---
{"title": "Obsidian alternatives in 2026: what to compare", "description": "Compare Obsidian alternatives by what they do: Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, Notion, and Connections Notes.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/obsidian-alternatives/", "date": "2026-11-01"}
---
Compare Obsidian alternatives by what they do: Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, Notion, and Connections Notes.

Compare Obsidian alternatives by what they actually do: Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, Notion, and Connections Notes by Uncommon Comforts.

| Option | Own plan fee | Free plan | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evernote | paid plans are free to try for 7 days unless otherwise specified [^1] | offers a free option for users [^2] | not published |
| Google Keep | not published | not published | not published |
| Microsoft OneNote | not published | sign up for free [^3] | not published |
| Notion | Plus 10 USD per member per month [^4]; Business 20 USD per member per month [^4]; Enterprise custom pricing [^4] | 5MB uploads per file on the Free plan [^4] | not published |
| Connections Notes | Free $0 [^5]; Pro $39.99 a month [^5]; Business $99.99 a month [^5] | free on every plan with no note count [^5] | web app that installs as a PWA [^5] |

## Why people who run things look past Obsidian

Obsidian stores notes privately on your device, no one else can read them, and the core app is free without limits. [^6] [^6] [^6] Obsidian says it uses open file formats so users are never locked in, [^6] and an interactive graph shows the relationships between notes. [^6] Thousands of plugins and themes let users shape the app to their way of thinking, [^6] and an open API makes tailored plugins easy. [^6] Obsidian covers personal notes, journaling, knowledge bases, and project management. [^6] Obsidian Canvas offers an infinite space for research, brainstorming, diagramming, and laying out ideas. [^6] The app is described as free and flexible for private thoughts. [^6] People who run things evaluate alternatives when their notes team up more closely with other tools, or when the app's own names for its parts are not what a whole team reads at once. When that shape does not fit, the search for another notes tool usually turns on the same few facts covered below.

## Evernote: a notes app with tools for getting things done

Evernote offers a free option for users. [^2] Other claims about Evernote's features and pricing are covered in the table and left out here, so check the plan's free trial before committing to a paid one.

## Google Keep: notes that stay in hand across devices

Google Keep is covered in the comparison table, which sets out what its pages state about it. Check Google's own pages for the current plan details before choosing.

## Microsoft OneNote: a notebook that signs up free

Microsoft OneNote offers a free sign-up option. [^3] The table compares what OneNote's pages state, so check the plan details against the volume of notes a team keeps.

## Notion: a workspace with plans priced per member

Notion's Plus plan costs 10 USD per member per month for small teams and professionals to work together. [^4] The Business plan costs 20 USD per member per month for growing businesses to streamline teamwork. [^4] The Enterprise plan is priced by custom quote for organizations that need scalability, control, and security. [^4] Paying yearly saves up to 20% compared with monthly billing. [^4] On the Free plan, images, videos, and file attachments can be uploaded up to 5MB each. [^4] Notion's pages state 100M users in over 50 countries. [^7]

## Connections Notes: a notes board that stays in your hands

Connections Notes is made by the team that publishes this site. [^5] A note is typed into a bar at the top and sits below it as a card on a board, [^5] and notes can be filed under labels that nest inside other labels. [^5] A voice note is recorded and turned into text in the background, [^5] and the words in a photo can be pulled into the note body or into checklist items. [^5] Notes feed a to-do list and a due-date agenda, [^5] with reminders sent by Web Push and by email. [^5] Search finds a note by what was meant, not only by the exact words in it. [^5] A note can be shared by public link with a password on the link, [^5] and a pasted block of text splits into separate notes at each blank line. [^5] Active and archived notes can be downloaded as a CSV file. [^5] Notes can be archived or deleted to a trash and restored from there. [^5] No plan caps how many notes can be kept, including the free plan. [^5] Notes stay separate by personal or company workspace, [^5] and the web app installs to a device as a PWA. [^5] Notes are free on every plan with no note count, and reading, editing, and exporting are never gated. [^5] What a member pays for in Notes is the AI on the notes, which draws the shared chat token pool. [^5] There is no native iOS app, and the Android app has no store listing yet. [^5] To start, a user opens the site and clicks Sign in, which sends them to the shared account sign-in, then lands on a board with a capture bar. [^5] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing. [^5] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. [^5] Connections Business is $99.99 a month with higher limits across every Connections product. [^5]

## How to pick the right Obsidian alternative

Start by deciding how notes should be shared across a team. Obsidian keeps notes privately on a device and offline, [^6] while Connections Notes keeps notes separate by personal or company workspace [^5] and sends reminders by Web Push and email. [^5] Microsoft OneNote offers a free sign-up, [^3] and Evernote offers a free option for users. [^2] Match the plan shape to volume. Notion prices Plus at 10 USD per member per month [^4] and Business at 20 USD per member per month for growing businesses. [^4] Connections Notes keeps notes free with no count on every plan, and what a member pays for is the AI that draws the shared chat token pool. [^5] [^5] When the work is mostly capturing thoughts quickly, a board with a capture bar at the top [^5] or quick capture in another tool is the deciding feature. Check what a candidate has planned for a limit or a paid plan before choosing, since going over a limit on Connections Free stops the feature rather than billing. [^5] For a business that keeps its people in one place, pick the tool whose plans match the number of people, and confirm where notes can be exported and which free plan limits apply.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Obsidian free to use?

Obsidian's pages describe the core app as free without limits. [^6] The app is called free and flexible for private thoughts. [^6] Notes are stored privately on the device and are accessible offline, [^6] and Obsidian says no one else, including the company, can read them. [^6] For a tool with no note cap, the product here keeps notes free on every plan with no note count. [^5]

### Can an Obsidian alternative keep notes offline?

Obsidian stores notes privately on the device and makes them accessible offline. [^6] The product here is a web app, so check a device's offline behavior before relying on it away from a connection. The table and the page's sources state platforms, so read each candidate's pages for what works offline before choosing.

### How much does Notion cost per member?

Notion's Plus plan costs 10 USD per member per month for small teams and professionals. [^4] The Business plan costs 20 USD per member per month for growing businesses. [^4] The Enterprise plan is priced by custom quote for organizations that need scalability, control, and security. [^4] Notion's pages also mention a yearly option that saves up to 20% compared with monthly billing. [^4] The first column of the page's table lists these plan prices together.

### Does Connections Notes charge per note?

Connections Notes keeps notes free on every plan with no note count, and reading, editing, and exporting are never gated. [^5] No plan caps how many notes can be kept, including the free plan. [^5] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing. [^5] What a member pays for in Notes is the AI on the notes, which draws the shared chat token pool. [^5]

### Can a notes app turn a voice note into text?

The product here records a voice note and turns it into text in the background. [^5] Evernote's pages list AI Transcribe among its features. [^2] For each tool, check which transcription plan tier includes it, since the sources here do not state that detail.

Notes are free on every plan with no note count, and reading, editing and exporting are never gated. [^5] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [^5] - [Visit Connections Notes](/go/start-connections-notes)

## Sources

[^1]: Evernote, evernote.com/compare-plans, read 2026-10-08 (https://evernote.com/compare-plans)
[^2]: Evernote, evernote.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://evernote.com)
[^3]: Microsoft OneNote, onenote.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.onenote.com)
[^4]: Notion, notion.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.notion.com/pricing)
[^5]: Connections Notes' own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-connections-notes)
[^6]: Obsidian, obsidian.md, read 2026-10-23 (https://obsidian.md)
[^7]: Notion, notion.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.notion.com)