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Free Obsidian alternatives: truly free, no paid sync needed

By Alternative Kits Team • Last checked: 3 November 2026 • Authors

Main topic: Free Obsidian alternatives · Facts checked 3 November 2026 — prices change, so re-check the official page before acting on them.

Last checked: 3 November 2026

Short answer: Logseq, Joplin, SiYuan, Zettlr and AppFlowy are all genuinely free apps — no paid plan is needed to write, organise and keep your notes, and none of them requires a paid sync subscription the way Obsidian Sync is an extra. The honest catch: “free app” is not the same as “free everything”. If you want sync you may still set it up yourself (a folder sync, git, Syncthing or your own server). What free includes and what it does not is spelled out below. Facts checked 3 November 2026.

The five free picks

Logseq — free. Open source (AGPL-3.0), local files, daily journals and outlining. An optional paid Logseq Sync exists, but the app and your own sync routes cost nothing.
Joplin — free. Open source, encrypted, self-hostable. Joplin Cloud is an optional extra (from about €2.99/month in an earlier check — re-check the official page); WebDAV, Nextcloud, S3 or a local folder can cost nothing extra.
SiYuan — free. Open source, block-based, works fully offline, with built-in sync options and self-hosting.
Zettlr — free. Open source writing app over plain Markdown files; sync is your own folder route, which can be free.
AppFlowy — free. Open source workspace you can self-host for nothing; its hosted Cloud is the paid convenience (from $12.50/month per seat as seen 2–3 November 2026 — re-check on the official page on publish day).

What “free” includes

The full app: writing, organising, linking and searching your notes.
Your notes on your own devices, in local files or a local database you control.
Free sync routes you run yourself: folder sync, git, Syncthing, WebDAV or a self-hosted server.
No per-seat bill and no “free trial” countdown on the app itself.

What “free” does not include

Done-for-you hosted sync. The polished, set-and-forget sync services (Joplin Cloud, AppFlowy Cloud, Logseq Sync) are the paid extras — optional, but they are what “free” leaves out.
Your time. Self-run sync and self-hosting bill you in setup and upkeep, not dollars. Obsidian Sync at $4/month billed yearly exists precisely because some people would rather pay — see Obsidian Sync pricing.
Storage you do not own. If your free route uses a cloud folder, it uses space in a plan you may already pay for.

One rule whichever route you choose: pick ONE sync method per vault or notebook set — never run two sync tools on the same folder. The full method comparison is in how to sync Obsidian for free, and the same rule protects these apps too.

Questions people ask

Is Obsidian itself free?

The Obsidian app is free with no limits — what costs money are its add-ons, Sync and Publish. These alternatives go one step further: the apps are free and open source, and none of them makes paid sync the only route. See the “is Obsidian free?” page for the full price table.

Can I sync a free alternative without paying anything?

Yes — with your own setup: a synced folder, git, Syncthing, WebDAV/Nextcloud, or a self-hosted server. It costs effort instead of money. The hosted one-click sync services are the optional paid extras.

Which free alternative is best for students?

Logseq and Joplin lead for a $0 budget — both are free, keep local notes, and handle lecture notes well. The dedicated page is “Obsidian alternatives for students”.

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Free Obsidian alternatives: truly free, no paid sync needed

The five free picks

What “free” includes

What “free” does not include

Questions people ask

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