Best Obsidian Alternatives in 2026: Open-Source, Collaborative and Self-Hosted Options

The right Obsidian alternatives depend on which part of Obsidian you want to change. Logseq is the open-source outliner for linked notes, SiYuan is a block-based open-source knowledge base you can self-host, and Joplin is the simplest way to get free notes with encrypted sync. AppFlowy and AFFiNE add collaboration, and Anytype adds encrypted, peer-to-peer storage.

Obsidian's core app is free without limits, so price is rarely the reason to look elsewhere. People move for open source, real-time collaboration, a different note model or simpler sync. Picks 1 to 4 are open-source local-first apps, 5 and 6 are collaborative workspaces, 7 to 10 are file-based tools for writers and developers, and pick 11 is a hosted workspace.

Why people look for Obsidian alternatives

Obsidian is a popular, flexible note-taking app, and Enlisted lists it as proprietary. These are the usual reasons for trying something else.

• Closed source. Obsidian's notes are plain Markdown files, but the app itself is not open source. Logseq, SiYuan, Joplin, Trilium Notes, Zettlr and AppFlowy publish their code.
• No live co-editing. According to Obsidian's help pages, two people cannot edit the same file live. Shared vaults need an active Sync subscription for every collaborator, and fine-grained permissions are not supported yet.
• Sync is a paid add-on. The app is free, but end-to-end encrypted Sync is a separate paid service. Other tools sync through services you may already pay for.
• A different note model. Some people prefer an outliner, a database-style workspace, a tree of notes or typed objects over a folder of pages.
• Self-hosting. Obsidian is not something you host on a server. Tools such as SilverBullet, SiYuan and AppFlowy can run on your own.

How we picked

Any pick had to let you keep notes you can link, search and grow over years, with more control over the data than a typical hosted app gives you. Tools that publish their source were favored, active GitHub repositories counted for open-source entries, and licences are quoted as Enlisted lists them. Self-hosting and sync routes are noted wherever they exist, and pricing stays general because plans change. The full method is in how Enlisted ranks tools.

1. Logseq: best open-source outliner with backlinks

If Obsidian's pages-and-folders model feels heavy, Logseq swaps it for an outline: each bullet is a block you can link to or embed elsewhere, and the graph builds up from those links. It is open source under AGPL-3.0, stores data locally, handles Markdown and Org-mode files, works with Git and has a plugin API, themes and a public roadmap. See the Logseq page.

• Best for: people who want Obsidian-style backlinks in an open-source outliner.
• Watch out for: the project calls its database version beta and its real-time collaboration alpha, and its maintainers advise automated backups in the meantime.

2. SiYuan: best block-based knowledge base you can self-host

SiYuan is an open-source, privacy-first personal knowledge management system built around block-level references: any block can be linked or embedded elsewhere, with two-way links, custom attributes and SQL query embeds. Editing is Markdown WYSIWYG, and it is local-first and self-hostable.

It adds flashcards with spaced repetition, a database table view, web clipping, PDF annotation links and OCR, and it exports standard Markdown with assets, PDF, Word and HTML. It runs through Docker or Kubernetes and has mobile apps. See the SiYuan page.

• Best for: people who want fine-grained block linking and the option to self-host.
• Watch out for: its block-based model differs from a folder of files, so lean on its Markdown export if you want an easy exit. Check its FAQ for any paid options.

3. Joplin: best free notes with simple, encrypted sync

Sync is where Joplin helps Obsidian users most. Instead of a first-party paid service, it syncs through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or its own Joplin Cloud, with end-to-end encryption. Notes are Markdown inside notebooks, and its import documentation covers plain Markdown files and whole folders, so an Obsidian vault can come across.

Apps exist for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, the app works offline, and plugins, themes and a web clipper are available. See the Joplin page.

• Best for: people who want free, private Markdown notes that sync through storage they already have.
• Watch out for: notes live in notebooks rather than a graph of links, and Joplin Cloud is paid even though the app is free.

4. Anytype: best encrypted, offline-first knowledge base

Anytype keeps everything on your device, encrypts it, and can sync between devices peer to peer through its any-sync protocol, so no central server has to hold your notes. Rather than folders and pages, you define Types, such as a person or a project, and build each page from blocks like text, databases, kanban boards and calendars. Desktop apps cover macOS, Windows and Linux. See the Anytype page.

• Best for: privacy-minded people who want structured, typed notes stored offline-first.
• Watch out for: the Types and objects model is far from a folder of Markdown files, and Enlisted lists its licence as Other.

5. AppFlowy: best open-source workspace for sharing

Where Obsidian is a personal tool, AppFlowy is built for sharing. It combines documents, wikis, tasks and team collaboration, and its pitch is that you keep control of your data. Apps exist for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, the code is AGPL-3.0, and you can choose the free plan, the Pro plan or a self-hosted setup. See the AppFlowy page.

• Best for: teams or families who want a shared, open-source workspace.
• Watch out for: it is a workspace rather than a folder of Markdown files, and its AI features are built in, so check the setup if privacy matters.

