VaultExit — Obsidian Exit Kit · Article

Obsidian vs Anytype: paid sync vs encrypted local-first

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

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

Last checked: 3 November 2026

Short answer: both are local-first, but they split on sync and structure. Anytype is encrypted and local-first with sync included free (100 MB of remote storage on the free tier, as seen 2–3 November 2026), and it thinks in objects and sets. Obsidian keeps plain Markdown files with a huge plugin ecosystem, but its official sync is a paid add-on — Sync is $4/month billed yearly ($5 monthly). Anytype’s paid plans start from $4/month billed yearly, as seen 2–3 November 2026 — re-check on the official page on publish day. Facts checked 3 November 2026.

Head to head

	Obsidian	Anytype
Local-first	Yes — files on your devices	Yes — encrypted, local-first
Your notes	Plain Markdown files in your folder	Objects and sets in Anytype’s own model
Sync	Paid add-on: Sync $4/mo yearly · $5 monthly (or your own free route)	Included free; 100 MB remote storage free as seen 2–3 Nov 2026
Paid plans	Sync and Publish add-ons	From $4/mo billed yearly, as seen 2–3 Nov 2026
Structure	Folders, links, tags, plugins	Typed objects, sets and relations
Plugins	2,000+ community plugins, Dataview	A younger, smaller ecosystem
Open source	No — free but closed-source app	Code is public; not positioned as classic open source

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

Where Anytype wins

Privacy with sync included. Anytype encrypts your data, keeps it local-first, and includes sync in the free tier instead of selling it as an add-on — the 100 MB of free remote storage (as seen 2–3 November 2026) covers text notes comfortably. Its object model also gives you structured notes — people, projects, books as typed objects with relations — without bolting on plugins. If “Notion-shaped, but private and mine” is the requirement, Anytype is the closest thing to it.

Where Obsidian wins

Plain files and depth. Your notes are Markdown in a folder you can open with anything, forever — Anytype’s objects live in its own model, so leaving Anytype is a bigger question than leaving Obsidian. Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem is far deeper (Dataview alone has no Anytype equivalent), its apps are more mature, and its free sync workarounds are well trodden — see how to sync Obsidian for free. Anytype is also the younger product, with rougher edges.

Who should pick which

Encryption plus included sync, structured objects → Anytype.
Plain files, plugins, the safest long-term exit → Obsidian.
Coming from Notion? Anytype will feel structurally closer; Obsidian will feel freer. The Notion alternative page scores both for that move.

Questions people ask

Is Anytype free?

Yes — Anytype has a free tier that includes sync, with 100 MB of remote storage as seen 2–3 November 2026. Paid plans start from $4/month billed yearly as seen then. Re-check the official pricing page on publish day, because tiers and storage limits change.

Is Anytype open source?

Its code is public, which is more transparency than Obsidian offers — Obsidian’s app is closed-source. Anytype is not usually classed with the classic open source picks in this kit (Logseq, Joplin, SiYuan); see the open source alternatives page for those.

Which keeps my notes as plain files?

Obsidian. Anytype stores notes as objects in its own encrypted model — great for structure and privacy, but your notes are not a folder of Markdown files you can open in any editor.

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