I tried Notion and Obsidian for a month and here’s how it went

There’s no shortage of productivity and knowledge management tools. Among them, two titans stand out: Notion and Obsidian. Both transform how we capture ideas, organize our thoughts, and manage our lives. Yet, their approach is different. For an entire month, I lived within both ecosystems, switching between Notion’s flexible databases and Obsidian’s networked thoughts.

Was it the collaborative powerhouse of Notion, or the privacy-focused, interconnected web of Obsidian that won me over? Let’s go over my 30-day journey as I share my friction points, unexpected joys, and the ultimate verdict on which tool proved to be the ideal digital companion for my personal and professional life.

Neither Notion nor Obsidian has a pretty UI

While Notion and Obsidian are powerful solutions, neither is likely to win awards for user interface. Don’t get me wrong, they are perfectly functional. I can find what I need, the layouts are logical enough, and they get the job done. Still, they won’t win your heart with their aesthetics like Craft.do might.

Notion improved its UI design over the years, but it still lacks the intuitiveness of many of its rivals. With Obsidian, you must rely on the theme store to give it a neat makeover (I suggest the Encore theme).

Obsidian is designed to work offline

With Obsidian, my notes are Markdown files that live on my computer. I can save them to any folder, USB device, or cloud storage solution. I can store them on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or a self-hosted app like Nextcloud.

I can be on a flight, in a remote area with no internet, or disconnected to avoid distractions, and my notes are right there, instantly accessible and editable. Since these are Markdown files, they are futureproof. I can open them with any editor. I have peace of mind knowing that my knowledge base is truly mine. Notion, in comparison, doesn’t offer the same flexibility or true offline compatibility.

Notion has a rich template library and database options

When it comes to structuring information in a database format, Notion has no competition. It’s built for it. I have ample options to create a diverse database. I can create a simple table, gallery view, Kanban board, timeline, and chart based on available data.

I can also assign different types of properties to columns. Beyond text, I can define columns as dates, people, multi-select tags, checkboxes, URLs, and formulas to perfect calculations or automate tasks. Obsidian only offers basic Markdown tables. Notion also has a rich templates library to get started. There are over 30,000 pre-defined layouts to choose from.

Let’s go over database automation. Instead of manually updating statuses, assigning tasks, or sending notifications, I can set up rules within the database. For example, I can connect it to my Slack workspace and receive real-time alerts when someone changes the task status from In Progress to Completed. The possibilities are endless.

Obsidian offers Canvas and Graph view

Obsidian offers two unique features that put Notion to shame. The first is Canvas, which is a digital board for brainstorming ideas and thoughts. I can add cards, arrows, text, shapes, and more. I can also link the Canvas to an existing note.

The graph view is almost magical. It draws out the connections between my notes. I can see which topics are heavily linked, which ideas are isolated, and discover unexpected relationships that I might not have noticed. It’s like having a dynamic, living map of my brain.

Obsidian also has a rich plugin store. Third-party developers offer dozens of add-ons to boost your vault’s functionality with a single click. For example, I can add the Kanban plugin to unlock Trello-style Kanban boards for personal projects.

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The collaboration experience is better on Notion

This is another area where Notion stands out. I found the collaboration experience in Notion to be seamless and intuitive. I can invite team members, set permission levels, and my team members can all be on the same page. It’s like Google Docs, but supercharged with database features.

For team projects, shared content calendars, or planning a trip with friends, Notion’s collaboration features are a massive advantage.

One month, two apps

After a month of extensive use, neither Notion nor Obsidian is a one-size-fits-all solution. Obsidian is a champion of long-term data ownership and interconnected knowledge. Notion shines as a collaborative workspace and offers an extensive library of pre-defined templates.

I will stick with Notion for its advanced database features, but I will keep a close eye on Obsidian Bases, which aims to offer the same flexibility in the future. If you’re looking for more productivity tools, give our dedicated listicle a read.