Obsidian vs Anytype
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Notion. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Obsidian
Local Markdown notes with a huge plugin ecosystem.
Obsidian keeps every note as a local Markdown file and layers a powerful linked-notes and plugin ecosystem on top. It is free to use and local-first, though the app itself is closed-source.
Anytype
Local-first, end-to-end encrypted knowledge base.
Anytype is a local-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace for notes and objects, syncing peer-to-peer. It is source-available rather than fully OSI open-source, but your data stays encrypted and under your control.
Side by side
| Obsidian | Anytype | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 78 | 72 |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | Proprietary (free) | Source-available |
| Pricing | Free for personal use; paid Sync/Publish optional | Free |
Obsidian edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Obsidian
Strengths
- +Your notes are plain local Markdown
- +Enormous plugin ecosystem
- +Fast and offline
Trade-offs
- −App is closed-source
- −Official sync is a paid add-on
Anytype
Strengths
- +End-to-end encryption
- +Local-first with P2P sync
- +Flexible object model
Trade-offs
- −Source-available, not fully open-source
- −Custom sync model to learn
More Notion head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.