Notetaking apps are one of our favorite ways of staying organized, whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or in the office. And while these apps were brought into this world as fairly simple word processing programs, the very concept (and execution) of notetaking has evolved greatly thanks to the growth and evolution of the internet.
And while there are already so many great options for notetaking apps already available, the app that we are looking at today is unique enough that it definitely deserves some attention.
Obsidian is an open-source notetaking app of virtual infinite possibilities. And while that statement might sound hyperbolic, it’s also true. Because the app is open source, individuals can create their own plugins to enhance the apps default functionality. As of right now, there are 1,924 plugins available to download, for free.
Some examples of the plugins currently available include Google Calendar, Share via OneNote, YouTube Transcribe, Timeline View, Markdown Formatting Assistant, Reading Time, and many, many more. The possibilities of combinations of plugins are virtually endless, which means that individuals with unique learning challenges can really make the app their own.
Obsidian also comes pre-loaded with a pretty impressive brainstorming plugin called Canvas. Canvas is a whiteboard app that allows you to make visual representations of your ideas, add connections, colors, links, photos, PDFs, videos, audio, and even web pages. Everything you need to create a highly interactive whiteboard/mind map is available from the start, and it’s all free.
In fact, this app has a pretty unique pricing model. For personal use, the app is completely free, so that’s going to cover all students and home-based users. For commercial users, the app costs $50 per user, per year.
And while the app does sync across devices and also includes an option to automatically publish to the web, these features are hidden behind a paywall. To purchase the sync functionality, the cost is $4 USD per user per month, and to purchase the publish option, the cost is $8 USD per site, per month. So, while there are definitely some added costs to consider, using the app as a personal user on one device is in fact completely free.
Obsidian is available for download for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux. To learn more, click here (new window).
