Software Alternatives & Startups

Obsidian VS fd

Compare Obsidian VS fd and see what are their differences

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
fd

A simple, fast and user-friendly alternative to 'find'.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Obsidian seems to be a lot more popular than fd. While we know about 1525 links to Obsidian, we've tracked only 130 mentions of fd.

social mentions
1,525 vs 130
Note Taking popularity
93% vs 7%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 72

Base details

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

Obsidian
fd
Website obsidian.md github.com
Pricing
Open source
Company Startup from the United States Startup from Germany
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Obsidian 6 features
fd 6 features
  • 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.
  • Speed
    fd is optimized for speed and can outperform traditional tools like find due to its use of parallelism and optimized algorithms.
  • Ease of Use
    fd has a simpler and more user-friendly syntax compared to find, making it easier to learn and use.
  • Colorized Output
    fd provides colorized output by default, making it easier to differentiate between file types and enhancing readability.
  • Smart Case
    fd enables smart case detection by default, meaning searches are case-insensitive unless the pattern includes an uppercase letter.
  • Defaults to Ignoring Hidden Files
    By default, fd ignores hidden files and directories, as well as files specified in .gitignore, helping to narrow down search results to relevant files.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    fd supports multiple platforms including Linux, macOS, and Windows, making it versatile for different development environments.

Possible disadvantages

  • Dependency on Rust
    fd requires the Rust toolchain to build, which may be inconvenient for environments where installing additional dependencies is restricted.
  • Limited to Modern Features
    fd may not support some legacy systems and older versions of operating systems, limiting its applicability in certain scenarios.
  • Not as Feature-Rich
    While fd is easier to use, it doesn't have all the advanced features and fine-grained control options that find offers.
  • Compatibility
    fd’s simplified syntax and modern features may not be directly compatible with scripts or workflows that depend on find, requiring adjustments for integration.

Analysis

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

Obsidian
fd

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.

Overall verdict

  • Yes, fd (github.com) is generally considered good, particularly for its speed, ease of use, and modern features that enhance productivity over the traditional 'find' command.

Why this product is good

  • fd is a program for users who need a fast and user-friendly alternative to the traditional 'find' command. It provides a simple syntax, speed improvements by parallelizing search processes, ignores hidden files and directories by default, and offers colorized outputs, making it more intuitive and efficient for everyday use.

Recommended for

    fd is recommended for developers, system administrators, and power users who often search through directories and require a fast, efficient tool with a shorter learning curve.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Obsidian 1 video + Add
fd 3 videos + Add

OBSIDIAN: Getting Started, Facts & Pricing

Discmania FD (Fairway Driver) Golf Disc Review

More videos

  • - Honda Civic FD | Review & Tips If you want to own one
  • - Regular Car Reviews: 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD

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
Obsidian
fd
93% 93%
7% 7%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using Obsidian and fd. 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.

Obsidian 5.0 · 2 reviews
fd no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

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

Obsidian 1525 mentions
fd 130 mentions
  • 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 1 month 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 / 25 days ago
  • Which Markdown editor to choose
    Inline preview, usually called WYSIWYG. Obsidian's Live Preview mode hides the syntax except where the cursor is. Obsidian is a far better personal knowledge base than anything else on this page, with backlinks, a graph and years of... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago

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  • I Replaced a 461-Million-Downloads-a-Month Glob Package With One Rust File
    Fast-glob was the Package Killer target, but it was not the only comparison worth making. Developers often reach for fd or ripgrep when they need to locate files from a terminal. They are mature native tools with excellent defaults, so... - Source: dev.to / 27 days ago
  • I wrote an bash enumerator because I was sick of xargs
    > Find works, but the syntax is arcane. Fd is a lifesaver: https://github.com/sharkdp/fd. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Biff is a command line datetime Swiss army knife
    I know that if you want `fd` (https://github.com/sharkdp/fd) you need to `apt install fd-find` and which installs the binary `fdfind` (!). - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago

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Alternatives to Obsidian and fd

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