Software Alternatives & Startups

UpNote VS Obsidian

Compare UpNote VS Obsidian and see what are their differences

UpNote

A beautiful and clean cross-platform app for notes organizer

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
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

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Obsidian seems to be a lot more popular than UpNote. While we know about 1527 links to Obsidian, we've tracked only 84 mentions of UpNote.

social mentions
84 vs 1,527
user rating
5.0 vs 5.0
Note Taking popularity
11% vs 89%

Base details

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

UpNote
Obsidian
Website getupnote.com obsidian.md
Pricing —
Company Startup from Vietnam Startup from the United States
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

UpNote 8 features
Obsidian 6 features
  • User-Friendly Interface
    UpNote has a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and use.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    The app is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, allowing for seamless syncing across devices.
  • Rich Text Editing
    UpNote provides robust text editing features, including support for Markdown, which makes formatting notes straightforward.
  • Offline Access
    Notes can be accessed and edited offline, ensuring that you can work without an internet connection.
  • Organizational Features
    The app offers various organizational tools such as notebooks, tags, and a drag-and-drop interface for arranging notes.
  • Privacy and Security
    UpNote emphasizes user privacy and includes features like locking individual notes for added security.
  • Customization Options
    Users can customize the look and feel of the app through various themes and layout options.
  • Affordability
    UpNote offers a one-time purchase option in addition to a subscription model, making it affordable for long-term use.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of UpNote has limitations on the number of notes and features available, which may be restrictive for heavy users.
  • No Web Version
    Unlike some competitors, UpNote does not offer a web-based version, limiting accessibility from non-supported devices.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, some users may find the range of features overwhelming at first.
  • Less Established
    As a relatively newer app, UpNote does not have the same level of third-party integrations or community support as some older, more established note-taking apps.
  • Sync Issues
    Some users have reported occasional syncing issues between devices, which can be a minor inconvenience.
  • No Collaboration Features
    The app currently lacks real-time collaboration features, making it less suitable for team projects.
  • 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.

UpNote
Obsidian

Overall verdict

  • UpNote is a solid choice for individuals seeking a straightforward, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing note-taking solution. Its balance of simplicity and functionality makes it a competent tool for both personal and professional use.

Why this product is good

  • UpNote is a popular note-taking application known for its clean user interface and robust feature set. It offers easy organization through notebooks and tags, a wide range of formatting options, and the ability to sync across multiple devices. Users appreciate its focus mode for distraction-free writing, custom themes, and support for markdown. It also provides a seamless offline mode, making it accessible whenever needed.

Recommended for

    UpNote is highly recommended for students, professionals, and writers who need an organized space to capture thoughts, manage tasks, or store information. It's especially suited for users who prefer a minimalist design with powerful features, and those who need seamless synchronization across devices.

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.

UpNote 0 videos + Add
Obsidian 1 video + Add

No UpNote videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

OBSIDIAN: Getting Started, Facts & Pricing

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
UpNote
Obsidian
11% 11%
89% 89%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using UpNote and Obsidian. 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.

UpNote 5.0 · 1 review
Obsidian 5.0 · 2 reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

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

UpNote 84 mentions
Obsidian 1527 mentions
  • My productivity app is a never-ending .txt file
    For those that don't want to manage backups, sync and versioning, UpNote[1] a has scheduled offline backup and restore in Markdown format. Supports Android stylus/Apple Pencil drawing as bonus. Joplin comes second but is difficult to... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Best app like notion/obsidian ?
    I'd check out Upnote - https://getupnote.com/. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Your Favorite Note Taking App
    UpNote was my winner. Easiest, most flexible formatting (the only app with keyboard shortcuts for text colors and highlight colors), among many other features. More intuitive than most of the recommendations you'll see here. Actually has... Source: almost 3 years ago

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  • Take Your AI's Questions Out of the Terminal
    This is a decision page. Claude Code wrote it after reading a project's notes, and it shows the detail a chat question leaves out. I answer it in Obsidian. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • How can software developers stay motivated at work?
    For note-taking, I recommend Obsidian. It's lightweight, has a large community, and offers plenty of useful plugins. I use the Timekeep plugin myself, which helps me connect tasks with the time spent on them. - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • 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 2 months ago

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Alternatives to UpNote and Obsidian

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