6. AFFiNE: best local-first workspace with real-time collaboration

AFFiNE is the pick if you like Obsidian's local-first approach but also need other people to edit with you. Its edgeless canvas mixes text, shapes, sticky notes and database views, real-time collaboration is built in, and an AI assistant is included. Pricing starts with a free local plan and a basic cloud tier, and the project supports self-hosting. See the AFFiNE page.

• Best for: people who want live collaboration and a whiteboard without giving up local storage.
• Watch out for: Enlisted shows its licence as Other, so confirm the terms allow what you plan to do.

7. Trilium Notes: best for a large hierarchical note tree

Trilium Notes is a free, open-source, cross-platform note-taking app for building large personal knowledge bases. Notes sit in a tree of arbitrary depth, and one note can be cloned into several places in the tree, so you can organize the same material along different lines without duplicating it.

The editor is WYSIWYG, with tables, images, math and Markdown autoformatting, and it adds code notes, automatic versioning, attributes and scripting. A Docker server setup is available. See the Trilium Notes page.

• Best for: people building a long-term personal wiki with a deep hierarchy.
• Watch out for: it is organized as a tree first, so it feels different from link-first tools.

8. Zettlr: best for academic writing and citations

Zettlr is a desktop Markdown editor for researchers and writers that combines note-taking, drafting, reference management and export. Notes are stored as ordinary files on your own computer, and the app supports Zettelkasten-style linking and full-text search.

Citations work with reference managers such as Zotero and JabRef, and exports use Pandoc, LaTeX and Textbundle. It is released under GPL-3.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux. See the Zettlr page.

• Best for: students and academics who write papers from linked notes.
• Watch out for: it is aimed at long-form writing rather than databases or team workspaces.

9. Foam: best for linked notes inside the editor you already code in

Foam is a personal knowledge management system that lives inside Visual Studio Code and GitHub. Notes are plain Markdown files in a Git repository, with a graph visualization, wikilink autocompletion and automatic link updates when a file is renamed.

It can also publish your notes to the web. Enlisted lists its licence as Other. See the Foam page.

• Best for: developers who want Obsidian-style linking inside the editor they already use.
• Watch out for: it needs VS Code, so it is not a standalone notes app.

10. SilverBullet: best self-hosted Markdown knowledge base you can script

SilverBullet is a self-hosted, browser-based Markdown knowledge base with wiki-style two-way links, a built-in query language and a Lua scripting environment called Space Lua. Pages are grouped into a Space, and a live-preview editor sits alongside an integrated database.

It is released under the MIT licence. Enlisted lists the server and a personal desktop app as free, with a paid Desktop Pro edition for work use and a hosted option from PikaPods. See the SilverBullet page.

• Best for: tinkerers who want to program their notes and host them on a server.
• Watch out for: you run the server yourself, and the scripting power means more to learn.

11. Notion: best hosted alternative for team collaboration

Notion is a hosted workspace for documents, knowledge bases and projects. Its help center describes databases with table, list, calendar, board and gallery views, and its sharing controls run from full access down to view-only, with teamspaces for each team.

A free plan exists for individuals and paid plans are billed per member. The apps can keep pages available offline, but the workspace itself lives in Notion's cloud. For a head-to-head, read Notion vs Obsidian, or browse Notion alternatives.

• Best for: teams that need shared editing, permissions and databases in a hosted app.
• Watch out for: it is closed source with no self-hosted version, and it does not keep notes as local Markdown files.

Which Obsidian alternatives sync for free?

Obsidian's end-to-end encrypted Sync is a paid service, and these tools take a different route.

• Joplin can sync through Nextcloud, Dropbox or OneDrive with end-to-end encryption, or through its own paid cloud.
• Logseq and Foam work with Git, so a private repository can act as your sync and history.
• Anytype offers optional peer-to-peer sync between your devices.
• AFFiNE and AppFlowy have free plans, and both can be self-hosted if you want to run the sync yourself.
• SilverBullet and Trilium Notes can run as servers you host, so every device reaches the same notes through a browser or app.

Can you move an Obsidian vault to another app?

Often, with a little care. Obsidian says it stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, so a vault is a folder you can open elsewhere. Joplin imports Markdown files and directories, Notesnook's importer lists Obsidian as a source, Notion accepts Markdown files, and Foam, Zettlr and SilverBullet are built around Markdown.

Plugin-specific features, canvases and database-style views will not necessarily carry over, and wiki-style links are handled differently from app to app. Copy the vault, import a few notes first, and keep Obsidian installed until the new tool has proved itself.

Which Obsidian alternative should you choose?

More Obsidian alternatives worth a look

• Hosted note apps with backlinks: Reflect builds networked notes with a calendar connection, Capacities uses typed objects, Tana is an outliner with supertags, and Roam Research is an outline-style tool for networked thought.
• Polished hosted apps: Craft combines notes, tasks and whiteboards, and Bear is a Markdown app for Apple devices.
• Command-line notes: nb and zk keep plain-text notes in the terminal, with Git-backed syncing in nb and editor integration in zk.
• Other open-source options: VNote is a Qt-based Markdown note app, TidGi builds on TiddlyWiki with Git backup, and NoteDiscovery and Alexandrie are self-hosted Markdown knowledge bases.

Enlisted keeps a full list of open-source Obsidian alternatives, and you can browse the note-taking category. For a broader overview, read the best note-taking apps guide.