Evernote 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 Evernote and Obsidian side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Obsidian leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall 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:
Evernote
The original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
Best for you if:
- • You want excellent web clipper for saving articles
Obsidian
Private and flexible note-taking
Best for you if:
- • You want local-first privacy
| At a Glance | Evernote | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $14.99/mo, billed monthly Starter plan | Free plan, paid from $4/user/mo, billed monthly Sync plan |
Category | Note-Taking Productivity | Productivity Note-Taking |
Rating | 4.4/5 Capterra 4.4 · G2 4.4 10,296 reviews | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 12 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | 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 Evernote or Obsidian?
Choose Evernote if
- You want excellent web clipper for saving articles
- You want strong search including handwritten notes
- You work in note-taking, not productivity
Choose Obsidian if
- You want local-first privacy
- You want extensible plugins
- Budget matters ($4/user/mo, billed monthly vs $14.99/mo, billed monthly)
- You work in productivity, not note-taking
In-Depth Analysis
Evernote
The original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
Evernote's pricing is expensive, especially the Starter tier at $14.99/month for very limited features.
Strengths
- Pro: Excellent web clipper for saving articles
- Pro: Strong search including handwritten notes
- Pro: Cross-platform sync
- Pro: Mature and stable platform
- Pro: Good document scanning
Weaknesses
- Con: Free plan severely limited (2 devices only)
- Con: Expensive premium plans
- Con: Development has stagnated
- Con: Performance issues with large notebooks
- Con: Lost market share to Notion and others
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: Evernote vs Obsidian
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Evernote |
| evernote.com/pricing read Sep 27, 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 Evernote pricing and Obsidian pricing.
Key Takeaways
Evernote
- Choose if you want the original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
Obsidian
- Lower entry price: $4/user/mo, billed monthly vs $14.99/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, Obsidian leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 10,296 reviews for Evernote, 4.5/5 from 12 reviews for Obsidian; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides).
- Obsidian has the lower entry price: $4/user/mo, billed monthly (Sync) against $14.99/mo, billed monthly (Starter) for Evernote.
- 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 Evernote and Obsidian compare in 2026?
On the data below, Obsidian leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 10,296 reviews for Evernote, 4.5/5 from 12 reviews for Obsidian; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides). Obsidian has the lower entry price: $4/user/mo, billed monthly (Sync) against $14.99/mo, billed monthly (Starter) for Evernote. Both have a free plan.
What are Evernote and Obsidian used for?
Evernote: The original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years. Obsidian: Private and flexible note-taking.
What does Evernote cost vs Obsidian?
Evernote's cheapest paid plan is Starter at $14.99/mo, billed monthly; 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 26, 2026.
What's the main difference between Evernote and Obsidian?
Evernote's main strength: excellent web clipper for saving articles. Obsidian's main strength: local-first privacy.