All alternatives › Obsidian
Indie alternatives to Obsidian
4 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Obsidian does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.
At a glance
| Product | Price | Open source | Self-host | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SilverBullet | Free | Yes | Yes | Web, Self-hosted |
| Logseq | Free plan | Yes | – | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| SiYuan | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted |
| NotePlan | Paid | – | – | Mac, iOS |
The alternatives
1. SilverBullet
Self-hosted, programmable Markdown notes in the browser
An open-source note-taking web app that stores Markdown files on your own server, with links, queries and Lua scripting. For tinkerers who want an extensible personal wiki.
Free · Web, Self-hosted · Website ↗
2. Logseq
Open-source outliner for networked notes and journals
A privacy-first, open-source outliner that stores notes as local Markdown or Org files with backlinks, daily journals and graph view. For people building a personal knowledge base.
Free plan · Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android · Website ↗
3. SiYuan
Privacy-first, self-hostable block-based note-taking app
An open-source personal knowledge management app with block references, Markdown editing, databases and optional self-hosting. Suited to users who want local control of their notes.
Free plan · Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted · Website ↗
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Obsidian?
Yes. 3 of the 4 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: SilverBullet, Logseq and SiYuan.
Is there an open-source alternative to Obsidian?
SilverBullet, Logseq and SiYuan are open source.
Can I self-host an alternative to Obsidian?
Yes: SilverBullet and SiYuan can run on your own server.
Which Obsidian alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?
On Mac: Logseq, SiYuan and NotePlan. On Windows: Logseq and SiYuan. On Linux: Logseq and SiYuan. On iPhone and iPad: Logseq, SiYuan and NotePlan. On Android: Logseq and SiYuan. On the web: SilverBullet.
What makes these alternatives to Obsidian “indie”?
They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Obsidian.
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