> The best Obsidian alternatives if you want sync, AI or less setup: Caddie, Logseq, Capacities, Anytype, Reflect, Notion and Bear, compared on price, local files and AI. # The best Obsidian alternatives in 2026 The best Obsidian alternatives are Caddie (AI, tasks, calendar and meeting notes built in, with no plugins to manage), Logseq (a free, open-source outliner), Capacities (structured notes without setup), Anytype (local-first and encrypted, with sync), Reflect (daily notes and backlinks, free on Mac), Notion (for teams) and Bear (simple Markdown writing). Stay on Obsidian if owning plain Markdown files is what matters most. Updated 31 October 2026. We make Caddie, so it's listed first. Everything else here is picked for what it's best at, and every price links to that product's own pricing page. ## The 7 picks at a glance | App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Paid from | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Caddie | Best for AI and tasks built in, no plugins | Mac (Apple silicon); notes, tasks and calendar in any browser; iPhone in beta | Everything, while in beta | Free while in beta, then $10 a month for everything | | 2. Logseq | Best free outliner | Mac, Windows, Linux, web (mobile in alpha) | Free and open source | Free | | 3. Capacities | Best structure without setup | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | Unlimited notes and objects | Pro $11.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed yearly | | 4. Anytype | Best local-first with sync | Desktop and mobile | 100 MB of sync storage; self-hosting free | Plus from $4 a month | | 5. Reflect | Best for daily notes on a Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Free on Mac | Free on Mac; iPhone and iPad by subscription | | 6. Notion | Best for teams | Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android | Unlimited pages for one person; AI only as a trial | Plus $10, Business $20 per member a month (up to 20% less yearly) | | 7. Bear | Best for simple writing | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Notes on one device, no sync | Pro $2.99 a month, or $29.99 a year | ## Why people look for a Obsidian alternative People look past Obsidian when they're tired of maintaining plugins, want sync without paying or setting it up, or want AI built in rather than added. ## How we picked We compared setup, sync, AI and price, from each product's site on 31 October 2026. ## 1. Caddie Best for AI and tasks built in, no plugins Notes sort themselves into smart folders, search finds any word, and a journal zooms from a year to a day. Tasks, calendar, meeting notes and dictation are in the same app, with AI throughout. **Platforms** Mac (Apple silicon); notes, tasks and calendar in any browser; iPhone in beta **Free plan** Everything, while in beta **Paid from** Free while in beta, then $10 a month for everything **Watch out for** Mac only for meetings and dictation (Apple silicon; macOS 26 to record and dictate). No Windows or Android app. **Source** [usecaddie.app](https://usecaddie.app) [Download Caddie for Mac](https://usecaddie.app/download/Caddie.dmg) ## 2. Logseq Best free outliner A free, open-source outliner with strong linking. **Platforms** Mac, Windows, Linux, web (mobile in alpha) **Free plan** Free and open source **Paid from** Free **Watch out for** Its new database version and sync are still in beta and alpha. **Source** [github.com/logseq/logseq](https://github.com/logseq/logseq) ## 3. Capacities Best structure without setup A generous free plan, and structure (people, books, ideas) without building databases. **Platforms** Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android **Free plan** Unlimited notes and objects **Paid from** Pro $11.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed yearly **Watch out for** The object model takes learning, and AI is limited on Pro. **Source** [capacities.io/pricing](https://capacities.io/pricing) ## 4. Anytype Best local-first with sync Open source, local-first and end-to-end encrypted. **Platforms** Desktop and mobile **Free plan** 100 MB of sync storage; self-hosting free **Paid from** Plus from $4 a month **Watch out for** Little free sync storage, and a steeper learning curve. **Source** [anytype.io/pricing](https://anytype.io/pricing) ## 5. Reflect Best for daily notes on a Mac Daily notes and backlinks on local Markdown files, free on the Mac. **Platforms** Mac, iPhone, iPad **Free plan** Free on Mac **Paid from** Free on Mac; iPhone and iPad by subscription **Watch out for** Apple only, and AI needs your own API key. **Source** [reflect.app](https://reflect.app) ## 6. Notion Best for teams Docs, databases and wikis in one flexible place, with a huge template library. **Platforms** Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android **Free plan** Unlimited pages for one person; AI only as a trial **Paid from** Plus $10, Business $20 per member a month (up to 20% less yearly) **Watch out for** Full AI needs the $20 Business plan, and you build the system yourself. **Source** [www.notion.com/pricing](https://www.notion.com/pricing) ## 7. Bear Best for simple writing A beautiful, fast Markdown writing app at a low price. **Platforms** Mac, iPhone, iPad **Free plan** Notes on one device, no sync **Paid from** Pro $2.99 a month, or $29.99 a year **Watch out for** Apple only, no AI, and sync needs Pro. **Source** [bear.app](https://bear.app) ## How to choose - You want AI, tasks and calendar without plugins: Caddie. - You want free and open source: Logseq or Anytype. - You mainly write: Bear. - Your team needs to share: Notion. ## Questions people ask ### What's the best free Obsidian alternative? Logseq is free and open source; Reflect is free on Mac; Capacities has a generous free plan; Caddie is free while in beta. ### Is there an Obsidian alternative with built-in AI? Caddie has AI throughout: notes that sort themselves, Ask Caddie (⌘J), and agents on your own Claude Code or Codex. Capacities and Notion include AI on paid plans. ### Can I bring my Obsidian vault to Caddie? Yes. Caddie imports from Obsidian, as well as Notion, Mem, Evernote and Apple Notes. ## Related [The best Notion alternatives in 2026](https://usecaddie.app/alternatives/notion)[The best Evernote alternatives in 2026](https://usecaddie.app/alternatives/evernote)[Caddie vs Notion](https://usecaddie.app/vs/notion) Checked 31 October 2026 against each product's own site. Prices change; if something is out of date, email harsha@usecaddie.app and we'll fix it.