Notes, tasks, passwords, journal, files, calendar, contacts and bookmarks, with mood and medication tracking. Encrypted on your device. Open source, no ads, no trackers. Free forever; Pro is a one-time purchase.
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Which is more popular?
Based on our record, Obsidian
seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned
1532 times
since March 2021.
social mentions
1,532 vs 0
Note Taking popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 14
Base details
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
Obsidian6 featuresMarkdownViewerPlusPlus5 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.
Integration with Notepad++ MarkdownViewerPlusPlus integrates seamlessly with Notepad++, making it easy to preview markdown files within the popular text editor environment.
User-Friendly Interface The plugin offers a straightforward and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and utilize markdown features efficiently.
Real-Time Preview Users can see real-time previews of markdown content as they edit, enhancing workflow efficiency and allowing for immediate feedback on formatting.
Customization Options MarkdownViewerPlusPlus provides various options for customization, allowing users to adjust settings and preferences to suit their specific markdown rendering needs.
Support for Multiple Formats The plugin supports various markdown formats and extensions, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of markdown syntaxes and uses.
Possible disadvantages
Limited to Notepad++ As a plugin specifically for Notepad++, its functionality is limited to users who are already using Notepad++ or are willing to switch from another editor.
Dependency on Electron MarkdownViewerPlusPlus depends on Electron for previewing markdown, which may result in heavier resource usage compared to lightweight alternatives.
Platform Limitations Because Notepad++ is primarily a Windows application, MarkdownViewerPlusPlus shares this limitation, restricting its use on other operating systems without additional workarounds.
Possible Performance Issues Some users might experience performance issues if handling very large markdown files or complex documents due to its rendering engine.
Requires Manual Installation Users need to manually install the plugin and configure it within Notepad++, which might be cumbersome for users less familiar with plugins and extensions.
Analysis
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.
ObsidianMarkdownViewerPlusPlus
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
MarkdownViewerPlusPlus is a solid, lightweight open-source plugin that adds convenient Markdown rendering to Notepad++, making it a good choice for users already working within that editor.
Why this product is good
Free and open-source, hosted on GitHub with community contributions and transparency
Integrates directly into Notepad++, so you can edit and preview Markdown without switching applications
Lightweight and simple, focused on doing one job—rendering Markdown—well
Live preview support lets you see formatted output as you write
Actively maintained with responsive issue tracking and updates on GitHub
Recommended for
Notepad++ users who frequently write or read Markdown files
Developers and writers who want a quick preview without a separate Markdown editor
Users on Windows who prefer lightweight, no-cost tooling
Documentation authors and note-takers working in plain text
Anyone who values open-source software they can inspect and customize
One thing to note: Notion bills itself as an Evernote competitor for personal users. It can be—but it's too much for most people, and its offline functionality isn't the best. If you love the idea of Notion, go right...
This app is the kind of thing that, if you’re into it, will have you exploring its various ins, outs, and add-ons for days and weeks on end. Obsidian uses the Markdown format for its notes (which means they can be...
However, it's important to note that Obsidian's whiteboard functionality is not as robust as dedicated collaboration tools. While it lacks real-time basic collaboration features, Obsidian compensates with its vibrant...
The reasons live somewhere else: in practice notes in an Obsidian vault, one note per convention, with the repos it has held in. A note starts as an idea, moves to trialing, and only becomes enforced once I've applied it again in a few...
- Source: dev.to
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2 days ago
It's the team version of the second brain you build with Obsidian and Claude.
- Source: dev.to
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6 days ago
Mine and yours first Obsidian plugin
The first time I downloaded Obsidian was about two years ago and I really liked the concept of storing everything locally in simple markdown files without unnecessary clutter.
- Source: dev.to
/
5 days ago
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.
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