Who should choose Evernote or Obsidian?
Pick Obsidian if you want local-first Markdown notes, links, a graph view, and core features without a subscription. Pick Evernote if you want notes alongside Tasks, Calendar, and Web Clipper, and its note and device limits fit your needs. For a managed team workspace, Evernote has the clearer offering in the listed plans.
Evernote organizes its plans around limits on notes, notebooks, attachments, and connected devices. That makes its Free plan worth checking against your actual collection and routine before you choose a paid tier. Its capture and planning features are available on Free, so the question is not just whether you want those features, but whether the plan’s limits work for you.
Obsidian’s Personal plan includes all core features and community plugins. Its paid Sync plans address a different need: end-to-end encrypted sync, with storage allowances and version history varying by plan. You can use Obsidian’s core note-taking features without subscribing to Sync.
Evernote and Obsidian plan limits
Evernote Free allows up to 50 notes in one notebook, one connected device, and 1 GB of monthly uploads. It includes Tasks, Calendar, and Web Clipper. That combination may suit a small collection on one device, but a growing archive or a routine that uses several devices can make the limits decisive. The monthly upload allowance describes how much you can upload during a month; it is not a stated total storage allowance.
Evernote Starter is a single-user plan with a flat price and annual billing listed. It raises the allowances to 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 1,000 attachments, and up to three devices, and its listed highlights include AI features. Starter still has caps, so compare each allowance with your current collection rather than assuming an upgrade removes every constraint.
Evernote Advanced is also a flat-priced single-user plan with annual billing. It includes unlimited notes, notebooks, attachments, and device sync, along with AI features. The supplied plan data lists no monthly billing option for Starter or Advanced. If Starter meets your note and notebook needs but not your device or attachment needs, Advanced is the relevant comparison.
Evernote also lists Flexible and Enterprise for teams. Flexible is a per-seat team plan with collaboration, shared spaces, a centralized admin console, and adjustable seat count. Enterprise lists company ownership of business data, a dedicated Customer Success Manager, advanced account administration, Single Sign-On and SCIM provisioning, and customizable plan limits. Enterprise uses custom pricing; the supplied data does not list billing amounts for Flexible. Evernote lists a free trial, but the supplied data does not specify its terms.
Obsidian Personal is free and includes all core features and community plugins. Its Sync Standard and Sync Plus plans use a flat pricing model in the supplied data, with both monthly and annual billing options listed. Sync Standard includes end-to-end encrypted sync and 1 GB of storage. Sync Plus lists 10 GB of storage and 12 months of version history. Neither paid Sync plan is presented as a requirement for Obsidian’s core editor.
Do not treat Evernote’s monthly upload allowance and Obsidian Sync storage as interchangeable limits. Evernote Free describes how much material you can upload in a month; Obsidian’s Sync plans list storage allowances. If you are comparing plans, decide whether your constraint is incoming uploads, the size of a synced vault, or access across devices before comparing the numbers.
Notes, notebooks, and Markdown in Evernote vs Obsidian
Evernote’s notebook limits can matter even before its note limits do. Free permits one notebook, Starter permits up to 20, and Advanced lists unlimited notebooks. If you rely on separate notebooks to organize projects, check that allowance alongside your note count. Free still provides the listed Tasks, Calendar, and Web Clipper features if its limits are enough for you.
Obsidian centers on local-first Markdown notes, links between notes, a graph view, and plugins. That is a different way to organize a collection from choosing an Evernote plan by notebook allowance. Obsidian Personal includes core features and community plugins, so you can try that approach before deciding whether you need the vendor’s paid Sync service. The supplied Personal highlights do not specify a note or notebook cap; that is not a promise that practical limits cannot exist.
The more useful choice is the one that matches what you do with notes. If you regularly capture material with Web Clipper and want Tasks and Calendar in the same app, Evernote has those listed features. If you would rather write in Markdown and connect ideas with links and a graph view, Obsidian gives you those core features on Personal. An upgrade changes plan allowances or sync features, not the basic focus of either app.
If you are considering another approach to notes, see our Notion vs Obsidian comparison.
Evernote vs Obsidian sync and team sharing
For Evernote, the connected-device allowance is an immediate question. Free supports one connected device, Starter supports up to three, and Advanced lists unlimited device sync. Check how many devices you actually use before picking Free or Starter. A plan that fits your note count might still fall short on connected devices.
For Obsidian, the listed paid Sync plans make sync a separate choice from core note-taking. Sync Standard includes end-to-end encrypted sync and the smaller listed storage allowance; Sync Plus lists a larger allowance and version history. Compare the storage you need and whether version history matters, rather than assuming you must pay to use Markdown notes or plugins. The supplied plan data does not establish which other methods of moving local files between devices may be available, so this comparison stays with Obsidian’s listed Sync plans.
Sync is not the same as collaboration. Evernote Flexible explicitly includes team collaboration and shared spaces, while Enterprise adds business-data ownership and administration features. Obsidian’s supplied plan highlights focus on core note-taking and Sync, not comparable team administration. If you need a managed workspace, evaluate Evernote’s team plans; if you are organizing your own notes, compare the individual plans first.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Obsidian or Evernote?
Obsidian is the stronger starting point for an individual who wants local Markdown notes, links, a graph view, and free core features. Evernote is the better fit if you want its Web Clipper, Tasks, and Calendar and can work within the limits of the plan you choose.
Is Evernote still worth it?
Evernote is worth considering if its capture and planning features suit your workflow. Compare Free’s note, notebook, and device limits with Starter or Advanced before deciding whether an Evernote subscription meets your needs; Obsidian Personal is a different option if local Markdown notes are your priority.
What is the best alternative to Evernote?
Among these two tools, Obsidian is an alternative for people who prefer local-first Markdown notes and free core features. It does not replace the listed Evernote combination of Web Clipper, Tasks, and Calendar, so the better choice depends on which features you use.
Bottom line
Obsidian is the better starting point for most individuals choosing between these approaches to notes: Personal includes its core Markdown features, and you can decide separately whether you need Sync. Evernote is the stronger choice when its capture, planning, or team features matter more, provided the relevant plan’s limits suit you.
- Pick Obsidian Personal for local-first Markdown notes, links, a graph view, and community plugins without subscribing for core features.
- Pick Obsidian Sync Standard for its listed end-to-end encrypted sync and storage allowance; consider Sync Plus for its larger allowance and version history.
- Pick Evernote Free if its note, notebook, device, and upload limits fit, and you want Tasks, Calendar, or Web Clipper.
- Pick Evernote Starter if Free is too restrictive but Starter’s caps still fit; consider Advanced if you need its listed unlimited allowances.
- Consider Evernote’s team plans for shared spaces and administration rather than treating personal sync as team collaboration.