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Pick 2–5 published tools. Values come from our evidence-checked profiles — an em-dash means unknown, never “no”. Ranking rows reflect the current published methodology for the comparison context.
Obsidian vs Joplin
Context: Note-taking Apps · methodology v1.0.0 · 41 rows
Obsidian
#1 · 86/100 · Ranked
Joplin
Not in current ranking
| Attribute | ObsidianDynalist (Obsidian) | JoplinJoplin |
|---|---|---|
| Identity · Taxonomy | ||
| Documentation | https://obsidian.md/help/ | https://joplinapp.org/help/ |
| Tags | markdown, local-first, knowledge-base, plugins | open-source, markdown, encryption, self-hosted |
| Platform · Deployment | ||
| Delivery model | desktop, mobile | desktop, mobile, self-hosted |
| Desktop apps | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android | — |
| Offline mode | true | — |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux | — |
| Pricing · Licensing | ||
| Free plan | true | true |
| Free trial | — | true |
| License model | proprietary | open-source |
| Open source | false | — |
| Pricing model | free, subscription, perpetual | free, subscription |
| Source repository | — | https://github.com/laurent22/joplin |
| SPDX license IDs | — | AGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Starting price | 4 | — |
| Trial length | — | 14 |
| Features · Product · Fit | ||
| Core capabilities | Local Markdown vaults, Graph view and backlinks, Community plugins and themes, Obsidian Sync with end-to-end encryption, Obsidian Publish sites, Canvas and Bases views | Markdown and rich text notes, End-to-end encrypted sync, Web clipper for Chrome and Firefox, Plugin system with extension API, Note publishing to the web, Self-hosted Joplin Server option |
| Api · Integrations · Ecosystem | ||
| API available | — | true |
| CLI | true | true |
| Security · Privacy · Compliance | ||
| Regulatory compliance | — | GDPR |
| Audience · Use · Case | ||
| Best for | Individuals who want full ownership of their notes in local Markdown files with a large plugin ecosystem, and who are comfortable managing their own setup. | Users who want an open-source, encryption-first notes app that works with their own cloud storage or the hosted Joplin Cloud. |
| Company-size fit | individual, SMB | individual, SMB, mid-market |
| Primary use cases | Personal knowledge management, Long-form Markdown writing, Private local-first note storage | Private note taking, Cross-device note sync, Self-hosted note management |
| Skill level | intermediate | intermediate |
| Lifecycle · Versioning | ||
| Changelog/release notes | https://obsidian.md/changelog | — |
| Current version | 1.14.1 | — |
| Maintenance status | active | active |
| Vendor · Maintainer | ||
| Founded year | 2020 | 2017 |
| Vendor type | commercial | community |
| Ranking factors (current methodology) | ||
| Note-taking Apps — core capability coverage score/100 | 90.0 | — |
| Note-taking Apps — outcome quality score/100 | 88.0 | — |
| Note-taking Apps — advanced workflow depth score/100 | 89.0 | — |
| Note-taking Apps — domain interoperability score/100 | 80.0 | — |
| Note-taking Apps — scale / capacity score/100 | 82.0 | — |
| Usability & adoption/100 | 76.0 | — |
| Reliability & performance/100 | 90.0 | — |
| Security, privacy & compliance/100 | 88.0 | — |
| Interoperability & ecosystem/100 | 84.0 | — |
| Value & total cost/100 | 92.0 | — |
| Support & documentation/100 | 78.0 | — |
| Evidence confidence/100 | 82.0 | — |
“—” means unknown (we never treat missing evidence as a negative). Cells reflect each value's current evidence state; superseded or stale values are excluded. Ranking rows are editorial assessments under the cited methodology version — see the Note-taking Apps category for definitions.