Obsidian VS refern.

• 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.

• Infinite Canvas
  Arrange references on an infinite spatial canvas with layers, text, and groups.
• Canvas Drawing & Shapes
  Freehand pen with pressure, eraser, 9 shape tools, and color swatches.
• In-App Image Cropping
  Crop images in place or save as a new copy, with crop provenance tracked.
• Image Filters
  Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue on images and canvas elements.
• Never Copies Your Files
  References images from your own folders. No proprietary library, no doubled disk.
• Relationship Graph View
  Navigate your library as a graph of folders, tags, canvases, and linked images.
• Visual Similarity Search
  Find similar images locally with a built-in feature vector. No uploads, no API cost.
• Color Search
  Search your library by hex code or dominant color with fast local scoring.
• Operator Search
  Full-text search with 16 inline operators like type:, tag:, rating:>=3, and color:.
• Hierarchical Tags
  Parent-child hierarchies, tag groups, linked tags, and macros for bulk tagging.
• Smart Folders
  Saved multi-condition searches that stay up to date automatically.
• Image Grouping
  Stack related references into groups shown as fan cards in the grid.
• Cross-References & Backlinks
  Link any asset to any other and see backlinks across folders and canvases.
• Grid Layout Modes
  Masonry, justified, and horizontal layouts, set globally or per folder.
• Duplicate Detection
  Find duplicate images by perceptual hash with an is:duplicate query.
• Metadata Management
  Rating, color labels, description, notes, source URL, creator, and custom fields.
• Directory Metadata Presets
  Auto-apply tags and metadata when files are added to a folder.
• EXIF / IPTC / XMP Import
  Read embedded tags and ratings from images for DAM interoperability.
• Import Staging
  Drag, drop, or paste images into a staging area with metadata pre-fill and dedup.
• Browser Extension
  Save images from the web with hover buttons and batch save (Chrome, Firefox, Safari).
• Eagle Import
  Migrate an existing Eagle library into refern.
• Disk Sync
  Detect external file changes and reconcile your library with what is on disk.
• Timed Study Mode
  Full-screen reference practice sessions with configurable duration and count.
• Pin Window On Top
  Always-on-top mode keeps references visible while you work.
• Window Transparency
  Adjustable window opacity for overlay reference.
• Click-Through Mode
  Interact with apps beneath the transparent window.
• Desktop Screenshot Tool
  Capture your screen directly into your library.
• Scales to Millions of Images
  Streaming indexer handles 2M+ file libraries with bounded memory.
• RAW & HEIC Support
  Decodes camera RAW, HEIC, SVG, and standard image formats into thumbnails.
• Directory Customization
  Custom folder icons, cover images, and backgrounds in the tree and grid.
• Local-First & Private
  Works fully offline. No account, no telemetry. Files stay on your disk.

OBSIDIAN: Getting Started, Facts & Pricing

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

• Running Claude Code, Codex and Cursor Side by Side: How I Work With Them

  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 / 2 days ago

• The Manager Who Doesn't Use AI Has Already Lost: Hard Skills

  It's the team version of the second brain you build with Obsidian and Claude. - Source: dev.to / 7 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

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Tracking refern. since Mar 2024.