AFFiNE vs Obsidian: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for AFFiNE and Obsidian side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
AFFiNE
Your private, all-in-one workspace for docs, whiteboards, and databases
Best for you if:
- • You want open source
Obsidian
Private and flexible note-taking
Best for you if:
- • You want local-first privacy
| At a Glance | AFFiNE | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $6.75/mo, billed yearly Pro plan | Free plan, paid from $4/user/mo, billed monthly Sync plan |
Category | Productivity Note-Taking | Productivity Note-Taking |
Rating | n/a | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 12 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Team plan has 10-seat minimum | Sync ($4-5/month) is almost mandatory for multi-device users. While you can use free alternatives (iCloud, Google Drive, Git), they introduce sync conflicts that Obsidian Sync solves with end-to-end encryption and proper conflict resolution. Most serious users end up paying for Sync |
Choose AFFiNE or Obsidian?
Choose AFFiNE if
- You want open source
- You want local-first privacy
Choose Obsidian if
- You want local-first privacy
- You want extensible plugins
In-Depth Analysis
AFFiNE
Your private, all-in-one workspace for docs, whiteboards, and databases
AFFiNE's pricing is generally fair, with a generous Free tier offering 10 GB storage.
Watch out
Team plan has 10-seat minimum
Strengths
- Pro: Open source
- Pro: Local-first privacy
- Pro: Unified workspace
Weaknesses
- Con: Fewer integrations
- Con: Newer platform
Key features
Obsidian
Private and flexible note-taking
Obsidian core app is genuinely free with no feature gating, every note-taking and knowledge management feature works without paying.
Watch out
Sync ($4-5/month) is almost mandatory for multi-device users. While you can use free alternatives (iCloud, Google Drive, Git), they introduce sync conflicts that Obsidian Sync solves with end-to-end encryption and proper conflict resolution. Most serious users end up paying for Sync
Strengths
- Pro: Local-first privacy
- Pro: Extensible plugins
- Pro: Graph view
Weaknesses
- Con: Sync costs extra
- Con: Steep learning curve
Key features
Plans and prices: AFFiNE vs Obsidian
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AFFiNE |
| affine.pro/pricing read Oct 29, 2026 |
| Obsidian |
| obsidian.md/pricing read Oct 26, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on AFFiNE pricing and Obsidian pricing.
Key Takeaways
AFFiNE
- Choose if you want your private, all-in-one workspace for docs, whiteboards, and databases
Obsidian
- Choose if you want private and flexible note-taking
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Obsidian has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 12 reviews); AFFiNE has none we can show.
- Entry prices are not ranked, they are charged on different bases: AFFiNE $6.75/mo, billed yearly; Obsidian $4/user/mo, billed monthly.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
What Users Say
Frequently Asked Questions
How do AFFiNE and Obsidian compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Obsidian has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 12 reviews); AFFiNE has none we can show. Entry prices are not ranked, they are charged on different bases: AFFiNE $6.75/mo, billed yearly; Obsidian $4/user/mo, billed monthly. Both have a free plan.
What are AFFiNE and Obsidian used for?
AFFiNE: Your private, all-in-one workspace for docs, whiteboards, and databases. Obsidian: Private and flexible note-taking.
What does AFFiNE cost vs Obsidian?
AFFiNE's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $6.75/mo, billed yearly; it also has a free plan. Obsidian's cheapest paid plan is Sync at $4/user/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 29, 2026.
What's the main difference between AFFiNE and Obsidian?
AFFiNE's main strength: open source. Obsidian's main strength: local-first privacy.