RemNote VS Obsidian

Compare RemNote VS Obsidian and see what are their differences

Rating: 5.0 · 1 review

Alternatives Is it good?

Rating: 5.0 · 2 reviews

Alternatives Is it good?

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Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Obsidian seems to be a lot more popular than RemNote. While we know about 1524 links to Obsidian, we've tracked only 13 mentions of RemNote.

social mentions: 13 vs 1,524
user rating: 5.0 vs 5.0
Education popularity: 100% vs 0%

Base details

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

	RemNote	Obsidian
Website	remnote.com	obsidian.md
Pricing	—	Official pricing
Company	—	Startup from the United States
Listed in	Studying Education Spaced Repetition Language Learning +1	Knowledge Management Knowledge Base Markdown Editor Markdown Viewer Personal Notes Note Taking Notes Writing Tools Personal Productivity +6

About RemNote and Obsidian

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

RemNote

Obsidian

Supercharge your learning, thinking, and organization. Portals, References, and Backlinks Link notes and ideas to supercharge your memory, organization, and thinking skills. Notes and Flashcards Reunited Create flashcards directly within your notes to rapidly break down and remember any body of...

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

RemNote 7 features

Obsidian 6 features

Spaced Repetition
RemNote integrates a spaced repetition system that helps with long-term retention of information by scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.
Knowledge Management
Offers powerful tools for connecting, referencing, and organizing information, making it easier to manage a large amount of knowledge.
Note-taking and Flashcards
Supports both note-taking and flashcard creation within the same platform, providing convenience and a seamless user experience.
Bi-directional Linking
Allows users to create links between notes, enabling a network-like organization of information which can help in understanding complex topics.
Customizable Interface
The interface is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the experience to their specific needs and preferences.
Offline Access
Enables users to access their notes and flashcards offline, making it convenient for studying anywhere, anytime.
Community and Support
Active online community and support resources help users troubleshoot issues and share usage tips.

Possible disadvantages

Steep Learning Curve
The software has a steep learning curve due to its extensive features, which can be overwhelming for new users.
Pricing
While RemNote offers a free tier, some features are locked behind a premium subscription, which may not be affordable for all users.
Interface Complexity
The complex interface, while powerful, can be cluttered and may distract from focused study or note-taking sessions.
Mobile App Limitations
The mobile app is not as fully featured as the desktop version, which can limit productivity on the go.
Performance Issues
Some users have reported performance issues, such as lag or crashes, especially when handling large databases of notes.
Limited Export Options
Export options are somewhat limited, making it difficult to transfer notes and flashcards to other applications.

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.

RemNote

Obsidian

Overall verdict

Yes, RemNote is considered a good tool for those who are looking for an all-in-one solution that combines note-taking with an integrated spaced repetition system. Its strengths lie in its ability to link concepts easily, create detailed outlines, and ensure that knowledge is effectively retained over time.

Why this product is good

RemNote is a versatile tool designed for students, educators, and knowledge workers to effectively manage and organize knowledge. Its highlight features include spaced repetition flashcards, a powerful note-taking system that allows for hierarchical organization through 'Rems', backlinking, and the ability to create a personal knowledge database. These features facilitate long-term retention of information and the interconnection of ideas, which is especially beneficial for effective learning and knowledge management.

Recommended for

Students who need an efficient way to study and retain information.
Educators looking for a tool to organize their teaching materials and share them with students.
Professionals who require a tool for knowledge management and concept mapping.
Lifelong learners who are interested in creating a comprehensive and interconnected knowledge base.

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.

RemNote 2 videos + Add

Obsidian 1 video + Add

RemNote - Roam like App with Spaced Repetition System

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

RemNote

Obsidian

100% 100%

0% 0%

100% 100%

0% 0%

100% 100%

User comments

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

Reviews and articles

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

RemNote 5.0 · 1 review

Obsidian 5.0 · 2 reviews

10 Best Anki Alternatives 2022
rigorousthemes.com · Aug 2022

RemNote adopts a more structured way of learning. For starters, the app is a note-taking app first, and the flashcard feature is secondary. This means that you can take well-organized notes and then convert them into...
Anki Alternatives – 9 Similar Learning Apps You Need To Know
tools2study.com · Jan 2022

RemNote was developed by Anki users who found the “Question ➡️ Answer” format too one-dimensional. Instead of squeezing the required knowledge into “Question ➡️ Answer” blocks, you can use RemNote to present it the...
Best Next-Level Note Apps for 2021
zenkit.com · Jun 2021

What began as a research project at MIT developed into the software RemNote, a thinking and learning workspace to assist students in knowledge management. RemNote is a non-linear app enabling knowledge sharing....

The 6 best note-taking apps in 2024
zapier.com · Nov 2023

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...
The best note-taking apps for collecting your thoughts and data
www.theverge.com · Nov 2023

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...
The 5 Best Open Source Miro Alternatives in 2024
affine.pro · Aug 2023

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...

Social recommendations and mentions

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

RemNote 13 mentions

Obsidian 1524 mentions

Remnote
Has anybody used remnote.com for IGCSE? If so, how do you use it to make notes/revise? Source: about 3 years ago
Any effective study tips that don’t take up your whole day? Especially for midterm season.
Flashcards/spaced repetition is a great way to get familiar with concepts and terms for memorization based subjects. Some apps like Remnote and Quizlet are great since they make you practice concepts you're less familiar with more often... Source: almost 4 years ago
Remnote error message!
We've found and deployed a workaround; http://remnote.com and syncing are back! Thank you again for your patience. We'll post a final update once the underlying issue from our hosting provider is solved. Source: about 4 years 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 / 1 day 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 / 18 days ago
I Built a Self-Evolving Knowledge Base — Here's the Architecture
The stack is all open source: Obsidian, GBrain, Horizon, PGLite, and a couple of small Python scripts for the state machine and quality gates. None of the interesting parts are proprietary — the interesting part is the discipline. - Source: dev.to / 24 days ago

Alternatives to RemNote and Obsidian

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

Anki
Anki is a program which makes remembering things easy. Because it's a lot more efficient than traditional study methods, you can either greatly decrease your time spent studying, or greatly increase the amount you learn.

Compare Anki to RemNote or Obsidian:

Anki vs RemNote Anki vs Obsidian
Notion
All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.

Compare Notion to RemNote or Obsidian:

Notion vs RemNote Notion vs Obsidian
Quizlet
Quizlet allows you to review and create flashcards for a variety of subjects, such as math and reading.

Compare Quizlet to RemNote or Obsidian:

Quizlet vs RemNote Quizlet vs Obsidian
Logseq
Logseq is a local-first, non-linear, outliner notebook for organizing and sharing your personal knowledge base.

Compare Logseq to RemNote or Obsidian:

Logseq vs RemNote Logseq vs Obsidian
Memrise
Learn a new language with games, humorous chatbots and over 30,000 native speaker videos.

Compare Memrise to RemNote or Obsidian:

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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.

Compare Joplin to RemNote or Obsidian:

Joplin vs RemNote Joplin vs Obsidian