Obsidian
Obsidian is a cross-platform note-taking and personal knowledge management (PKM) application developed by Dynalist Inc. It allows users to create, link, and organize plain-text Markdown files stored locally on their computer. The app is often described as a "second brain" tool for managing ideas, research, and projects.
Overview
Obsidian was first released in 2020 and has since gained popularity among writers, researchers, and productivity enthusiasts. Unlike cloud-based note-taking apps, Obsidian emphasizes local-first storage, ensuring that users’ notes remain accessible and private. It supports Markdown formatting and enables users to link notes bi-directionally, creating a networked "knowledge graph."
Features
- **Local storage:** Notes are saved as plain-text Markdown files on the user’s device.
- **Linking and backlinks:** Users can connect notes bidirectionally to create a knowledge network.
- **Graph view:** Provides a visual representation of how notes are connected.
- **Plugins and themes:** Obsidian supports a wide range of community and core plugins for customization.
- **Sync and publish:** Paid services like Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish allow cloud synchronization and online publishing of notes.
Platform support
Obsidian is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as mobile versions for iOS and Android.
Licensing
Obsidian is free for personal use, with commercial licenses and optional paid services available. The core application is proprietary, but it stores data in open Markdown format, allowing interoperability with other text editors.