Markor Sync 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.
Obsidian
Local-first knowledge base on a folder of Markdown files
| Feature | Markor Sync | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | Java | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,170 | ★ 21,797 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Keep, Evernote | Evernote, Notion, OneNote |
What are Markor Sync and Obsidian?
Markor Sync
Markor is a text and Markdown notes editor that works directly on local files, making it ideal for folders synchronized by tools like Syncthing. It supports to-do lists, Zim wiki, and todo.txt formats.
- Works on plain files
- Markdown and todo.txt
- No accounts needed
- Offline editing
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
Markor Sync vs Obsidian: key differences
Markor Sync is written in Java, while Obsidian is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Markor Sync versus Proprietary for Obsidian. Markor Sync is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Obsidian. Markor Sync is the more established project (first released 2017), while Obsidian arrived in 2020. Obsidian has the considerably larger community, at 21,797 GitHub stars versus 6,170.
Why pick each one
Choose Markor Sync if…
- Pairs with any sync tool
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Android only
- Manual sync setup
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 Markor Sync or Obsidian better?
Neither is universally better. Obsidian has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Markor Sync and Obsidian free and open-source?
Yes. Markor Sync is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Obsidian under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Markor Sync and Obsidian with Docker?
Markor Sync: check the project docs for container support. Obsidian: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Markor Sync or Obsidian?
Markor Sync has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Obsidian. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.