I recently started using Obsidian as a secondary note management tool. While I still consider Notion much more powerful, especially for complex database management, something makes me nervous about Notion: the lack of proper offline support.

This limitation becomes particularly frustrating during my travels. I have time available, but rarely a stable connection. It’s in this context that I discovered Obsidian for my writing activities, while keeping Notion for my task management.

Obsidian offers me the ability to work offline, keep a local copy of my work, while synchronizing my notes across multiple devices (laptop, mobile, tablet). The more I use it, the more I appreciate it.

Discovering Obsidian

What is Obsidian?

In its basic version, Obsidian presents itself as a simple note-taking application with markdown support. But this apparent simplicity hides a different philosophy:

Obsidian is a personal knowledge base and note-taking software application that operates on Markdown files. It allows users to make internal links for notes and then to visualize the connections as a graph. It is designed to help users organize and structure their thoughts and knowledge in a flexible, non-linear way. The software is free for personal use, with paid commercial licenses available.

Key differences with other tools

What truly distinguishes Obsidian from other available solutions:

Local storage: Obsidian is not a SaaS application. All files are stored locally on your device (laptop, mobile, tablet). You maintain complete control over your data.

Openness and transparency: Although Obsidian is not open source, the approach remains very open regarding file format, storage, and plugin development. Everything is transparent and easily transferable, backupable, or deletable.

These two characteristics guarantee both the “ownership” of content by hosting it on your machine rather than in the cloud, and the ability to easily migrate your content to other solutions, as the markdown format is widely accepted.

Economic model

By default, Obsidian is free, but a paid version exists for content synchronization across multiple devices. Personally, I opted for a free alternative that I’ll detail later.

Practical getting started

Simple and fast installation

Installing Obsidian is remarkably simple. Just download the computer application from the official website or the mobile version from the App Store (available on iOS and Android).

The process is straightforward, with no complex configuration or mandatory account creation to get started.

Customization and plugins

By default, features are deliberately simple and limited. This is where Obsidian’s strength comes in: a huge catalog of plugins allows you to customize the tool according to your specific needs.

Rather than recommending default plugins, I prefer to adapt suggestions to usage patterns. Each user can shape their Obsidian according to their particular workflow.

The module ecosystem

The plugin ecosystem is impressive. You can, for example:

  • Add a kanban board for project management
  • Customize the interface according to your preferences
  • Integrate a rich editor
  • Develop your own plugins if necessary

This flexibility allows for extensive customization, transforming the simple tool into a real Swiss Army knife adapted to your needs.

Advanced configuration

Multi-device synchronization: the free solution

If you already have cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Drive…), there’s a free solution for synchronizing your content across multiple devices: the “Remotely Save” plugin.

This approach offers a double advantage:

  • Your content is automatically backed up to the cloud
  • Synchronization between devices works perfectly
  • All without additional cost

Workflow optimization

The beauty of Obsidian lies in its adaptability. Unlike rigid tools, you can shape your work environment according to your habits:

For writing: Clean interface, focus mode, real-time preview For research: Link graphs, advanced tags, semantic search For project management: Kanban boards, task tracking, calendars

Plugins according to usage

Rather than imposing a universal list, the ideal is to identify your specific needs and search for corresponding plugins. The community is active and solutions are numerous for practically all use cases.

Experience feedback

Advantages discovered in use

After a few weeks of use, several positive points clearly emerge:

Offline reliability: No more frustration during travels. Work continues, connection or not.

Data ownership: Having your files locally provides peace of mind. No dependency on an external service to access your work.

Progressive evolution: Each day brings a discovery, a workflow improvement. The tool grows with the user.

Identified limitations

Let’s be honest, Obsidian isn’t perfect for all uses:

Limited collaboration: If you work in a team with real-time collaboration needs, better look elsewhere. Obsidian excels for personal work or small groups.

Learning curve: The richness of possibilities can be confusing at first. It takes time to find your optimal configuration.

Comparison with Notion

For Notion users like me, the transition requires adjustments:

What’s missing: Complex databases, multiple views, some advanced collaborative features.

What compensates: Speed, offline stability, simplicity of use once configured, and especially that feeling of total control over your data.

I’ve been using Obsidian for only a few weeks, but each day confirms that I’ve found the right tool for my writing needs. The progression is constant and natural.

For note-taking beginners, Obsidian is an excellent choice. Its initial simplicity allows for progressive adoption, and its flexibility accompanies the evolution of needs.

For Notion users, expect an adaptation period. You might be frustrated by certain limitations, particularly the absence of complex databases. But if writing and personal knowledge management are your priorities, the transition is worth it.

For collaborative work, Obsidian shows its limits. If your main usage involves real-time collaboration, orient yourself toward other solutions.

One last question for those already using Obsidian: what plugins have you adopted? I’m curious to discover the configurations and optimizations you’ve implemented to enrich your experience.

The Obsidian adventure is just beginning, and I’m eager to see how this tool will continue to evolve with my writing needs.