VaultExit — Obsidian Exit Kit · Article

Is Obsidian free? Yes — the app. The add-ons are the paid part

By Alternative Kits Team • Last checked: 3 November 2026 • Authors

Main topic: Is Obsidian free · Facts checked 3 November 2026 — prices change, so re-check the official page before acting on them.

Last checked: 3 November 2026

Short answer: yes — the Obsidian app is free. Free with no limits, no sign-up, and commercial use included, as seen 2–3 November 2026. What costs money are the optional add-ons: Sync and Publish. You can use Obsidian fully, forever, and pay nothing — thousands do, syncing their own way. Every price below is as seen 2–3 November 2026; re-check on the official pricing page on publish day, because prices change.

Every price, in one table

Item	Price	What it is
Obsidian app	$0	The full app — no limits, no sign-up, commercial use included
Sync	$4/mo billed yearly · $5/mo monthly	Official sync between your devices, per person
Publish	$8/site/mo billed yearly · $10 monthly	Turn a vault (or part of it) into a public website, per site
Catalyst	$25 one-time	Optional supporter licence — early access and community badges; not required to use the app
Commercial licence	$50/user/year	Optional licence for commercial use contexts — the app itself already includes commercial use; check the official page for who needs this
Student / faculty / non-profit discount	40% off Sync and Publish	As seen 2–3 November 2026 — re-check eligibility on the official page

↔ Scroll this table sideways — the rest of the page stays put.

What “free” really covers

Everything the app does on your own devices: unlimited notes, unlimited vaults, the graph, canvas, daily notes, and the whole community plugin ecosystem — plugins are free too. There is no “free tier” countdown, no note limit waiting to ambush you, and no account to create. The files are plain Markdown in a folder you own, so even the exit is free: close the app and your notes are still yours, readable in any editor.

Where the money actually goes (if you spend any)

Sync is the add-on most people consider — it replaces DIY sync with a done-for-you service. The alternatives are free but manual: iCloud, Git, Syncthing or Dropbox, picking ONE method — compared in how to sync Obsidian for free, and priced in depth on Obsidian Sync pricing.
Publish only matters if you want a public website from your notes — most users never need it.
Catalyst and Commercial are optional extras most individuals never buy.

Run your own combination in the true-cost calculator, and see the worked examples on Obsidian pricing.

Questions people ask

Is Obsidian really free, or is it a trial?

Really free — not a trial. The app is free with no limits and no sign-up, and commercial use is included, as seen 2–3 November 2026. The business model is the optional add-ons (Sync, Publish) and licences (Catalyst, Commercial), not a paywall inside the app.

What do students pay?

Nothing for the app — it is free for everyone. Students, faculty and non-profits also get 40% off Sync and Publish, as seen 2–3 November 2026. Re-check the discount on the official pricing page on publish day.

Do I need Sync to use Obsidian on my phone and laptop?

No. Sync is the convenient official route ($4/month billed yearly, $5 monthly). Free routes — iCloud, Git, Syncthing, a cloud folder — move the same vault between devices; pick ONE method and never run two at once. The free sync guide compares them.

Picker quiz →Vault checker True-cost calculator Kit home

Is Obsidian free? Yes — the app. The add-ons are the paid part

Every price, in one table

What “free” really covers

Where the money actually goes (if you spend any)

Questions people ask

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