Docmost vs Obsidian
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Docmost
Open-source collaborative wiki and documentation
VS
Obsidian
Local-first knowledge base on a folder of Markdown files
| Feature | Docmost | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,773 | ★ 21,797 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Evernote, Notion, OneNote |
What are Docmost and Obsidian?
Docmost
Docmost is an open-source collaborative documentation and wiki software for teams to create and organize knowledge. It targets organizations seeking a self-hosted Confluence alternative. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Spaces and nested pages
- Permissions and SSO
- Diagrams and embeds
Obsidian
Obsidian is a powerful personal knowledge base that works on a local folder of plain Markdown files. While the app is proprietary, your notes remain fully local and portable, and self-hosted sync is possible via plugins.
- Plain Markdown file storage
- Bidirectional links and graph view
- Large community plugin ecosystem
- Local-first and private
Docmost vs Obsidian: key differences
Docmost is written in TypeScript, while Obsidian is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Docmost versus Proprietary for Obsidian. Obsidian is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Docmost. Obsidian is the more established project (first released 2020), while Docmost arrived in 2024. Docmost lists first-class Docker deployment; Obsidian does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Docmost if…
- Clean modern interface
- Good team collaboration
- Active development
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires Postgres
Choose Obsidian if…
- Notes stay portable and local
- Highly extensible
Watch out for
- Core app is closed source
- Official sync is a paid service
Frequently asked questions
Is Docmost or Obsidian better?
Obsidian is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Docmost if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Docmost and Obsidian free and open-source?
Yes. Docmost is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Obsidian under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docmost and Obsidian with Docker?
Docmost: yes. Obsidian: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Docmost or Obsidian?
Obsidian has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Docmost. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.