Obsidian vs Joplin: who should choose each?
Choose Obsidian if you want a personal workspace for local Markdown notes, links, a graph view, and plugins, with hosted sync as an optional add-on. Choose Joplin if you want a local-first note app whose hosted plans can also handle publishing, shared notebooks, or team administration.
Obsidian’s free Personal plan includes all core features and community plugins. You can try the note workspace before deciding whether its own sync service belongs in your setup.
Joplin’s app can be used without a Joplin Cloud subscription, so choosing the app and choosing hosted sync are separate decisions. Its listed Cloud plans start with device sync and note publishing; higher plans add notebook sharing and team controls. For this comparison, the central question is whether you primarily want a connected personal note collection or need to make notes available to other people.
Obsidian vs Joplin plans and upgrade points
Obsidian Personal includes the core app and community plugins. Sync Standard is an optional flat-priced plan that adds end-to-end encrypted sync and 1 GB of storage. Sync Plus increases storage to 10 GB and includes 12 months of version history. Both Sync plans offer monthly and annual billing.
The reason to add Obsidian Sync is to use Obsidian’s own encrypted service across devices, not to unlock the note editor. Sync Plus makes sense if Standard’s storage allowance does not fit your vault or you want the listed version history. If you do not need Obsidian’s hosted sync, Personal remains an option for using the app.
Joplin’s listed plans cover Joplin Cloud and Joplin Server Business rather than a required license to write notes. The listed Cloud plans do not include a free plan, though Joplin has a free trial. Basic, Pro, Pro 100 GB, and Teams use per-seat billing with monthly and annual options. Joplin Server Business is a self-hosted, per-seat option with annual billing; the supplied plan data does not list a monthly option.
Joplin Cloud Basic includes sync across devices, publishing notes to the internet, and the Joplin Web App. It lists 2 GB of storage and a 10 MB limit per note or attachment. Pro raises those limits to 30 GB and 200 MB, and adds shared notebooks, Email to Note, and a custom publishing banner. Pro 100 GB keeps those listed Pro features while raising total storage to 100 GB.
Joplin Teams adds multiple-user management, consolidated billing, notebook share permissions, and priority support, and requires at least two users. Joplin Server Business lists self-hosting, unlimited storage space, multiple-user management, notebook share permissions, priority support, and available source code. The upgrade decision with Joplin therefore depends on storage and attachment limits, but also on whether you need publishing, collaboration, or administration.
The plan table alongside this article shows the current charges. Here, focus on what prompts an upgrade: Obsidian’s own sync service, or a Joplin plan with the hosted and sharing features you need.
Notes, links, and extensions in Obsidian and Joplin
Obsidian is centered on local Markdown notes. Links between notes and a graph view let you navigate a connected collection, while community plugins let you extend the workspace. All core features and community plugins are included in Personal, so a Sync subscription is not needed to try this approach to organizing notes.
Joplin is also a local-first note app. The listed plan highlights, however, emphasize what its hosted service can do with notes after you create them. Basic includes publishing to the internet; Pro and Pro 100 GB add notebook sharing. Those are distinct reasons to choose a Cloud plan rather than merely getting notes onto more than one device.
Storage allowances alone do not settle the choice. A mostly text-based collection and one with many attachments can have different sync needs. Joplin’s Cloud plans list both total storage and a per-note or attachment limit, so check both if you keep larger files in your notes. Obsidian’s Sync plans in the supplied data list overall storage allowances, while Personal is an app plan, not a hosted storage allowance.
If you are also considering a different kind of workspace, our Notion vs Obsidian comparison covers that separate choice.
Obsidian vs Joplin sync, publishing, and sharing
Both apps can be considered separately from their paid hosted services. Obsidian Personal covers the app, while Sync Standard and Sync Plus provide Obsidian’s end-to-end encrypted syncing service. Joplin does not require Joplin Cloud to use the app; its listed Cloud plans provide the paid hosted sync option. Neither app requires its hosted service just to start writing notes.
For personal hosted sync, check the limits that affect your own collection. Obsidian Sync Standard lists 1 GB; Sync Plus lists 10 GB and version history. Joplin Cloud Basic lists 2 GB but also limits each note or attachment to 10 MB. Joplin Pro raises its per-item limit to 200 MB. If attachments are central to your notes, comparing only the total storage figures misses an important constraint.
The distinction grows clearer when other people need access. Obsidian’s listed Sync highlights cover encrypted sync, storage, and version history, not hosted note publishing or shared notebooks. Joplin Basic lists note publishing, while Pro and Pro 100 GB list shared notebooks. Teams provides user management and notebook share permissions for groups; Joplin Server Business lists those administrative features for a self-hosted setup. Choose a plan based on the specific sharing job rather than assuming personal sync includes it.
Frequently asked questions
Obsidian or Joplin?
Pick Obsidian if linked Markdown notes, a graph view, and optional encrypted sync fit your personal setup. Pick Joplin if you need its hosted note publishing, shared notebooks, or team controls.
Is Obsidian worth it?
Obsidian Personal includes all core features and community plugins without requiring a Sync plan. If those features suit your workflow, you can use Obsidian without adding its hosted sync service; Joplin is worth considering when publishing or shared notebooks matter more.
Is Obsidian Sync worth it?
Obsidian Sync is relevant if you want Obsidian’s end-to-end encrypted service across devices: Standard includes 1 GB, while Plus offers 10 GB and 12 months of version history. If your priority is hosted publishing or shared notebooks instead, compare Joplin Cloud Basic and Pro.
Bottom line
Obsidian is the better starting point for a personal, local-first note workspace: Personal includes the core app and plugins, with encrypted sync available separately. Joplin is the better fit when your setup calls for hosted publishing, shared notebooks, or managed access for a group.
- Pick Obsidian for linked Markdown notes, a graph view, and community plugins, with optional hosted sync.
- Pick Joplin Basic for hosted device sync and note publishing if its storage and per-item limits fit.
- Pick Joplin Pro or Pro 100 GB for shared notebooks and higher storage or per-item limits.
- Pick Joplin Teams for multiple-user management and notebook share permissions. Consider Joplin Server Business if you want those capabilities in a self-hosted setup.