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Readwise VS Obsidian

Compare Readwise VS Obsidian and see what are their differences

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The feed reader for people that want to be in control featured
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Readwise logo Readwise

Effortlessly rediscover and organize your Kindle highlights

Obsidian logo Obsidian

GraphQL caching tool for the Deno runtime environment
  • Readwise Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-10
  • Obsidian Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-26

Readwise features and specs

  • Centralized System
    Readwise allows users to consolidate highlights and notes from various reading platforms, such as Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket, into one place.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is user-friendly, making it easy to import, organize, and review highlights.
  • Spaced Repetition
    Readwise uses spaced repetition algorithms to help users retain and recall information over time by regularly revisiting highlights.
  • Customizable Export Options
    Users can export their highlights and notes to other services like Evernote, Notion, or plain text files, allowing for flexible usage of the stored data.
  • Search Functionality
    Readwise offers robust search capabilities, making it simple to find specific highlights or notes across your library.

Possible disadvantages of Readwise

  • Subscription Cost
    Readwise operates on a subscription model, which may be considered expensive for some users relative to the features offered.
  • Limited Functionality Without Subscription
    While there is a free trial available, many features are gated behind a subscription, limiting the usability of the free version.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its overall user-friendliness, some users might find a learning curve when initially setting up and configuring the system to suit their needs.
  • Dependence on Third-Party Integrations
    Readwise’s value is largely dependent on its integrations with third-party services, meaning any changes or issues with those services can impact its effectiveness.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since Readwise collects and stores data from multiple reading platforms, there may be privacy concerns regarding how this data is handled and stored.

Obsidian features and specs

  • Customizability
    Obsidian offers a high level of customizability, allowing users to personalize their workspace with plugins, themes, and settings to suit their workflow preferences.
  • Markdown Support
    It uses Markdown for writing and formatting, enabling users to create and manage plaintext notes that are easy to export and compatible with other Markdown-supporting applications.
  • Local Storage
    Obsidian stores notes locally on your device, providing greater privacy and control over data without relying on cloud services for storage.
  • Linking and Backlinking
    The software excels in creating connections between notes through bidirectional linking, helping users to build a network of related ideas and facilitating complex knowledge management.
  • Community and Extensions
    A vibrant community offers numerous third-party plugins and extensions, enhancing the basic functionality of Obsidian and helping users to expand its capabilities to meet diverse needs.

Possible disadvantages of Obsidian

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and customizability, new users might face a steep learning curve when beginning to use Obsidian effectively.
  • Lack of Native Mobile App
    While Obsidian has mobile apps, some users feel they lack the full functionality and smooth experience of the desktop version, which can hinder productivity on the go.
  • No Built-in Cloud Sync
    Obsidian does not offer an integrated cloud syncing solution, requiring users to set up third-party cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive for cross-device access.
  • Resource Intensive with Large Vaults
    Handling very large vaults with numerous notes and extensive linking can become resource-intensive, potentially slowing down performance on less powerful devices.
  • Limited Task Management Features
    Obsidian is primarily a note-taking tool, and its built-in task management features are limited compared to dedicated task management applications.

Analysis of Readwise

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Readwise is well-regarded for its utility in helping users actively engage with and digest their reading materials. It provides a streamlined way to revisit and reinforce key concepts, making it a valuable tool for those serious about boosting their information retention.

Why this product is good

  • Readwise is designed to help users retain information from their readings by organizing, highlighting, and revisiting key excerpts. It integrates with various platforms like Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket to collate highlights in one place. The daily review feature encourages consistent engagement with past highlights, aiding in better recall and comprehension. The platform is beneficial for avid readers, students, and professionals who wish to maximize their learning retention and make the most out of their reading habits.

Recommended for

  • Avid readers looking to remember more from their books
  • Students who need to recall key concepts from academic materials
  • Professionals who want to maintain a repository of valuable insights from articles and reports for reference
  • Anyone interested in personal development and continuous learning through reading

Readwise videos

+ Add

Readwise: How to use Spaced Repetition with your books

More videos:

  • Review - Keep track of Kindle highlights with Readwise [#49] Adam Franklin

Obsidian videos

+ Add

I Tried Obsidian Note Taking for a Week... (MD App Review, Tips, Features, Guide, and Setup)

More videos:

  • Review - OBSIDIAN: Getting Started, Facts & Pricing
  • Review - Obsidian: The Most Secure Notion Alternative (not sponsored)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Readwise and Obsidian)

Readwise

Obsidian

Bookmark Manager
100 100%
Bookmark Manager
0% 0
Note Taking
83 83%
Note Taking
17% 17
Bookmarks
100 100%
Bookmarks
0% 0
Notes
0 0%
Notes
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Readwise and Obsidian

Readwise Reviews

  1. Klaus
    Great help to review books

    I imported my kindle highlights, as many others. Now I daily review some highlights (thanks to a dashboard, I am motivated). And where I didn't create highlights, as I only listened to the audiobooks, I get the highlights from others. It also allows to create beautiful quotes. It adds the book cover and matches quote and background with colours found on the book title! Really nice!

    👍 Pros:    Review books|Beautiful quotes|Dashboard motivates

Obsidian Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Readwise seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 87 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Readwise mentions (87)

  • Exporting Mac OSX Book Highlights into an Obsidian Vault or Markdown Files
    The only highlights that Readwise retrieves semi-automatically are from the books I buy from Kindle, by going into the Readwise app and clicking a button. If I upload them to Kindle or need highlights from the Apple Books app, I have to open the book, go to my highlights, select them all, and then email them to a Readwise email address. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Show HN: I combined spaced repetition with emails so you can remember anything
    Readwise also has this feature. I get a daily email with a random assortment of highlights that have been pulled in from multiple sources (Reader, Notion, Kindle, etc.) The product benefit in their case is that it's kind of like Zapier, but for notes. https://readwise.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Building a Code Snippet Library with Readwise, Obsidian, and Visual Studio Code
    Go to readwise.io and create an account if you don't already have one. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Mastering Knowledge Retention with Readwise and Obsidian
    Sign up for a Readwise account if you haven't already readwise.io. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Transform Your Note-Taking: How Readwise and Obsidian Enhance Memory and Learning
    Sign Up for Readwise: If you haven’t already, head over to Readwise and create an account. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

Obsidian mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Obsidian yet. Tracking of Obsidian recommendations started around Apr 2022.

What are some alternatives?

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

Clippings.io - Organize the notes you make on your Kindle

Joplin - 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.

Raindrop.io - All your articles, photos, video & content from web & apps in one place.

Google Keep - Capture notes, share them with others, and access them from your computer, phone or tablet. Free with a Google account.

Obsidian.md - 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.

Standard Notes - A safe place for your notes, thoughts, and life's work

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