Obsidian for Note-Taking

What Obsidian actually is

Obsidian is a note-taking app that stores everything as plain text Markdown files on your device. There's no cloud sync by default (you can add it), no proprietary format, no subscription required for the core app. Your notes are just files in a folder. The app's key feature is linking: you can link any note to any other note, and Obsidian generates a visual graph of how your notes connect.

We used Obsidian as our primary note-taking environment for three months. It replaced a Notion workspace that had become unwieldy. Here's what we found.

Who it's actually for

Obsidian works well if you take a lot of notes, want them to connect to each other, care about owning your data in an accessible format, and are comfortable with some technical setup. The "intermediate" difficulty rating reflects that getting the most from Obsidian requires configuring it — choosing a folder structure, installing the right community plugins, deciding how you want to link notes.

If you want a note app that works immediately, without configuration, and looks good out of the box, Obsidian is not the right starting point. Try Notion or Apple Notes first. Obsidian rewards investment in setup. If you're not prepared to spend time on that, the return won't be there.

What it does well

The file-based, plain-text approach is a genuine advantage. Your notes are Markdown files. They will be readable in 20 years without Obsidian. You can open them in any text editor, back them up to Dropbox, access them via terminal, or move them to a different app without data loss. After years of proprietary note apps locking content in formats only they could read, this is a significant practical benefit.

The linking system, once you build a meaningful set of notes, becomes genuinely useful. Being able to see which notes reference a concept, follow connections between ideas, and navigate a knowledge base by relationship rather than folder structure is a meaningful improvement over traditional hierarchical organisation.

The community plugin ecosystem is impressive. There are plugins for spaced repetition, PDF annotation, Kanban boards, calendar views, advanced tables, and hundreds of other functions. We use five plugins daily. The codebase is open and the community is active — new plugins appear regularly.

Performance is excellent. Obsidian opens instantly even with thousands of notes, doesn't slow down, and works offline completely. No loading spinners. No sync wait times. Just a fast, responsive application.

What it doesn't do well

The out-of-box experience is underwhelming. Obsidian's default interface is functional but not friendly. New users often spend their first hour wondering if they're doing it wrong. The blank-canvas approach is intentional but alienating if you've never used a note app that doesn't hold your hand.

Mobile sync requires either paying for Obsidian Sync (£8/month) or setting up a third-party sync solution. For a tool that positions itself as free, the friction around mobile use is a real limitation. We ended up using iCloud folder sync, which works but required setup time.

Obsidian is not great for databases or structured data. If you want to track habits, manage a CRM, or run a project with lots of properties and views, Notion or Airtable handles that better. Obsidian is for connected notes, not structured records.

Verdict

Obsidian is the best note-taking tool we've found for the specific use case it serves: building a personal knowledge base where ideas connect across time. The file-based approach, the link system, and the plugin ecosystem combine into something that feels genuinely valuable for people who write, research, or accumulate a lot of knowledge.

It requires an upfront investment in setup and a willingness to configure it. If you make that investment, it pays back steadily. If the setup overhead feels like a chore, use something else.

Best for: Writers, researchers, students, and knowledge workers who take substantial notes and want a system that grows smarter as it grows larger. Free to start, just plan to spend a few hours setting it up properly. Score: 8/10. Verdict: worth it.