Evernote vs Obsidian

A: For a hosted all-in-one workspace with built-in AI and web access, Evernote makes more sense — everything lives in one cloud account. For free, local-first note-taking where your files stay on your device and work offline, Obsidian is the stronger fit.

A: Evernote stores notes in its own cloud and layers AI tools such as Semantic Search and AI Transcribe on top, with paid plans lifting its limits. Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, is free without limits, and adds sync or publishing only as optional paid add-ons.

A: Yes. The official pricing page describes the core app as free without limits, including commercial use. You pay only for optional add-ons: Sync at $4/month billed annually ($5 monthly) and Publish at $8/month billed annually ($10 monthly).

A: There is a free plan, but it is capped at 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 synced device, and 1 GB of storage — enough to test the app, tight for daily use. Paid Starter and Advanced plans lift these caps.

A: Yes. Obsidian's official Importer plugin reads Evernote's .enex export files and converts notes to durable Markdown. Tags are preserved, though Evernote's tag hierarchy is not, and notebook structure can be recreated with a naming convention.

A: Yes, Obsidian offers an official, free, open-source Web Clipper for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Arc, Orion, and Vivaldi. The difference is where clips go: Evernote's clipper saves pages to its cloud, while Obsidian's saves Markdown files into your local vault.

A: Evernote includes sync in every plan but caps devices: 1 on Free, 3 on Starter, and unlimited on Advanced. Obsidian's core app does not include sync; the official Sync add-on at $4/month billed annually syncs vaults with end-to-end encryption and version history.

A: Yes, notes are plain Markdown files stored on your device, so everything opens without a connection. Evernote also lists offline notes as a core feature across all of its plans, so both apps cover offline use; the difference is that Obsidian needs no account or sync service at all.

A: Evernote does not publish plan prices on its public comparison page Starter, Advanced, and Enterprise prices appear at checkout. Paid plans come with 7-day free trials, and Enterprise with 14 days.

A: Obsidian stores notes locally on your device by default and requires no account — its site says notes stay private: no one else can read them, not even Obsidian. Evernote stores notes in its cloud account. If default privacy and local control matter most, Obsidian has the edge; Evernote answers with a managed, always-backed-up service.

A: Evernote offers shared Spaces on every tier - 5 on Free, 10 on Starter, unlimited on Advanced plus browser access for teammates. Obsidian supports collaboration through shared vaults, which require the paid Sync add-on, making it better suited to small technical teams.