the performance of the WordPress admin interface, particularly on sites with large databases.
  • Local-first
    Obsidian stores your notes locally on your device, giving you full control over your data and enhancing privacy.
  • Markdown Support
    Obsidian uses Markdown, making it easy to format text and compatible with many other text editors and tools.
  • Bidirectional Linking
    You can create bidirectional links between notes, which helps in building a knowledge graph and navigating related information more easily.
  • Customizability
    Obsidian is highly customizable with community plugins, themes, and various settings to fit different workflows.
  • Graph View
    Provides a visual graph view of your notes and their connections, aiding in understanding relationships and discovering insights.
  • Offline Access
    Since the notes are stored locally, you can access and edit them without an internet connection.

Possible disadvantages

  • Learning Curve
    Obsidian can be complex and overwhelming for beginners due to its extensive features and customizable nature.
  • Sync Limitations
    While local-first is great for privacy, it requires additional steps or third-party solutions for syncing across devices.
  • No True Real-time Collaboration
    Obsidian lacks native real-time collaboration features, making it less suitable for collaborative work compared to cloud-based solutions.
  • Limited Mobile Features
    The mobile version of Obsidian, while functional, is not as robust as the desktop application, potentially hindering productivity on the go.
  • Dependence on Plugins
    Many advanced features require the use of third-party plugins, which could lead to compatibility issues and reliance on community support.
  • Performance on Large Vaults
    Performance might degrade with a very large number of notes or complex graphs, impacting usability.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Admin Columns
Obsidian

Overall verdict

  • Admin Columns is a solid, well-established WordPress plugin for customizing the admin list tables (posts, pages, users, custom post types). It's good if you need to manage and display more relevant data directly in your WP dashboard without digging into custom code.

Why this product is good

  • Allows adding, removing, and reordering columns in WordPress admin list views without coding
  • Supports custom fields from ACF, Pods, and other popular plugins out of the box
  • Enables inline editing of column values directly from the list view, saving time
  • Offers sorting and filtering by custom columns, improving content management efficiency
  • Has a mature track record with regular updates and compatibility with current WordPress versions
  • Provides both free and premium (Pro) versions, so you can start free and upgrade as needs grow
  • Good documentation and support for a plugin-focused business

Recommended for

  • WordPress site administrators managing large numbers of posts, pages, or custom post types
  • Agencies and developers building client sites that need customized, efficient admin dashboards
  • Site owners using ACF or Pods who want those custom fields visible in list tables
  • E-commerce or membership sites with WooCommerce or user-heavy data needing quick-glance admin views
  • Teams needing bulk inline editing to speed up content workflows without touching code

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Obsidian.md is an excellent tool for users looking for a versatile and powerful note-taking application. Its unique features such as backlinking, markdown support, and robust customization options make it a favorite among knowledge management enthusiasts.

Why this product is good

  • Obsidian.md is considered good by many users because it is a powerful knowledge management and note-taking application that leverages Markdown for document formatting. It allows for bi-directional linking between notes, which helps in creating a network of interconnected ideas, often described as a 'second brain.' Its ability to support plugins, themes, and robust graph visualization also adds to its appeal. Additionally, it stores notes locally, ensuring privacy and data ownership, while being cross-platform compatible across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Recommended for

  • Knowledge workers who need a powerful tool to organize and connect their thoughts.
  • Students who are looking to create a structured and visually interconnected note system.
  • Writers and researchers who benefit from linking related ideas and maintaining detailed notes.
  • Tech-savvy users or developers who appreciate the local storage and open ecosystem for plugins and customization.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Admin Columns 3 videos + Add
Obsidian 1 video + Add

Admin Columns Pro Review

More videos

  • - Admin Columns 4 - A Major Update of Admin Columns Pro
  • - Admin Columns Pro Review

OBSIDIAN: Getting Started, Facts & Pricing

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Admin Columns
Obsidian
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Admin Columns and Obsidian. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Admin Columns no reviews yet
Obsidian 5.0 · 2 reviews

We have no reviews of Admin Columns yet. Be the first one to post

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Admin Columns 0 mentions
Obsidian 1526 mentions

Tracking Admin Columns since Mar 2021.

  • How can software developers stay motivated at work?
    For note-taking, I recommend Obsidian. It's lightweight, has a large community, and offers plenty of useful plugins. I use the Timekeep plugin myself, which helps me connect tasks with the time spent on them. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Hermes Agent Use Cases: 5 Free Things You Can Set Up Today (2026)
    The setup that makes the output noticeably sharper is a memory layer. Connecting a plain-text notes app like Obsidian (free for personal use) gives the agent durable context: what your project is about, who it is for, and what you have... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • I Built SelfContext So I Could Stop Re-explaining Myself to AI
    The vault is compatible with Obsidian because the files are just Markdown, YAML frontmatter, and standard relative links. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago

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Alternatives to Admin Columns and Obsidian

When comparing Admin Columns and Obsidian, you can also consider the following products.