Obsidian vs Evernote
Obsidian keeps notes as files on your own device and charges only for optional services. Evernote is a hosted service from Bending Spoons whose free plan is capped at 50 notes. The choice is mostly about whether you want to own the files or rent a managed archive.
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Choose Obsidian ifyou want your notes as plain files on your own disk, accept paying separately for sync, and are comfortable adding plugins from a community directory.
Choose Evernote ifyou already use Evernote, want a hosted service without handling files, and will pay for a plan that fits your note count and device count.
Obsidian and Evernote side by side
| Obsidian | Evernote | |
|---|---|---|
| Our note-taking apps rank | #1 of 13 | #12 of 13 |
| Established in | Canada | Italy |
| List price, 3 November 2026 | Free app; Sync (per user per month) and Publish (per site per month) are paid add-ons; commercial licence optional | Free plan (50 notes); Starter and Advanced paid tiers, amounts not shown on the compare-plans page we read; 7-day trial |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Individuals and small teams who want notes kept as local files on disk | Existing Evernote users who want clipping, calendar and tasks together |
| Not for | Teams needing shared editing in the browser with no setup | New users who want a free plan to hold a real archive |
Both are reviewed in full in our note-taking apps ranking: Obsidian and Evernote.
Where they differ
Obsidian 2 · Evernote 1 · open 1- 01
What the free tier holds
Obsidian's pricing page says the app is free without limits and needs no sign-up, and that includes work use. Evernote's Free plan allows 50 notes, one notebook and one device, with 1 GB of storage. Anyone building a real archive hits Evernote's ceiling quickly.
Edge: Obsidian
- 02
Paid tiers and what they unlock
Evernote sells Starter (1,000 notes, 3 devices, 5 GB) and Advanced, which has no note cap. Its plan table also lists an AI assistant, transcription and MCP access. Obsidian's paid items are add-ons for Sync and Publish, plus an optional commercial licence. Evernote bundles more features into its tiers.
Edge: Evernote
- 03
Leaving the product
Obsidian says it uses simple open file formats to avoid lock-in, and notes stay on your device. Evernote's terms say notes can be exported, which helps, but the archive lives on the service. Obsidian needs no export step at all.
Edge: Obsidian
- 04
Ownership and openness
Obsidian says it is fully supported by its users, not investors, though its app is closed source. Evernote is provided by Bending Spoons, with a legal notice address in Milan. Neither is open source, so the difference is who owns the company.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you want open-source code you can inspect, neither fits well. Joplin and Notesnook are the alternatives worth a look.
Obsidian or Evernote: questions
3 answersCan I use Obsidian for work for free?
Yes. The pricing page calls the commercial licence optional and says it is not required for work use.
How many notes does the free Evernote plan allow?
50 notes, in one notebook, on one device. Starter raises this to 1,000 notes on 3 devices.
Can I take my notes out of Evernote?
Evernote's terms say notes can be exported. We did not test the export formats.
Sources
Checked 3 November 2026- Obsidian pricing page: free app without limits, Sync and Publish as add-ons, optional commercial licence.
- Obsidian about page: open file formats, data kept on device, supported by users not investors.
- Obsidian releases repository: app is not open source.
- Evernote compare plans: Free, Starter and Advanced limits, AI assistant, transcription and MCP access, 7-day trial.
- Evernote terms of service: provided by Bending Spoons, notes can be exported, Milan address.