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8 Obsidian Alternatives Worth Switching To

Obsidian is brilliant if you enjoy building your tools. If you would rather write than configure, need encryption without plugins, or want a mobile app that just works, one of these fits better.

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Updated September 2026 · By the Dash team

Obsidian earned its following by treating your notes as plain Markdown files and letting a plugin ecosystem grow around them. That freedom is also why people leave: a fresh vault needs hours of setup, multi-device sync costs extra, and locking a sensitive note means trusting a third-party plugin.

Below are eight alternatives, each chosen for a specific reason someone gives up on Obsidian. We make Dash, so it is listed first, and we have tried to describe every app on the same terms.

The best Obsidian alternatives in 2026

  1. 1.

    Dash

    Our app

    Wiki-style [[links]], folders and tags like Obsidian, but with encryption, Touch ID and Face ID built in. Works offline on Mac and iPhone with no plugins to configure.

    Best for
    Obsidian users who want privacy without the tinkering
    Price
    $14.99 one-time on Mac; free on iPhone and the web
    Privacy
    Encrypted on-device; optional end-to-end encrypted sync
    • Lock any note or the whole app with AES-256
    • Page links, focus mode, local AI, self-destructing notes
    • Open source (MIT); exports to Markdown, PDF, DOCX
    • Not plain Markdown files on disk
    • No graph view
    • No Windows or Linux app yet
  2. 2.

    Logseq

    An open-source outliner with block references, daily journals and a graph. The closest thing to Obsidian in spirit.

    Best for
    Outliners and daily-journal thinkers
    Price
    Free and open source
    Privacy
    Local files; sync is optional
    • Block-level references
    • Local Markdown or Org files
    • Active community
    • Outliner style is not for everyone
    • Mobile apps lag the desktop
    • Sync has been in flux
  3. 3.

    Joplin

    Open-source notebooks and Markdown with end-to-end encrypted sync to a cloud you choose.

    Best for
    Bring-your-own-storage sync
    Price
    Free; optional Joplin Cloud
    Privacy
    End-to-end encryption available
    • Sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV
    • Web clipper
    • Cross-platform
    • Plain interface
    • Encryption is opt-in
    • Fewer linking features than Obsidian
  4. 4.

    Notesnook

    Zero-knowledge encrypted notes with a gentle learning curve and a genuinely usable free tier.

    Best for
    Encrypted sync across many devices
    Price
    Free tier; Notesnook Pro for attachments and extras
    Privacy
    End-to-end encrypted
    • Encryption on by default
    • Open source
    • Good importers
    • No wiki links or graph
    • Account required
    • Attachments need Pro
  5. 5.

    Bear

    The prettiest Markdown editor on Apple platforms, with nested tags instead of folders.

    Best for
    Writers on Mac and iPhone
    Price
    Free; Bear Pro subscription for sync
    Privacy
    iCloud sync; no note-level encryption
    • Beautiful themes and typography
    • Cross-note links
    • Fast
    • Apple only
    • Sync needs the subscription
    • No encryption
  6. 6.

    Craft

    Block-based documents with pages inside pages and lovely sharing.

    Best for
    Structured documents you present or share
    Price
    Free tier; paid plans
    Privacy
    Cloud-synced; provider holds data
    • Native and polished
    • Great for long docs
    • Publishing built in
    • Cloud-first
    • No encryption
    • Less of a knowledge graph
  7. 7.

    Anytype

    Local-first objects and relations with peer-to-peer encrypted sync. Ambitious and improving fast.

    Best for
    People who want Notion-style objects without the cloud
    Price
    Free for personal use
    Privacy
    Encrypted, local-first
    • Objects, relations and sets
    • Encrypted sync without a central server
    • Cross-platform
    • Still maturing
    • Concepts take time to learn
    • Export is improving but not effortless
  8. 8.

    Apple Notes

    Free, fast and already installed. With tags, Smart Folders and locked notes it covers more than people expect.

    Best for
    Simplicity inside the Apple ecosystem
    Price
    Free
    Privacy
    iCloud key unless Advanced Data Protection is on
    • Zero setup
    • Handwriting and scanning
    • Locked notes are end-to-end encrypted
    • No wiki links
    • Weak export
    • Apple platforms only
Links, folders and encryption without plugins — try Dash

What to look for in an Obsidian replacement

Keep the links. If you rely on [[wiki links]] between notes, make sure the replacement has them. Dash, Logseq and Bear do; Apple Notes and Notesnook do not.

Decide how much you want to configure. Logseq and Anytype reward tinkering the way Obsidian does. Dash, Bear and Apple Notes are opinionated: open them and write.

Check whether encryption is built in or bolted on. Note locking in Obsidian depends on community plugins. Dash, Notesnook and Standard Notes encrypt without any of that.

Test the mobile app first. Desktop-first tools often feel cramped on a phone. Dash was redesigned for iPhone in 2026 with a full-width notes list and swipe to lock or trash.

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Keep reading

Best notes apps for Mac

Eight Mac note-taking apps compared on privacy, offline use and price.

Dash vs Obsidian

A head-to-head on encryption, linking and mobile.

Page linking in Dash

How wiki-style [[links]] work in Dash.

Obsidian's links, without Obsidian's setup

Dash gives you [[page links]], folders, tags and built-in encryption on Mac and iPhone. $14.99 one-time on Mac.

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