Joplin 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.
Joplin
Open-source note-taking and to-do app with sync
VS
Obsidian
Local-first knowledge base on a folder of Markdown files
| Feature | Joplin | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 56,477 | ★ 21,797 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, Notion, OneNote |
What are Joplin and Obsidian?
Joplin
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application with Markdown editing, web clipper, and end-to-end encrypted sync. It targets individuals who want private, portable notes across devices. It can sync via a self-hosted Joplin Server, Nextcloud, or WebDAV.
- Markdown notes and to-dos
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Web clipper extension
- Apps on every platform
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
Joplin vs Obsidian: key differences
Joplin is written in TypeScript, while Obsidian is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Joplin versus Proprietary for Obsidian. Joplin is the more established project (first released 2017), while Obsidian arrived in 2020. Joplin has the considerably larger community, at 56,477 GitHub stars versus 21,797. Joplin lists first-class Docker deployment; Obsidian does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Joplin if…
- Strong privacy with E2EE
- Flexible sync options
- Active development
Watch out for
- Sync server setup optional but extra
- Editor less polished than rivals
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 Joplin or Obsidian better?
Neither is universally better. Joplin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Joplin and Obsidian free and open-source?
Yes. Joplin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Obsidian under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Joplin and Obsidian with Docker?
Joplin: yes. Obsidian: check the project docs for container support.