Obsidian Review 2026: What I Discovered While Testing | Lindy

Obsidian Review 2026: What I Discovered While Testing

Personally Tested

Founding GTM at Lindy

Lindy tested Obsidian's Markdown-based note linking, graph view, and plugin ecosystem like Dataview, weighing its steep learning curve against limited team collaboration.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

I’ve started over in a new notes app more times than I care to admit, and every move begins with a hope that this one will finally stick. Obsidian looked like the last move, so I tested its local files, backlinks, graph view, and plugin system to see whether it could become a notes system I’d keep.

What I found was a tool that gives you unusual control over how your notes work. That freedom comes with a cost. You have to build and maintain much of the system yourself.

Obsidian suits people who enjoy connecting ideas, refining workflows, and owning their files. It’s harder to recommend when you need quick setup, built-in collaboration, or a workspace your whole team can use without much training.

Here’s what stood out while testing it.

Quick verdict: TL;DR

Use Obsidian if: You want local Markdown files, strong note linking, extensive customization, and full control over your knowledge system.
Skip Obsidian if: You need fast team collaboration, ready-made workflows, or an app that works well before you spend time configuring it.
Main strengths: Data ownership, backlinks, graph view, offline access, and a large plugin ecosystem.
Main drawbacks: A steep learning curve, setup work, and limited built-in collaboration.

What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management app that stores your notes as plain text Markdown files on your device. You fully own your data, and nothing depends on a proprietary cloud by default.

Instead of organizing notes in isolated folders, Obsidian encourages you to link ideas together. You can connect notes using simple links and then explore those connections through search or a visual graph. It turns a collection of notes into a connected knowledge base.

Obsidian works offline and is snappy, even with large volumes of notes. You can shape it to your workflow using community plugins, themes, and custom layouts. That flexibility appeals to users who want control over how they think and write, not just where notes live.

Key features

Obsidian’s features shape how you think and work over time. They also introduce trade-offs that are easy to miss early on. Here are the ones worth knowing:

Local Markdown storage

Every note lives as a plain-text Markdown file on your device. This gives you long-term ownership and portability. You can move your notes to another app or system without exporting anything. The downside is that sync and sharing are not free or automatic.

Bidirectional links and backlinks

You can link notes to each other using simple brackets. Obsidian then shows backlinks automatically. This makes it easier to explore related ideas and build context as your notes grow. It works best when you write regularly and link with intent.

Graph view

The graph visualizes how your notes connect. It looks impressive and can surface patterns in large vaults. For smaller or newer vaults, it adds little practical value and often distracts more than it helps.

Plugin ecosystem

Community plugins extend Obsidian into task management, spaced repetition, publishing, and more. Plugins unlock its power, but they also add complexity. Too many plugins slow the app and make workflows harder to maintain.

Sync, publish, and mobile access

Obsidian Sync and Publish are paid add-ons. Mobile apps support most features, but long writing sessions still feel better on a desktop. Obsidian favors depth and control over convenience.

Obsidian reviews: What users have to say

User reviews across platforms like Trustpilot, Capterra, and Reddit highlight a clear trade-off between control and ease-of-use. The pros and cons below reflect that pattern:

Pros

Data ownership and flexibility: Users praise Obsidian for storing notes as local Markdown files, so nothing locks you into a proprietary format. One reviewer said they finally found their “home” after trying many tools because Obsidian lets them change workflows as their needs evolve.
Powerful linking and graph view: A student reviewer noted that bidirectional links and the graph make it easier to see how ideas relate, which helps them manage complex research and studies.
Extensive customization via plugins: Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem earns frequent praise. One user said the active community and ability to tailor Obsidian to personal needs make it an ideal tool for knowledge-heavy work.

Cons

Steep learning curve and setup: Several reviewers note that Obsidian feels unintuitive at first. A Reddit user said the flow to open a note and start writing felt “convoluted” until they learned shortcuts or installed plugins, which took months of experimentation.
Lack of built-in collaboration tools: Users mention that real-time multi-user collaboration isn’t native. Multiple reviewers pointed out that teams struggle to share and edit notes without workarounds or syncing add-ons.
Sync and pricing confusion for beginners: Some users on forums find it confusing that core sync features require a separate paid plan, rather than being included by default. It adds complexity for new users.

My personal take on Obsidian

I like Obsidian for what it is, but I would not recommend it to everyone. It rewards a specific way of thinking. If you enjoy shaping your own system and refining it over time, Obsidian feels satisfying. You have complete control over how you connect, map, and modify your notes.

However, Obsidian only gives you an empty vault and a blank canvas with no guidance. There are no ready-to-use templates. You have to make choices early, and those choices shape your experience. If you do not enjoy tinkering, it can be a huge pain to work with Obsidian.

Personally, I would use Obsidian for work like research, long-form writing, or thinking through complex ideas. I wouldn’t use it for team collaboration or anything that needs quick execution. If I need automation, shared workflows, or follow-ups, I’ll look for other tools.

Obsidian works best when you treat it as a personal thinking system, not a productivity shortcut. If that mindset fits how you work, it can become hard to replace. If not, it will feel more complex than it needs to be.

Is Obsidian right for you?

Obsidian is right for users who want control, flexibility, and long-term ownership of their notes. However, you do need to invest time setting it up for your work. Here’s when it does and doesn’t make sense:

Obsidian makes sense if you:

Want complete ownership of your notes stored as local Markdown files
Like linking ideas and building a connected knowledge base over time
Do deep work such as research, writing, or long-term planning
Enjoy customizing tools with plugins and workflows
Need offline access and care about future-proofing your notes

Obsidian is not a great fit if you:

Need real-time collaboration with teammates
Prefer guided setups, templates, or ready-made workflows
Want automation built in without extra tools
Work mostly on mobile and need quick, lightweight note-taking

Final verdict

Obsidian is an excellent tool for building a personal, connected knowledge base, especially if you value control, offline access, and long-term ownership of your notes. It struggles when work moves beyond individual thinking into collaboration, automation, or execution.